Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
Right now, a team of doctors is scrubbing in for a surgery while a patient waits for a procedure that they hope will save their life; blood bags are prepared and ready. In a different hospital, a team of nurses is giving a trauma victim a lifesaving blood transfusion. Several floors away, a cancer patient is receiving a platelet transfusion after chemotherapy. Those patients, and thousands of others, can hope and plan for the new year because blood products were available.
As we enter 2023, many are looking at a piece of paper, writing down their new year’s resolutions and goals: ‘read ten books…get outside more often…go to the gym.’ The Blood Connection (TBC), the non-profit community blood center, is encouraging people to add one more thing to that list: save a life with TBC. It may sound daunting. It may sound unachievable. But with just one hour and one blood donation, three lives can be saved in this community. The difference between a joyous and tragic new year for many local families is community blood donors.
TBC is urging community members to make blood donation a priority in 2023 – because, simply put: lives depend on it.
The countdown to the annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive is on. Buncombe County and Asheville first responders face off every year for a lifesaving cause and a little friendly competition.
Local heroes are rolling up their sleeves and encouraging the community to do the same. Just one donation can save up to three lives. Sign up to donate today and support your favorite badged department. All donors will receive a custom long sleeve Battle of the Badges T-shirt, a $10 Gift Card by email from Amazon, and a chance to win a FL trip: rcblood.org/heart. Give blood, warm hearts, and vote for your favorite first responders.
Sign up Online for the Battle of the Badges Blood Drive
Schedule an appointment and enter sponsor code avlbattleofbadges or call 1-800-REDCROSS.
Many have heard of “love languages”; the ways we share and receive love from those most important in our life. One of those love languages? Acts of service. What better act of service than donating blood with The Blood Connection (TBC) and their partner organizations? Donating blood is a compassionate way to show our neighbors and community just how much we care. This February, TBC is partnering with Texas Roadhouse to provide fun and rewarding opportunities to donate blood.
On February 23 and March 2, TBC is once again partnering with Texas Roadhouse for the “Hearts as Big as Texas” campaign. Now in its fifth year, Hearts as Big as Texas brings more than 20 bloodmobiles out across the Carolinas and Georgia to make blood donation convenient and fun for community members. As a thank you for donating, all blood donors will receive a $20 Texas Roadhouse Gift card, a free appetizer coupon, plus a bonus $30 eGift card! Participating locations include:
- Anderson, SC
- Asheville, NC
- Augusta, GA
- Columbia (Columbiana), SC
- Columbia (Two Notch), SC
- Durham, NC
- Florence, SC
- Gainesville, GA
- Gastonia, NC
- Greenville, NC
- Holly Springs, NC
- Macon, GA
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- North Charleston, SC
- Savannah, GA
- Spartanburg, SC
- Taylors, SC
- Wake Forest, NC
Many have heard of “love languages”; the ways we share and receive love from those most important in our life. One of those love languages? Acts of service. What better act of service than donating blood with The Blood Connection (TBC) and their partner organizations? Donating blood is a compassionate way to show our neighbors and community just how much we care. This February, TBC is partnering with Texas Roadhouse to provide fun and rewarding opportunities to donate blood.
On February 23 and March 2, TBC is once again partnering with Texas Roadhouse for the “Hearts as Big as Texas” campaign. Now in its fifth year, Hearts as Big as Texas brings more than 20 bloodmobiles out across the Carolinas and Georgia to make blood donation convenient and fun for community members. As a thank you for donating, all blood donors will receive a $20 Texas Roadhouse Gift card, a free appetizer coupon, plus a bonus $30 eGift card! Participating locations include:
- Anderson, SC
- Asheville, NC
- Augusta, GA
- Columbia (Columbiana), SC
- Columbia (Two Notch), SC
- Durham, NC
- Florence, SC
- Gainesville, GA
- Gastonia, NC
- Greenville, NC
- Holly Springs, NC
- Macon, GA
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- North Charleston, SC
- Savannah, GA
- Spartanburg, SC
- Taylors, SC
- Wake Forest, NC
Giving blood is a simple thing to do, but it can make a big difference in the lives of others. Asheville Outlets is teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a mobile blood drive on Friday, March 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot located behind the food court. Donors are asked to register in advance by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code AshevilleOutlets. For more information, visit ShopAshevilleOutlets.com.
Have social time meet our staff and current fosters and get to know more about our Foster Program. Games, snacks, and other goodies will be provided for attendees and donations of much-needed kitten items are encouraged. Items requested include vital supplies like kitten formula and food, kitten warmers, bottles, and supplements that give foster kittens the needed boost to grow into healthy adult cats.
