Anna's Hope
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anna Huneycutt
In March 2010, Anna Wesley Huneycutt died from a drug overdose. It was the culmination of a tumultuous struggle with addiction that upended her young life and the life of the family that loved her fiercely.
Anna’s death at age 20, however, was not the end of her story. In many ways, the tragic ending of her life was arguably the beginning of Anna’s legacy manifested during her short stay in this world. Her struggles and untimely death ultimately put into motion a series of events that have had a far-reaching and considerable positive impact on our community.
Today, Anna’s mother Julie Huneycutt, who lives with her husband Don in the Dunroy community of Flat Rock, works tirelessly to honor her daughter as the dynamic and passionate Executive Director of Hope Coalition. Hope Coalition is a Henderson County nonprofit dedicated to preventing substance use among youth with a focus on long-term recovery for area residents impacted by alcohol and drug addiction. With an expansive array of programs and services, Hope Coalition has stepped forward in Henderson County as a leading resource and advocate for individuals and their families faced with the dire consequences of addiction.
For Julie Huneycutt, it has been a long and winding road from the darkness of 2010. A road that has led her life in ways she never could have imagined.
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About Julie
Julie Huneycutt
Julie Harwell Huneycutt, age 62, grew up in Asheville and attended Asheville High School before attending NC State University where she majored in Psychology and graduated with honors. It was during college that she was hired as a riding counselor at Camp Green Cove and was introduced to Henderson County for the first time.
Her connection to Henderson County was cemented when she met her future husband, Don Huneycutt, at NC State. Don, who works as a Financial Advisor for Merrill-Lynch in Hendersonville, was born at Pardee Hospital, attended West Henderson High School, and had summer jobs working in the apple industry. The couple married while still in college in 1982 and have been married for 42 years. As Julie jokes, “We have basically grown up together.”
After graduation, the young couple spent a short stint in Spartanburg before Don landed a position at the General Electric plant in Henderson County. It was 1988 and the Huneycutts were returning to their mountain roots to raise their family.
Early in their marriage, the couple welcomed four children to the world – Josh born in 1984, Sarah in 1986, Anna in 1989, and Mark (nicknamed “The Final Four”) in 1991. With a young and active brood in tow, Julie devoted her time to the care, feeding, and transport of a growing family. Life was hectic and filled with all the normal challenges of a growing family. Eventually, the children were all in school and old enough that Julie could explore opportunities outside the home.
Thr huneycutt Family
She started volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and then got an offer from Hendersonville High principal, Bobby Wilkins, that she could not refuse – although she certainly tried. “I told him no four times. And the fifth time he asked me, I told him I would fill in teaching Latin until he found a replacement. Four years later, I was still teaching high school Latin.” Following her stint at HHS, the volunteer position at Habitat evolved into a paid position and she served as manager of the Habitat Restore and later as their Director of Development.
Life was busy and, on the surface, the Huneycutts seemed the prototypical American family. But there were looming challenges with daughter Anna that would test the family in ways they never could have imagined.
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Anna’s Story
Anna Huneycutt was an outgoing child with a strong creative bent and an outsized heart for the underdog. Julie remembers all the times Anna would bring home stray animals – and young friends – who were down on their luck and needed a little extra attention that a home like the Huneycutts could provide. Julie vividly remembers Anna’s occasionally frustrating spirit of generosity. “We would take the kids shopping for school clothes on Monday and by Friday I'd see multiple items of Anna’s clothing on the other children at the bus stop.”
Looking back, Julie thinks that Anna’s soft heart for those who had less may have been the start of her daughter’s problems. “She was caring to a fault. She felt things so deeply that I think she just had a hard time dealing with life,” Julie explains. “I think that was one of the reasons she started self-medicating.”
Anna also had an artist’s soul and enjoyed being outside at every opportunity. “She loved the trails at Carl Sandburg. She’d be up there all the time running around up on the mountain. It probably made her happier than anything,” recalls Julie. But it was also that creative nature that may have contributed to Anna’s troubles. “Our most creative sometimes take the weight of the world on their shoulders. Hurts are felt much more deeply. She internalized.”
Julie traces the beginning of Anna’s drug addiction back to her high school days. She was experiencing debilitating anxiety and Julie and Don took her to professionals for counseling. It was there that prescription medications were suggested. But Anna disliked the way the medications made her feel and resisted taking the prescribed drugs.
