George Real Estate Group Radio Broadcast

From Head Start Parent to Hurricane Hero: Margit Nelson's Journey

• George Real Estate Group

Share episode

Margit Nelson's remarkable journey from Head Start parent to heroic community leader takes center stage in this heartwarming episode of the George Real Estate Group's Hometown Hero Series. After finding quality early childhood education for her own three children through Head Start, Margit transformed that personal experience into an 18-year career with Western North Carolina Source, where she now serves as procurement and operations manager.

When Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Western North Carolina, Margit's dedication to her community truly shined. Through her pivotal role at WNC Source—a vital nonprofit serving Henderson, Polk, Transylvania, and Rutherford counties—she helped coordinate an impressive emergency response. Working alongside leadership teams and community partners, Margit helped mobilize critical resources including food, water, clothing, and emergency support for families and staff affected by the disaster.

The episode also reveals the broader impact of WNC Source across the region. With 235 employees continuing a legacy that began in 1966, the organization provides comprehensive services including Head Start and Early Head Start programs serving over 400 children, public transportation in Henderson County, housing assistance programs, and nutrition services for older adults. Despite severe flooding at their Etowah Center during the hurricane, the organization continues moving forward with plans to reopen the facility by August while simultaneously expanding services elsewhere, including a new Early Head Start center in Columbus serving 24 children.

Noah George also shares valuable insights into Henderson County's resilient real estate market, noting a surprising 7% increase in home sales during the first quarter despite national downturns. With average home prices holding steady around $544K and approximately 126 single-family homes selling monthly, the local market demonstrates remarkable stability even amid challenging times. Want to learn more about local real estate opportunities or nominate a deserving Hometown Hero? Contact the George Real Estate Group at 828-393-0134 or visit realestatebygregcom to connect with this community-focused team today.

Speaker 1:

The George Real Estate Group radio broadcast is celebrating 10 years on WHKP. The George Real Estate Group is celebrating 10 years on the radio, live every Thursday morning at 10.05 on WHKP 107.7 FM and AM 1450 and streaming online at WHkpcom. Each Friday morning at 845,. The George Real Estate Group presents the Hometown Hero Award to someone in our community who goes above and beyond to make our hometown a better place to live. Here's this week's Hometown Hero Show. It's 845 and time now for our regular Friday feature, the George Real Estate Group Hometown Hero Show. It's 845 and time now for our regular Friday feature, the George Real Estate Group Hometown Hero Series. And we always are joined by Noah George of the George Real Estate Group to do this wonderful show that we do on Friday mornings. Good morning, noah.

Speaker 2:

Good morning Absolutely the highlight of my week every Friday morning sponsoring the Hometown Hero Series. It's amazing. Every morning you and I get to meet incredible men and women, uh, that have made an incredible impact here in henderson county we really do and uh, and doggone it.

Speaker 1:

We've been through some rough times and uh, and always was. It is that, uh, they say, look for the helpers, and we're finding a lot of helpers right now.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and yes, I mean certainly. In the challenging times we face between the hurricane and then the fires, I mean, and again, just every day, is you know, everybody's facing whatever they're facing. It could be really, you know, normal challenges, but then we've had extraordinary challenges like what we faced with the hurricane.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, we have Now tell me how real estate in Henderson County has fared during all of this.

Speaker 2:

Well, again, the news tells you the sky is falling in regards to real estate. But here, locally, we're holding, we're holding in regards to real estate. But here, locally, we're holding, we're holding. I know there was a report that came out yesterday that the month of March in the United States was down some 6% nationally. Our first quarter in Henderson County was actually up 7%. We had 7% more homes sold the first quarter in Henderson County than we did the previous first quarter. So I mean we're holding steady. I mean the market. We're averaging some 126 single family homes a month selling in Henderson County. That's really been what's happening the last two years. So we're holding.

Speaker 2:

It's certainly lower than what it was in regards to housing of Henderson County, but it's holding and it seems to have hit in a plateau. Inventory levels are still low. We still have less than 500 homes on the market in Henderson County. So I mean prices have come down a little bit. I mean just nominally. I mean it did peak out at $551, $552. We're down to $544, which is still strong. But I mean. So inventory there's more choices for buyers, sellers. You still have to price your home correctly because we still see price reductions. But overall, I mean regardless of the interest rates. The market's still moving and we're seeing a lot of activity at the Georgia Real Estate Group. We're helping a lot of people with their buying and selling right now.