The full kitten supply list is available on the Blue Ridge Humane Society website at https://www.blueridgehumane.org/donate/wish-list/. There are also options available for items to be purchased online and shipped directly to Blue Ridge Humane.
As the weather warms up, the birds, bees, and cats get busy. Soon, kittens start to appear in local animal shelters, “rescued” by well-meaning animal lovers. “We are coming on that time of year when animal lovers begin finding kittens outside,” says Angela Prodrick, Blue Ridge Humane’s Executive Director. “It is important to remember that the amount of community or feral cats in our county far outnumbers the number of people living in our community. If all the kittens were brought to a local shelter, the shelter would quickly become overwhelmed.”
If you find a kitten, here are a few simple things you can do to help save lives:
Instead of immediately springing into action once kittens are found, wait and watch. If the kittens aren’t visibly sick or injured, move away from the nest and wait to see if the mother returns. If the mother returns, you can help her by providing food and shelter while she raises the kittens.
If you discover that mom isn’t returning, or if it appears that she is not coming back, then you should remove the kittens. This is crucial to the kittens’ survival. The best place for kittens to grow is with a dedicated foster. Blue Ridge Humane provides kitten kits to help kitten rescuers turn into kitten fosters.
Once kittens are about 6-8 weeks old, a finder can look to get them spayed or neutered and adopted into new homes. If you find kittens that need care and you need supplies or advice, contact the BRHS Foster and Community Outreach Team at [email protected] or (828) 393-5832. Animal lovers can also view additional resources about what to do when kittens are found at https://www.blueridgehumane.org/resources/lost-found/kittens/.
Blue Ridge Humane offers kitten care support for volunteers, as well as comprehensive training and support for fosters in the BRHS foster program. To learn more about fostering, visit https://www.blueridgehumane.org/get-involved/foster/ or contact Michaela Okuda, Foster Program Coordinator at [email protected].
The Blue Ridge Humane Society, Inc., is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization started in 1950 and dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and our neighboring communities. BRHS cares for pets awaiting adoption at the Adoption Center; offers low-cost vaccine clinics, animal education programs, pet training classes, and youth education and projects; coordinates community pet food assistance, emergency vet assistance, and the Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Henderson County Animal Services Center.
If you believe in our cause, consider donating or learning how to volunteer by visiting the Blue Ridge Humane Society’s website at www.blueridgehumane.org or call (828) 692-2639.
Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes and Growing Vegetables in Strawbales, and a 40 year gardener with an expertise in heirloom tomatoes, moved to Hendersonville with his wife, Susan in January 2020 – then COVID hit, closing down his workshop agenda. Craig and Al met for coffee and the idea of providing workshops at the Veterans Healing Farm quickly took shape. At this event, Craig will tell some garden stories and provide some sneak peaks at four programs that will take place in the coming months. He will have plenty of time for questions, share some garden seeds, and his books will be available to flip through; signed copies will be available to purchase.
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Join other veterans for this series of writing classes led by NC Veterans Writing Alliance Writer in Residence Elizabeth Heaney, author of the book The Honor Was Mine. To sign up, please e-mail Ron Toler at [email protected]. |
Kate Steinbeck
Music for solo flute – A program of surprises
This concert is a fundraiser for a mission trip to Armenia to play concerts for UN Refugee communities and others
Advanced reservations are encouraged.
Read more about Adventure Armenia here: https://panharmonia.org/2023/01/02/adventure-armenia/
Once we reach 700 donors, our magic Give UNC Asheville golden ticket will become activated! The ticket is currently hidden somewhere on campus, and the student who finds it will decide which fund will receive an extra $1,000 gift, thanks to the generosity of Vice Chancellor of Advancement Kirk Swenson.
for veterans and their spouses
Mock interview, tips from employers. This workshop provides you with the unique opportunity to meet live with a panel of employers for candid conversation about the best ad worst practices with resumes and interviews.
La Sylphide (translated to “The Sylph”) is a magical morality tale about the pitfalls of temptation. Set in Scotland, the ballet tells of James, his fiancé Effie, and a beautiful Sylph who first appears as a dream, ultimately luring James into the woods, abandoning friends and his bride. La Sylphide features exquisite classical technique, intriguing characters, and leaves questions for the audience to ponder about the choices we make. La Sylphide is one of the oldest full length classical ballets still in repertoires of major ballet companies across the globe.
International Ballet’s La Sylphide will feature Greenville Native Ekaterina Nechayeva as the Sylph.
In August of 2022 the President of the United States signed into law the PACT Act, the most sweeping legislation in regards to Veteran benefits in three plus decades. This legislation will provide healthcare and disability benefits to hundreds of thousands of Veterans who served in hostile locations across the globe. It is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances and adds to the list of health conditions that are presumed to be caused by exposure to these substances.
