HOPE Bus Launches in South Slope, Offering Message of Hope and Mental Health Support

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — As you go down the south slope, you will see a new bus parked at Bear Smokehouse Barbecue.

This bus is called the HOPE Busand since July 4, it is officially open to the public.

Cheryl Antoncic, co-owner of Bear’s Smokehouse, is also the founder of Linked4Life Foundationwhose mission is to break the stigma surrounding mental health.

The opening of the HOPE bus is the next addition to the foundation.

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Antoncic said the idea is for people to come and make a small donation to the foundation and then write a small message of hope to hang on the bus.

The bus itself is actually an old Bear bus that they were serving food from during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With it now retired, it made perfect sense for us to reimagine it and turn it into the Hope Bus and try to continue to give hope to others who really need it,” she explained.

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Antoncic said the idea for the HOPE Bus began in 2019 when Bear’s lost a former manager to suicide at the age of 25.

She said that was the catalyst that gave birth to the idea of ​​being able to show that someone still cares about them.

All money raised through the HOPE Bus will go toward providing free counseling to food and beverage workers in Asheville.

To learn more about the HOPE Bus, click HERE.