Speaker 1:

Well, as you can tell folks, this guy and this company keeps up with the trends in real estate. So if you have real estate questions and concerns or interest, contact Noah.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Call us, call the Georgia Real Estate Group at 828-393-0134. And before we jump into the conversation, just want to give a heads up on two open houses we have this weekend. One Saturday from 12 to 2 at 73 Wisdom Cove Road in Flat Rock, a beautiful home, and then also Sunday 2 to 4, 1938 Upper Ridgewood Boulevard in Druid Hill. So two great homes open this weekend. You can find them on our Facebook page and social media. But again, grateful to be here.

Speaker 1:

Well, we're grateful to have your sponsorship of this great show where we do get to shine a light on some positive news, and David White, with Western North Carolina Source, is in the house. Good morning, david. Of this great show where we do to get to shine a light on some positive news and david white, with western north carolina source, is in the house. Good morning, david good morning, randy.

Speaker 1:

Glad to be here it's good to have you, friend. You've been here before in that hot seat over there and it's good to have you with us now.

Speaker 4:

Uh, tell us about western north carolina source okay, yeah, but western north carolina source is a private non-profit. Private non-profit. We serve henderson, polk, transylvania and rutherford counties. Our biggest operations are early childhood education programs, which are head start, early head start, nc, pre-k and developmental day services, and so we serve over 400 children children in those four counties with those services. We also run the public transit system in Henderson County If you see a WNC source vehicle or an Apple Country vehicle. That's part of what we do. And we have housing programs. We do the rental assistance program in Henderson and Transylvania counties and we do older adults programming of transportation and nutrition, a lot of nutrition, particularly in Transylvania County. So that's us. We've been around since 1966, and we have 235 employees and so it keeps us busy.

Speaker 4:

But today I'm here with Margaret Nelson. She is our procurement and operations manager for our early childhood programs and she's been with us. When did you start with us, marget? I've been here a little over 18 years, a little over 18 years, and so she works very hard and, going back to the pandemic, she was doing the types of things that she did during Helene, which was making sure that our families that are in the program, that have children in the programs, get the things that they need. So I'm going to let you talk about that, margaret yeah, uh, switch that mic over to margaret but david you, you, you were.

Speaker 2:

So you were compelled to nominate margaret, I mean for all the incredible things she's been doing. So thank you for for nominating margaret and margaret, congratulations. You're a hometown hero this week and and we want to share your story and and story and hear from you again the incredible work you're doing. You've been doing this now over 20 years with Head Start programs.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes, I've been blessed to be able to work at WNC Source for many years with amazing, amazing leadership and a wonderful staff, and we all work together to make sure that children's and families of WNC Source get other resources and everything they need for their kids to be successful in kindergarten.

Speaker 1:

Well, especially when your services were needed, most recently during Helene. So tell us about what your job was like in that time.

Speaker 3:

After Hurricane Helene, very quickly, wnc Source leadership worked together with all of the staff to mobilize services so that we could get resources to our children families and, of course, also our staff. So we were able to connect with our you know, of course really fantastic community partners and all of our staff and all of our departments at WNC Source quickly linked services and we had communications quickly going amongst all of senior leadership that worked to make sure that we could get food, water, clothes to all of our children families and children's services and, of course, our staff and we all work together really as a team to help everyone through their incredible hardships during that time Amazing.

Speaker 2:

Let's back up. How did you first get involved into the nonprofit world? But where did your passion come from to be an advocate for families and children? I mean, can we go back to what was a catalyst for you?

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes, I was originally a Head Start parent. I had three young children and, you know, wanted to make sure that they had opportunities for a quality early childhood education and I found Head Start, which I'm so proud to have been a part of now for many years and then really have been so fortunate to be able to work at WNC Source with their mission in the community and also serving our Head Start early Early Head Start and NC Pre-K families. And I think, as we all know, families with young children have a lot of challenges now and at WNC Source, you know, we're able to make sure that the families have everything they need so they can thrive and, of course, we know when families are thriving that children thrive.

Speaker 3:

And communities thrive and communities thrive and this area is so special. Yes, I am so touched and honored to be able to work with our incredible community partners, with the amazing leadership and colleagues at WNC Source that all share that mission to help families with young children, and we, you know, whether it's helping them get to doctor's appointments or making sure you know families need help getting a job or getting back into the workforce, making sure their children have everything they need so by the time they get to kindergarten, they are absolutely prepared, so I mean it had such a big impact on you personally.

Speaker 2:

You're like I want to do this for other families For the rest of my life. I hope I get to do this.

Speaker 3:

I have honestly loved every minute and couldn't be any prouder to be able to work at WNC Source and continue this work that Head Start does and Early Head Start does. It has been really one of my life's greatest joys.