On April 1, 2023, multiple veterans affairs groups organized a town hall at the A-B Tech Conference Center to help veterans in WNC. Charles George VA partnered with Vietnam Veterans of America and the North Carolina State Council to host a Toxic Exposure/PACT Act Veterans Town Hall. At the event, veterans received assistance with signing up for healthcare benefits, filing disability claims, and completing toxic exposure screenings.
According to the VA website, the PACT Act will bring these changes:
- Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
- Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures
- Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
- Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
The PACT Act also includes benefits for surviving family members of a Veteran including a monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) payment, a one-time accrued benefits payment, or a survivors pension. More information on the PACT Act can be found here.
Buncombe County residents who think that they could be eligible for the PACT Act should contact the Buncombe County Veterans Service Office (VSO). Buncombe County Veterans Services Supervisor, Heath Smith, gave a presentation about the PACT Act at the town hall event. Navigating benefits eligibility can be a challenge which is why Smith encourages people to contact their local VSO. Smith says, “If you think that a health condition is due to your time in service, get in touch with your local Veterans Service Office and they will guide you through the benefits that you might be entitled to. We encourage people to contact a Veterans Service Officer to learn more about this new legislation.”
In Buncombe County, Veterans Service Officers can be reached by calling (828) 250-5726. Our Veterans Services team will be happy to assist you with questions you might have about the PACT Act and other benefits that you and your relatives could qualify for.
Click here to watch the video of Heath Smith’s presentation at the Town Hall.
In August of 2022 the President of the United States signed into law the PACT Act, the most sweeping legislation in regards to Veteran benefits in three plus decades. This legislation will provide healthcare and disability benefits to hundreds of thousands of Veterans who served in hostile locations across the globe. It is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances and adds to the list of health conditions that are presumed to be caused by exposure to these substances.
On April 1, 2023, multiple veterans affairs groups organized a town hall at the A-B Tech Conference Center to help veterans in WNC. Charles George VA partnered with Vietnam Veterans of America and the North Carolina State Council to host a Toxic Exposure/PACT Act Veterans Town Hall. At the event, veterans received assistance with signing up for healthcare benefits, filing disability claims, and completing toxic exposure screenings.
According to the VA website, the PACT Act will bring these changes:
- Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
- Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures
- Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
- Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
The PACT Act also includes benefits for surviving family members of a Veteran including a monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) payment, a one-time accrued benefits payment, or a survivors pension. More information on the PACT Act can be found here.
Buncombe County residents who think that they could be eligible for the PACT Act should contact the Buncombe County Veterans Service Office (VSO). Buncombe County Veterans Services Supervisor, Heath Smith, gave a presentation about the PACT Act at the town hall event. Navigating benefits eligibility can be a challenge which is why Smith encourages people to contact their local VSO. Smith says, “If you think that a health condition is due to your time in service, get in touch with your local Veterans Service Office and they will guide you through the benefits that you might be entitled to. We encourage people to contact a Veterans Service Officer to learn more about this new legislation.”
In Buncombe County, Veterans Service Officers can be reached by calling (828) 250-5726. Our Veterans Services team will be happy to assist you with questions you might have about the PACT Act and other benefits that you and your relatives could qualify for.
Click here to watch the video of Heath Smith’s presentation at the Town Hall.
In August of 2022 the President of the United States signed into law the PACT Act, the most sweeping legislation in regards to Veteran benefits in three plus decades. This legislation will provide healthcare and disability benefits to hundreds of thousands of Veterans who served in hostile locations across the globe. It is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances and adds to the list of health conditions that are presumed to be caused by exposure to these substances.
On April 1, 2023, multiple veterans affairs groups organized a town hall at the A-B Tech Conference Center to help veterans in WNC. Charles George VA partnered with Vietnam Veterans of America and the North Carolina State Council to host a Toxic Exposure/PACT Act Veterans Town Hall. At the event, veterans received assistance with signing up for healthcare benefits, filing disability claims, and completing toxic exposure screenings.
According to the VA website, the PACT Act will bring these changes:
- Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
- Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures
- Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
- Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
The PACT Act also includes benefits for surviving family members of a Veteran including a monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) payment, a one-time accrued benefits payment, or a survivors pension. More information on the PACT Act can be found here.
Buncombe County residents who think that they could be eligible for the PACT Act should contact the Buncombe County Veterans Service Office (VSO). Buncombe County Veterans Services Supervisor, Heath Smith, gave a presentation about the PACT Act at the town hall event. Navigating benefits eligibility can be a challenge which is why Smith encourages people to contact their local VSO. Smith says, “If you think that a health condition is due to your time in service, get in touch with your local Veterans Service Office and they will guide you through the benefits that you might be entitled to. We encourage people to contact a Veterans Service Officer to learn more about this new legislation.”
