Calendar of Events

Join us in the temperature-controlled Arena to walk on most Tuesdays and Thursdays! Admission is free, masks are required and social distancing will be practiced.

Each lap around the concourse is 1/4 mile and strollers are welcome. Representatives from St. Francis Sports Medicine will be on hand for each event and other health professionals- like dietitians- are frequently scheduled to attend. Free parking is available in the VIP lot off of Church Street.

Taught by herbalist Michelle Bouton, this herbal intensive onsite at the Arboretum encourages us to remember the excitement and mystery of getting to know a plant. Move beyond the field guide for a heart-centered approach to plants, engendering reciprocal relationship as practiced by earth medicine-based cultures. Starting with gratitude and balance results in powerful medicine! We will explore ethical considerations of planting and harvesting and how we can support resilience of at-risk species in our area before diving into into hands-on medicine-making together.

This elegant short form introduces the signature movements of Tai Chi Chuan in a simplified and compact sequence. A wonderful practice for beginners, participants will learn the basic principles of each movement as well as modifications to accommodate individual needs. Tai chi is a safe and effective form of meditative exercise consisting of relaxed and focused movements that clear the mind and relax the nervous system while improving balance, strength, flexibility, stability, coordination, joint health, memory and attentional skills.

ou will be provided with your sanitized supplies, or feel free to bring your own colored pencils, markers, or other art supplies to express yourself during this Connection Practice Meeting.

A Connection Practice is a meeting to practice your skills in listening and connecting with others. No conversation topic is off limits. The only objective of the meeting is to feel a genuine sense of connection by the time it’s over, and the only rule is that we promise to not give each other advice.

One seeker always facilitates the meeting (to guide the conversation, manage time, and introduce different exercises to help the group feel connected), and another always volunteers as Space Owl (to step aside with anyone who has a big emotional experience and needs 1-on-1 connection).

There is no hierarchy in Connection Practice meetings, and everyone is encouraged to share equally and freely, including the person who facilitates. All connection practices are free of charge.

This elegant short form introduces the signature movements of Tai Chi Chuan in a simplified and compact sequence. A wonderful practice for beginners, participants will learn the basic principles of each movement as well as modifications to accommodate individual needs. Tai chi is a safe and effective form of meditative exercise consisting of relaxed and focused movements that clear the mind and relax the nervous system while improving balance, strength, flexibility, stability, coordination, joint health, memory and attentional skills.

Throughout the summer of 2022, ASAP will present a series of on-farm symposiums for healthcare professionals in Western North Carolina to highlight the principles of Farm Fresh for Health. Farm Fresh for Health addresses the real and perceived barriers that influence what we eat and determine health outcomes. ASAP and community partners are using strategies and initiatives built around:

• Produce Prescriptions
• Nutrition Security
• Workplace Wellness
• Wrap-Around Clinical Health Services
• Cooking Classes
• Farm to School
• Social Determinants of Health

Each symposium will introduce key strategies and highlight examples from ASAP and the community, including projects from ASAP’s Community in Action initiative. Attendees will take part in farm tours, hands-on activities, and facilitated discussion about how they can use Farm Fresh for Health tools in their own practices to improve health outcomes. A seasonally focused farm-to-table meal (lunch or dinner) will be provided by a local food partner. Space is limited at each symposium. A $20 registration fee offsets the cost of meals and materials.

DINNER

Catered by Singlewyde, wood-fired sourdough pizza with local ingredients.

TOPICS

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs as part of workplace wellness, creating social healthy food environments in the community (including recreational activities and community and school gardens), social determinants of health

PRESENTERS

Terry and Debbie Perry are both registered nurses and have worked in the healthcare field for more than 40 years. They started Perry’s Berry’s Vineyard & Winery in 2009 as a way to bring their family closer together. They love teaching other families about the health benefits of farming and blueberries through farm tours, classes, and classroom visits. With more than 3,500 blueberry bushes, the farm offers u-pick opportunities and supplies blueberries to local breweries, grocery stores, bakeries, ice cream shops, and their very own blueberry wine.