Speaker 2:

That's incredible.

Speaker 1:

Margaret, you also were very instrumental in helping to organize these drive-thrus, drive-thru resource places. Tell us about that.

Speaker 3:

Well, after Helene and again, you know I was one piece of a tremendous puzzle in this area and I was thinking I'm not even sure I'd be the corner piece in the puzzle, one piece. But immediately afterwards I know you know, david White people from really all over the country and in this area were reaching out saying how can I help you all? We, you know they were folks that were familiar with the work that WNC Source had done and our connection with the children and families and they said, hey, how can we help? That was, and, of course, our community partners. There are nonprofits in the area, private companies reached out so we worked with them to pick up supplies, get resources, survey our families, asking them what do you need right now? How can we help you? Can we help you? And then worked within the community to get everybody, whether it was food, water, temporary housing Really it was just an incredible effort. And the children in your program it was really amazing.

Speaker 2:

The generosity in the community, how it's stepped up was incredible and I know you guys were on the front lines. That was a bit of an apex, obviously crisis. Where are we now and what's the future looking like?

Speaker 3:

I mean, we just got a couple minutes, but yeah, I'm going to pass it to David White he is Okay, the main thing that we're. Our Etowah.

Speaker 4:

Center was severely flooded during the, the hurricane. We the rest of our centers, thank goodness, uh, we're back up and running within three weeks of you know ending, but, but the etowah center is our focus right now. It's still uh, I mean it really you're in recovery right now.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, your organization. But we've got, we're making progress on it. But you know, the Dogwood Health Trust, the Henderson County Community Foundation have given us money and the state of North Carolina, through our local Smart Start partnership, have given us funds to where we can repair the Etowah Center. But we've got some. We have to do some new things out there because if we don't it's going to flood again, right. So we're having to do these, the flood mitigation work, and then we're aiming for august of this year to reopen etiwaz wow and that will mean that all of our centers are back up and running.

Speaker 4:

Um, so that's great. We just, we're really excited. We just opened a new center early head start center in Columbus, north Carolina. That's serving 24 children down here. Lots of good things happening. Like I said, we desperately want to get Etowah back online, just to make sure we can. Good news we are fully enrolled at this point, looking forward to a good start to the next school year in August with Head Start and NC Pre-K. So yeah, besides what's going on in Etowah, we're you know, we're feeling pretty good.

Speaker 1:

Well, thank you both for what you do and what you have done. We're so grateful, margaret. We've got a certificate here that you can hang in your office there. It says Hometown Hero on it and there's also some goodies there from some area restaurants, and we just want to tip our hat to you and to Western North Carolina Source and everyone there that worked so hard to make us a better place. Thank you from the bottom of our heart.

Speaker 3:

Thank you all so much, thank you.

Speaker 1:

Noah, we appreciate it so much. We remind everybody how to get in touch with you at the George Real Estate Group.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. Find us online at realestatebygregcom.

Speaker 1:

Stop by our office in Flat Rock on rainbow row and, of course, you can call us directly at 828-393-0134 if you have a nominee for our george real estate group hometown hero series, get in touch with us here at whkp and we'll see you next friday morning on the george real estate group hometown hero series there's a strange thing that happens in life.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes, when things are just okay, we stay stuck longer than we would if things were truly bad. It's called the region beta paradox and explains why people stay in homes, that kind of work neighborhoods that used to be okay, or rentals where the price isn't too bad because it's comfortable. But comfort can cost you your dreams. What if you didn't wait for something to break before you made a breakthrough? What dreams? What if you didn't wait for something to break before you made a breakthrough? What if the nudge you've been waiting for is now? At the George Real Estate Group, we hear it all the time. I'm so glad I did it while I could. The move, the decision, the change before it's too late. Whether you need more space, less stress or just a fresh start, you don't have to stay stuck, you don't have to settle and you don't have to do it alone. Call the George Real Estate Group at 828-393-0134. Don't let just fine, hold you back. Let's make a move while you still can.

Speaker 1:

The George Real Estate Group is located in Flat Rock, north Carolina, near Hendersonville in Henderson County. You can find them online at realestatebygregcom. The George Real Estate Group can be reached at 828-393-0134 or stop by their office at 2720 Greenville Highway, flat Rock, north Carolina, north Carolina. Tune in live each week on Thursdays at 10 0 5 AM on WHKP 107.7 FM and 1450 AM, or stream online at whkpcom or download these podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. The George real estate group brings you the WHKP hometown hero series every Friday morning at 8 45.