Appalachian Design Center › Volunteer Opportunities
Project Title: Clyde Central United Methodist Church Conceptual Site Plan and Shipping Container Conversion
Location: Clyde, NC
Project summary: Clyde Central United Methodist Church in Clyde, NC has served over 6,000 meals in a single month to neighbors still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and ADC is looking for 3 to 5 design volunteers to help them plan the siting and conversion of two shipping containers into support facilities that will expand their capacity to serve the community long-term.
Project Timeline: Mid-June through August or September 2026, depending on scheduling.
Apply By: June 19, 2026
About the organization we are working with: Clyde Central United Methodist Church has been a cornerstone of its community in Clyde, NC, a town already facing economic hardship following the closure of the Canton paper mill. When Hurricane Helene struck in September 2024, the church responded immediately, launching a community meals program that continues today. The church now serves two meals a day, four days a week, and provided over 6,000 meals in April 2026 alone. The number of individuals they serve has grown steadily since Helene, reflecting both the scale of ongoing need and the church’s deep commitment to its neighbors. Visit the church’s website to learn more.
Project Description: The Appalachian Design Center will partner with Clyde Central United Methodist Church to develop a conceptual site plan and container conversion designs that expand the church’s capacity to serve its community. This volunteer design support allows the church to direct all available resources toward ongoing recovery and community meals while planning for durable new infrastructure.
The project will locate two 20-foot overseas shipping containers on the church property and develop conceptual designs for converting them into functional support facilities. These facilities may include shower and laundry services, filling critical gaps in the church’s current operations. A key requirement is that the containers be sited in an elevated location outside of the flood plain. In addition to ADC’s design team, a partnering group will contribute materials and skilled labor for the build-out.
The conceptual designs will create a roadmap for siting and converting the containers into a community support hub that expands service capacity for meals and disaster recovery operations, provides shower and laundry access currently unavailable at the fellowship hall, establishes a site layout appropriate to the property, addresses accessibility and code compliance requirements, and supports feasibility and coordination with local jurisdictions.
Meeting Expectations: Volunteer team members should expect to participate in a series of coordination, planning, and design meetings over the course of the project. Meetings will support team collaboration, review of existing information, development of concept-level design materials, and preparation for community engagement if needed.
Anticipated commitments include: regular virtual or in-person team meetings, averaging approximately one meeting per week during active phases; participation in one or more site visits to Clyde to review existing conditions and meet with local stakeholders, as schedules and availability allow; and involvement in up to two engagement efforts, which may include a targeted session with key stakeholders and a broader engagement with the general public.
The specific number, format, and schedule of meetings will be confirmed at the start of the project based on team availability and project needs.
Team Makeup: The project will be supported by one volunteer team of approximately 3 to 5 design professionals. Relevant experience may include architecture, engineering, site design, landscape architecture, planning, or construction, with particular value placed on experience in adaptive reuse, accessible design, code compliance, and site feasibility assessment. Team composition will reflect volunteer interest and the overall mix of skills needed to support a collaborative, concept-level design process.
Presentation Expectations: Volunteer team members may be asked to support or participate in presentations of draft or final design materials to key stakeholders and/or members of the community. Presentation roles will be coordinated based on interest and availability.
Volunteer Selection Criteria Volunteer selection is informed by relevant experience, alignment with ADC’s community-driven design approach, availability to meet project timelines and anticipated weekly time commitments, and consideration of current commitments to other ADC projects.