Jennifer Trippe, director of ASAP’s Growing Minds Farm to School program, is a Registered Dietitian with nearly two decades of experience working to improve the health and well-being of the Western North Carolina community. She has worked at MANNA FoodBank, Food Connections, and as a WIC Nutritionist and Diabetes Educator.

Larissa Lopez is a program coordinator for ASAP’s Local Food Campaign. She is the lead on several of ASAP’s Farm Fresh for Health programs, including expanding workplace CSAs and wellness programs and the Farm Fresh Produce Prescription program.

Amy Marion is associate director of ASAP and helps to shape and implement the organization’s strategy, program development, and administration. Additionally, she leads the Local Food Research Center, which evaluates ASAP’s programs and assesses the impact of local food system development across the region.

Additional presenters will be added. Check back for updates.

Are you an artist? Do you work with you hands or with repetitive motions? An artist and educator in her own right, Anna Helgeson brings with her 20 years of experience in yoga. By opening channels showing how to feel one’s own rhythm and center, Anna helps other find connection and calm on the mat. $35, email [email protected] to register. Please BYO mat. Masks are encouraged.

We’ll explore how exercise impacts physical and cognitive function and emotional wellbeing in older adults that will motivate and inspire you to get moving and continue to move throughout the years. We’ll also spend 10-15 minutes performing moderate, rhythmic movement patterns to music designed to energize and stimulate the body, brain and heart. Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes, bring a water bottle.

This elegant short form introduces the signature movements of Tai Chi Chuan in a simplified and compact sequence. A wonderful practice for beginners, participants will learn the basic principles of each movement as well as modifications to accommodate individual needs. Tai chi is a safe and effective form of meditative exercise consisting of relaxed and focused movements that clear the mind and relax the nervous system while improving balance, strength, flexibility, stability, coordination, joint health, memory and attentional skills.

The last thing you need when you’re not feeling well is figuring out how to pay to get better.

Even if you feel better now, trying to figure out how to pay for the healthcare you previously received could literally make you ill again.

Skip the complicated maze of the American healthcare system by signing-up for the Blue Cube Medical Asheville Healthcare Debt Elimination and Financial Advocacy Fair.

Make organizing and paying for your current and previous medical bills painless by obtaining the following services:

• a dedicated, single point-of-contact to guide you through the process (Patient Advocate),

• evaluation of outstanding medical debt (as applicable),

• high- level insurance benefits review (as applicable),

• review of insurance claims in order to best assist in negotiating and resubmitting denied or pending claims, obtaining preauthorization(s) for need care, and subsequent support in completing any required forms and related documentation,

• locate and complete diagnosis-based medical, service, prescription, and other healthcare financial assistance programs and grant applications,

• find in-network inpatient and outpatient medical providers to achieve care,

• provide access to direct financial assistance, reimbursement, and vouchers to help defray travel and transportation costs associated with long-distance and local medical services,

• help manage settlement of outstanding medical debt with medical providers using the resources listed above,

• and much more.

We are serious about flat-fee pricing. No hourly rates. Just quality medical debt elimination and financial advocacy services you can trust and afford. Results guaranteed.

Sign up for the Asheville Fair and achieve a new dimension of your health, July 21 – 24, 2022. Immediate, one-on-one aid options available for those who need support prior to July 21.

The last thing you need when you’re not feeling well is figuring out how to pay to get better.

Even if you feel better now, trying to figure out how to pay for the healthcare you previously received could literally make you ill again.

Skip the complicated maze of the American healthcare system by signing-up for the Blue Cube Medical Asheville Healthcare Debt Elimination and Financial Advocacy Fair.

Make organizing and paying for your current and previous medical bills painless by obtaining the following services:

• a dedicated, single point-of-contact to guide you through the process (Patient Advocate),

• evaluation of outstanding medical debt (as applicable),

• high- level insurance benefits review (as applicable),

• review of insurance claims in order to best assist in negotiating and resubmitting denied or pending claims, obtaining preauthorization(s) for need care, and subsequent support in completing any required forms and related documentation,

• locate and complete diagnosis-based medical, service, prescription, and other healthcare financial assistance programs and grant applications,

• find in-network inpatient and outpatient medical providers to achieve care,

• provide access to direct financial assistance, reimbursement, and vouchers to help defray travel and transportation costs associated with long-distance and local medical services,

• help manage settlement of outstanding medical debt with medical providers using the resources listed above,

• and much more.

