Camp New Hope, located on the lush banks of the New River, is a very special retreat for families of children with life-threatening illnesses. It’s also the place two close friends have decided to call home in an effort to make life better for others.

Jeff Knight and Steve Fortner may seem to blend quietly into the background when you first meet them. The longer you are around them, the more you feel a sense of their peaceful, giving spirits.

The two discovered the camp one weekend in January, 2009 when their friend Chris introduced them to the special place where his mother, Randy Brown, was the director.

They, along with several others, came to offer their volunteer services on the property and felt an immediate draw to the camp and its mission. Before heading back to Charlotte after accomplishing all they could during that first trip, they made plans to return every other weekend.

Ultimately, the distance between Charlotte and the High Country did not allow them the time to accomplish all they desired to do at the camp. At the same time, Randy decided to offer the two men a place to live in exchange for their volunteer services. They had plans to begin a joint business called Tarheel Tables, so the timing seemed right to bring their entrepreneurial spirit to the mountains.
 
The two friends couldn’t have been happier with Randy’s offer—nor could everyone involved with the camp! Camp owners gave their blessings and, along with some local church volunteers, Jeff and Steve built their modest living quarters into what they refer to as the “Garage Mahal.”

“This camp could not have survived this year without these guys,” says Brown, who is a full-time volunteer herself, referring to the tough economic hit the camp has taken this year. “I used to worry about things,” she says. “I don’t worry anymore. I don’t have to. God sent me these two angels. Yes, they are men, but to me they are angels!”

Referring to them as her full-time volunteers, Brown adds, “I never have to ask them to do anything. They work for the camp all day and never seem to tire. They work in the freezing cold of winter and in the heat of the summer, and they never take a day off. They never complain and they never ask for money, they just do what needs to be done, and they do it with a smile!”

Why in the world would two handsome, single guys give up their own lives to live at a camp in the woods? Steve has a quick answer. “This place is home, for sure. The camp has had a big impact on both our lives. It really puts things in perspective.”

Then the quiet pair open up and start sharing stories about the kids who come to CNH. That’s when they start to talk, revealing their passion for the place. And they laugh hearty laughs about flipping a canoe in the river, and other shenanigans that have taken place throughout the last year.

Tarheel Tables is their woodworking business, now located in Ashe County. “We do a little bit of everything,” says Jeff. “If anyone can imagine it, we can build it.”
 
They build staircases, do wood flooring, custom cabinetry and build beautiful furniture, the latter being their primary focus for future business expansion. Exquisite examples of their craftsmanship are sprinkled around the camp, from which they gladly accept orders.

As word spreads about this talented two-man team, one can only wonder if perhaps Randy is right.  Maybe they are angels. “They are great guys with huge hearts who could be doing a lot of other things, but this is the life they have chosen. I just think it is so rare and admirable for two young men who are as talented as they are to dedicate their lives for such a worthy cause,” she says with love and wonder in her eyes. “Camp New Hope not only has a lot of special children who come here, we now have our own angels, and their names are Jeff and Steve!”

Just a side note to the single ladies, the men say that if they ever do meet “Miss Right,” she’ll have to have a desire to live at the camp and volunteer, too!