It was at this time that Anna had a wisdom tooth extracted and was prescribed oxycodone to control the pain. Anna found relief from more than the pain of the extraction – the drugs made her feel less anxious and provided an escape from the pain of dealing with the hardships of reality. When she ran out of the original prescription, she requested more. Julie, not realizing the true reason for the request, agreed. “I didn’t want my child in pain.”
Later Anna had a tonsillectomy and more opioid medications were prescribed. Looking back, Julie realizes now that it was then that her daughter was addicted to drugs. “Anna got hooked before we realized what was going on and then at that point, it became pretty much a roller coaster of efforts to try to stay ahead of it. It was a nightmare for almost two years.
Losing Anna
Anna’s struggles with drug addiction continued after high school and the Huneycutts struggled to find a path forward for their daughter. Over the course of three years, Anna went through three detox and four rehabilitation programs. The final program she entered was Sierra Tucson, one of the country’s premier treatment centers for drug addiction. The Huneycutts saw improvement but Anna, now an adult, left the program against her counselor’s and family’s wishes. She returned to Hendersonville in November of 2009.
Back in Henderson County, Anna was unable to stay clean despite all the efforts by professionals and her family to shepherd her back to health. “She tried. She definitely tried,” Julie says softly. On March 5th, 2020, Don Huneycutt spent some time with Anna. “They had a good conversation,” Julie remembers. “She’d been to the doctor that afternoon. She was working to get her license back. She was planning to re-enter school.” Anna was happy and projected an image of encouraging hopefulness.
The next day, March 6th, 2010, Anna Honeycutt died of an accidental drug overdose. She was just 20 years old. Fourteen years later, the searing pain of that unimaginable loss persists. “It still feels like yesterday,” says Julie. “I can relive every single second – and we relive it a lot. It never goes away.”
Julie and Don’s Response
After the initial horror and shock, Julie and Don resolved to preserve Anna’s memory by working to help other families facing the struggles they had encountered during their fight to save their daughter from her addictions. With incredible strength and resolve forged by their loss, Julie and Don vowed not to shrink from the pain. “We were not going to be ashamed of Anna,” explains Julie. “She had the same potential as our other three children, and we decided to be honest about why she died. We were tired of the anonymity. We were tired of the stigma and the shame. We felt strongly that we had to say something. “
As a result, Julie and Don approached The Community Foundation of Henderson County to set up a fund honoring their daughter. They started Anna’s Hope to raise awareness about the prescription drug abuse that had claimed their daughter. They posted their story on Facebook and the response was immediate and overwhelming. It became clear that the problem was bigger than most people understood. Anna and the Huneycutts were not the exception to the rule - they had been caught up in a burgeoning epidemic that was taking lives and devastating families everywhere.
“We got to be known in the community as the couple speaking out about drug addiction. We were like the poster family,” says Julie. The Huneycutts worked to educate other families to recognize the problems. Their story was a cautionary tale that they felt obligated to share.
Looking back, Julie understands now that she was not prepared for the problems their family faced. “I grew up in a household where the only addict I ever saw was Otis on the Andy Griffith show,” explains Julie. “I didn't know what alcoholism looked like. I didn't know what addiction looked like. I really was very ignorant of how it can affect your own family. It was always ‘over there’ - not affecting me.”
“But once it did affect me it just became a roller coaster. Every time I would learn something there'd be something new. I was always behind, and if I knew then what I know now, I truly think we probably could have saved Anna's life.”
Julie and Don’s experience, as painful as it was, did provide a platform for engaging others facing similar challenges and loss. “I can understand their pain. I can understand their anger. I can understand their exasperation. I can understand their fears. I can understand all of it.” Then Julie adds, “I can let them know they're not alone. So that's my strength. It's my heart to work with the families.”
In late 2013, The Partnership for Health in Henderson County formed Hope RX to formally address prescription drug abuse and Julie, by then very well known in the community for her advocacy work through Anna’s Hope, was hired to be the Executive Director of the fledgling organization. Although the initial mission was to combat drug misuse, the organization soon branched out into prevention, other types of addictions, and services that addressed more than just the opioid epidemic. In 2019, Hope RX became Hope Coalition to underscore the growing mission and scope of programming offered.