In Buncombe County, Veterans Service Officers can be reached by calling (828) 250-5726. Our Veterans Services team will be happy to assist you with questions you might have about the PACT Act and other benefits that you and your relatives could qualify for.
Click here to watch the video of Heath Smith’s presentation at the Town Hall.
In August of 2022 the President of the United States signed into law the PACT Act, the most sweeping legislation in regards to Veteran benefits in three plus decades. This legislation will provide healthcare and disability benefits to hundreds of thousands of Veterans who served in hostile locations across the globe. It is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances and adds to the list of health conditions that are presumed to be caused by exposure to these substances.
On April 1, 2023, multiple veterans affairs groups organized a town hall at the A-B Tech Conference Center to help veterans in WNC. Charles George VA partnered with Vietnam Veterans of America and the North Carolina State Council to host a Toxic Exposure/PACT Act Veterans Town Hall. At the event, veterans received assistance with signing up for healthcare benefits, filing disability claims, and completing toxic exposure screenings.
According to the VA website, the PACT Act will bring these changes:
- Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
- Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures
- Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
- Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
The PACT Act also includes benefits for surviving family members of a Veteran including a monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) payment, a one-time accrued benefits payment, or a survivors pension. More information on the PACT Act can be found here.
Buncombe County residents who think that they could be eligible for the PACT Act should contact the Buncombe County Veterans Service Office (VSO). Buncombe County Veterans Services Supervisor, Heath Smith, gave a presentation about the PACT Act at the town hall event. Navigating benefits eligibility can be a challenge which is why Smith encourages people to contact their local VSO. Smith says, “If you think that a health condition is due to your time in service, get in touch with your local Veterans Service Office and they will guide you through the benefits that you might be entitled to. We encourage people to contact a Veterans Service Officer to learn more about this new legislation.”
In Buncombe County, Veterans Service Officers can be reached by calling (828) 250-5726. Our Veterans Services team will be happy to assist you with questions you might have about the PACT Act and other benefits that you and your relatives could qualify for.
Click here to watch the video of Heath Smith’s presentation at the Town Hall.
In August of 2022 the President of the United States signed into law the PACT Act, the most sweeping legislation in regards to Veteran benefits in three plus decades. This legislation will provide healthcare and disability benefits to hundreds of thousands of Veterans who served in hostile locations across the globe. It is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances and adds to the list of health conditions that are presumed to be caused by exposure to these substances.
On April 1, 2023, multiple veterans affairs groups organized a town hall at the A-B Tech Conference Center to help veterans in WNC. Charles George VA partnered with Vietnam Veterans of America and the North Carolina State Council to host a Toxic Exposure/PACT Act Veterans Town Hall. At the event, veterans received assistance with signing up for healthcare benefits, filing disability claims, and completing toxic exposure screenings.
According to the VA website, the PACT Act will bring these changes:
- Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
- Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures
- Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
- Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
The PACT Act also includes benefits for surviving family members of a Veteran including a monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) payment, a one-time accrued benefits payment, or a survivors pension. More information on the PACT Act can be found here.
Buncombe County residents who think that they could be eligible for the PACT Act should contact the Buncombe County Veterans Service Office (VSO). Buncombe County Veterans Services Supervisor, Heath Smith, gave a presentation about the PACT Act at the town hall event. Navigating benefits eligibility can be a challenge which is why Smith encourages people to contact their local VSO. Smith says, “If you think that a health condition is due to your time in service, get in touch with your local Veterans Service Office and they will guide you through the benefits that you might be entitled to. We encourage people to contact a Veterans Service Officer to learn more about this new legislation.”
In Buncombe County, Veterans Service Officers can be reached by calling (828) 250-5726. Our Veterans Services team will be happy to assist you with questions you might have about the PACT Act and other benefits that you and your relatives could qualify for.
Click here to watch the video of Heath Smith’s presentation at the Town Hall.
This event will make resources and services readily available to local Veterans and their families.
Available Resources
Health Screenings, Dental Assistance, Mental Health Services, Employment Assistance, Housing/Shelter Assistance, Veterans’ Benefits Assistance, Gear Distribution, Training Opportunities, Haircuts, Crisis & Recovery Services, and Breakfast & Lunch Provided!
Veterans will need to present proof of Veteran status: DD-214, Veteran ID, or be verified on-site.
3rd Annual Spring Fling with over 20 craft artists, live music & food truck. 22 Living Greenhouses full of exotic plants, annuals, perennials, veggie starts, bushes and trees. Our very own Appalachian Standard CBD products for purchase.
Raffle with proceeds benefiting Asheville’s very own Dementia Partners!