About Kinship Plot
Homes, gardens, and gatherings are how we build community
In a city growing faster than we can connect, we're creating a place where people can truly belong — to each other, and to the land.
Kinship Plot: A Story, A Place, A Scheme
Kinship is the bond that happens when people truly look out for one another — not as a transaction, but as a way of life. A plot is a story, a patch of land (a place), and a carefully laid plan (a scheme).​​
Place
Affordable homes and shared land where roots can grow
Story
Art, learning, and community life that reshape how we see each other
Scheme
The ongoing, intentional plan of building a place where belonging is real and mutual
Story, shelter, soil, and spirit — everything a community needs to take root.
OUR MODEL
Different entry points for different levels of participation — each one addressing real needs through the same method: bringing people together around a shared place.
​
How It's Done
THE FOUNDING STORY
How We Got Here
In 2021, Wes and Stephanie Vander Lugt looked at their city and saw the same thing many people feel but can't quite name: Charlotte is growing fast, but rooted belonging is harder to find than ever. Loneliness, displacement, and division were everywhere — and the usual responses weren't reaching the root.
So they started Kinship Plot — a nonprofit built on a simple but compelling conviction: that people flourish when they have a real place to belong. Not just a roof. Not just a neighbor to wave at. But stable housing, shared land, creative life together, and relationships with deep resonance.
In 2023, they partnered with The Grove Church in east Charlotte, who shared their vision and provided land for it to grow. They built connections with neighbors, artists, gardeners, and other churches—and over time, something meaningful began to emerge.
PARTNERS
We don't do this alone
Kinship Plot exists within a network of neighbors, churches, organizations, and individuals who share a conviction that community is worth building — slowly, carefully, and together.
Our primary partner is The Grove Presbyterian Church, whose partnership of 5+ acres makes our work of rooted belonging possible.
We also collaborate with local artists, chefs, faith communities, schools, and neighborhood organizations across Charlotte - and we'd love for you to join us.