United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County is turning 100 and we’re focused on co-creating a united and resilient community where everyone belongs and everyone thrives.

How you can help. We’re inviting you to volunteer your time and talents in 100 Acts of Service over the course of the next year to dig in, share your voice, and be part of creating an active, engaged, equitable Asheville and Buncombe County. Over the next year, we’ll be sharing 100 ways for you, your friends, and your family to show up in community in recognition of 100 years of serving this place we call home.

How it Works:

Throughout the next year, we’ll be posting a variety of volunteer opportunities for you to choose from. Simply bookmark this page to view and sign-up for your 1 (or more) of 100 Acts of Service. It’s that easy! Be sure to check this page frequently as projects will change over time. We’ll also be celebrating and uplifting the transformative power of volunteerism by posting photos and blogs highlighting our community coming together in support of one another.

Ready to get started? 

Check out our current projects.

As we celebrate and honor 100 years of service, we invite you to explore United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County’s renewed purpose by visiting our We Are One page.

Looking to get involved, stay active, and meet some new friends? Sand Hill Community Garden workdays take place on Wednesdays (6-8 p.m.) and Saturdays (10 a.m.-noon) from Feb. 27-Oct. 30, 2021, at Buncombe County Sports Park. The garden is located on 16 Apac Dr. in West Asheville/Enka-Candler.

Join friends and neighbors as they come together on common ground to raise fresh, organic vegetables and fruits for the Enka community.

Expect to wear a mask and maintain social distance throughout. Tools and hand sanitizer are available, but any gloves, loppers, pruners, or gardening tools you can bring will decrease the amount of contact between volunteers. Please wear work clothes to get dirty and closed-toe shoes. Sunscreen, water, and a hat are also handy items to have on hand.

Sand Hill Community Garden has been growing fresh produce since 2011 and raised over 1,200 lbs. of organic produce last year.

NOTE: Community workdays are weather dependent. Please join the community garden email list (send your info to [email protected]) to stay up on workday tasks and other garden news.

To receive the I Heart Parks monthly newsletter, sign up online. Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.

We are thrilled to announce that Asheville Veganfest will be held again this year in Pack Square on October 3 2021 from 11am-6pm. We will have food, clothing, and artisan booths showing the best there is on the vegan market. Our 2021 event is being presented by Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge!
There will be a DJ on the stage and live music performing in the back section.

$15.00 – $35.00 sliding scale
Sun, Oct 3, 2021 (in person)
Join OGS for a plant walk at the scenic Paint Rock Farm. The walk will be guided by Julie Douglas, an herbalist and farmer, founder of Wildkrafted Kitchen and OGS’ very own Marketing Associate!
Throughout the walk, Julie will share some of their knowledge on plant identification, ethical foraging, medicinal and edible plants growing in the area. See you in the woods!
Register today: https://organicgrowersschool.org/product/2021-plant-walk/

Our Ideal Volunteer Tutor

The ideal volunteer tutor is someone seeking to make a one-year commitment of two hours per week to help someone else make the change of a lifetime. For our volunteer tutors, an education background is helpful, but not necessary. The most important qualities are patience, an open mind, and resourcefulness. Tutors also need to be non-judgmental and sensitive to cultural differences. A GED or high school diploma is required. Ideal tutors enjoy seeing concrete outcomes from their efforts and sharing in the life-changing successes of others. See our full tutor position description here.

Five Steps to Become a Tutor

1. Contact Literacy Together. Sign up online, call (828)254-3442 or email [email protected] to let us know you are interested in becoming a volunteer. We will get back to you within two business days.

2. Attend orientation. Orientations for the Adult Literacy or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs are held every month. Youth Literacy orientations are held at various dates and times in the month before Youth Literacy training, which typically takes places over two weeks during the summer.

3. Attend tutor training. Sign up for training at the end of the orientation session. Adult Literacy or ESOL tutors receive 15 hours of training. Youth Literacy tutors receive 30 hours of training.

4. Get matched with a student. The program director for your chosen program will match you with a student or small group of students who corresponds to your preferences. The program director will set the date, time, and location of your first meeting. After that, you will schedule your tutoring sessions directly with your student.

5. Start tutoring. Meet with your student(s) for at least two hours per week for a minimum of one year. Share your success stories with us, attend periodic in-service trainings to freshen up your skills, and proctor annual tests for your student.

Equity underlies everything we do. We serve immigrants, low-wealth, and disadvantaged individuals of every age. We know that literacy is the primary determinant of health, employment, income levels, and constructive self-expression. In 2017, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that sixty percent of children nationwide are not reading proficiently. Without intervention children who do not read proficiently become adults with low literacy and the cycle continues. Our one-on-one and small group tutoring is free and based on students’ schedules, making it accessible to those who would otherwise be unable to afford or attend traditional classroom settings.

Literacy Together (formerly Literacy Council of Buncombe County) has a determined group of students waiting for volunteer tutors so they can move forward on their goals for a better future. We’re offering tutor training and tutoring sessions online and in-person. We have programs teaching English to immigrants; adult literacy for folks working on a GED; and youth literacy for kids struggling to learn to read.
828-254-3442 [email protected] https://lit-together.org/

Looking to get involved, stay active, and meet some new friends? Sand Hill Community Garden workdays take place on Wednesdays (6-8 p.m.) and Saturdays (10 a.m.-noon) from Feb. 27-Oct. 30, 2021, at Buncombe County Sports Park. The garden is located on 16 Apac Dr. in West Asheville/Enka-Candler.

Join friends and neighbors as they come together on common ground to raise fresh, organic vegetables and fruits for the Enka community.

Expect to wear a mask and maintain social distance throughout. Tools and hand sanitizer are available, but any gloves, loppers, pruners, or gardening tools you can bring will decrease the amount of contact between volunteers. Please wear work clothes to get dirty and closed-toe shoes. Sunscreen, water, and a hat are also handy items to have on hand.

Sand Hill Community Garden has been growing fresh produce since 2011 and raised over 1,200 lbs. of organic produce last year.

NOTE: Community workdays are weather dependent. Please join the community garden email list (send your info to [email protected]) to stay up on workday tasks and other garden news.

To receive the I Heart Parks monthly newsletter, sign up online. Follow Buncombe County Recreation on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.