Hope Coalition Programs
Today, Hope Coalition is home to many support and recovery groups for adults, youth, and their families. Among the programs and services offered are:
The "Hope Rising" Youth Diversion program, aimed at giving youth a chance to correct their course of becoming justice involved through peer support and life-skills classes.
"Recovering Hope" and "Stitches of Hope" programs offered for adults in recovery from substances, trauma, etc.
Weekly MARA meetings (Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous).
Partnerships with local law enforcement for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days.
"Lock Your Meds" campaign to provide media awareness on the dangers of medication diversion.
Programs for the public school system and local youth organizations, such as The Boys & Girls Club, providing education and prevention practices to help youth choose to avoid using substances.
Annually host the 'Week of Hope' with Henderson County Public Schools as the largest prevention event of the year, reaching over 10,000 students.
Hope Coalition is also home of the Henderson County Youth Council, where area students engage in service-learning and leadership development.
With the assistance of Community Impact NC, Hope Coalition piloted the first Handle With Care model in North Carolina. Whenever there is an emergency call to the home of a school-aged child, law enforcement gives anonymous info to a school contact so the staff are then able to give children the trauma-informed support they need during a sensitive time.
Julie says that Hope Coalition is also working with the schools to provide alternatives to suspension for infractions involving possession and prohibited vaping. “We don’t want to fail these students by sending them home to just continue the same behavior that got them suspended in the first place,” says Julie.
The Buzz
Hope Coalition’s newest initiative, The Buzz, opened in 2023 and is Henderson County’s first sober social bar and café. Located at 225 South Grove Street in downtown Hendersonville, The Buzz provides a safe and relaxed atmosphere in a social environment free of alcohol where like-minded people can gather. As Julie points out, Henderson County is currently home to 15 breweries, four cideries, and seven wineries. The Buzz, by contrast, offers a safe, non-triggering alternative, for family and friends who want to socialize without the pressure of drinking alcohol.
All proceeds generated by sales at The Buzz go directly to Hope Coalition and provide additional funding for the array of programs and services offered by the nonprofit. Current offerings at The Buzz include a wide range of coffee drinks made with locally roasted ShareWell coffees. The café also offers soups, sandwiches, and salads. The bar has an extensive offering of delightfully creative mocktails and non-alcoholic beers. The Buzz is open Monday through Saturday and opens each morning at 7:30. They also feature a drive-through window for those wanting to grab a coffee or a bite to eat on the go.
Julie has been gratified with the café and bar’s first few months of operation. “We have a lot of community group meetings using the space. We also have book clubs and game groups.” There is also Open Mic Night on Thursdays and live music on most Friday and Saturday evenings. The space (4,000 s.f.) is also available for rent for events on nights when The Buzz is closed.
Most importantly, Julie appreciates the opportunity created by The Buzz to connect with the community at large. “We live in a very giving, caring, and engaged community. I like being part of that.
Conclusion
Fourteen years after the tragic death of Anna, Julie worries that the issues that plagued her daughter have not abated. If anything, she believes they’ve gotten even more challenging. “I think the isolation of COVID created a surge in addiction. It's created a surge in mental health issues.” She adds that even as our community gets a handle on opiates and prescription medicines, a surge in fentanyl use and vaping presents the next great challenge for her organization.
Still, despite all the people she knows who are struggling, Julie remains resolved and is not willing to step away from her mission to address one of society’s most pervasive problems. “I definitely feel hopeful.”
When asked what she believes Anna would say about the work her parents have done since they lost a beloved daughter, Julie still feels her daughter’s presence. “I think she would be very proud. I also think if she were here, she'd be right on the front lines. Trying to help others.” Julie smiles and adds, “I believe she is with us in everything we do.”
Julie pauses for a moment and her resolute gaze belies the strength of a woman who has converted unimaginable heartache into an unwavering commitment to make sure Anna’s short life will have a positive impact on others who still have their lives to live. “After Anna died, I said, ‘If I can save one family or one person from going through what we've been through and from losing a child, it's worth it.’”
By that measure, the work done by Julie and Don Huneycutt and Hope Coalition has been worth it -hundreds of times over.
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Learn more about Hope Coalition here.
Learn more about the hours and all the offerings at The Buzz here.