We are serious about flat-fee pricing. No hourly rates. Just quality medical debt elimination and financial advocacy services you can trust and afford. Results guaranteed.

Sign up for the Asheville Fair and achieve a new dimension of your health, July 21 – 24, 2022. Immediate, one-on-one aid options available for those who need support prior to July 21.

The last thing you need when you’re not feeling well is figuring out how to pay to get better.

Even if you feel better now, trying to figure out how to pay for the healthcare you previously received could literally make you ill again.

Skip the complicated maze of the American healthcare system by signing-up for the Blue Cube Medical Asheville Healthcare Debt Elimination and Financial Advocacy Fair.

Make organizing and paying for your current and previous medical bills painless by obtaining the following services:

• a dedicated, single point-of-contact to guide you through the process (Patient Advocate),

• evaluation of outstanding medical debt (as applicable),

• high- level insurance benefits review (as applicable),

• review of insurance claims in order to best assist in negotiating and resubmitting denied or pending claims, obtaining preauthorization(s) for need care, and subsequent support in completing any required forms and related documentation,

• locate and complete diagnosis-based medical, service, prescription, and other healthcare financial assistance programs and grant applications,

• find in-network inpatient and outpatient medical providers to achieve care,

• provide access to direct financial assistance, reimbursement, and vouchers to help defray travel and transportation costs associated with long-distance and local medical services,

• help manage settlement of outstanding medical debt with medical providers using the resources listed above,

• and much more.

We are serious about flat-fee pricing. No hourly rates. Just quality medical debt elimination and financial advocacy services you can trust and afford. Results guaranteed.

Sign up for the Asheville Fair and achieve a new dimension of your health, July 21 – 24, 2022. Immediate, one-on-one aid options available for those who need support prior to July 21.

The last thing you need when you’re not feeling well is figuring out how to pay to get better.

Even if you feel better now, trying to figure out how to pay for the healthcare you previously received could literally make you ill again.

Skip the complicated maze of the American healthcare system by signing-up for the Blue Cube Medical Asheville Healthcare Debt Elimination and Financial Advocacy Fair.

Make organizing and paying for your current and previous medical bills painless by obtaining the following services:

• a dedicated, single point-of-contact to guide you through the process (Patient Advocate),

• evaluation of outstanding medical debt (as applicable),

• high- level insurance benefits review (as applicable),

• review of insurance claims in order to best assist in negotiating and resubmitting denied or pending claims, obtaining preauthorization(s) for need care, and subsequent support in completing any required forms and related documentation,

• locate and complete diagnosis-based medical, service, prescription, and other healthcare financial assistance programs and grant applications,

• find in-network inpatient and outpatient medical providers to achieve care,

• provide access to direct financial assistance, reimbursement, and vouchers to help defray travel and transportation costs associated with long-distance and local medical services,

• help manage settlement of outstanding medical debt with medical providers using the resources listed above,

• and much more.

We are serious about flat-fee pricing. No hourly rates. Just quality medical debt elimination and financial advocacy services you can trust and afford. Results guaranteed.

Sign up for the Asheville Fair and achieve a new dimension of your health, July 21 – 24, 2022. Immediate, one-on-one aid options available for those who need support prior to July 21.

This elegant short form introduces the signature movements of Tai Chi Chuan in a simplified and compact sequence. A wonderful practice for beginners, participants will learn the basic principles of each movement as well as modifications to accommodate individual needs. Tai chi is a safe and effective form of meditative exercise consisting of relaxed and focused movements that clear the mind and relax the nervous system while improving balance, strength, flexibility, stability, coordination, joint health, memory and attentional skills.

Throughout the summer of 2022, ASAP will present a series of on-farm symposiums for healthcare professionals in Western North Carolina to highlight the principles of Farm Fresh for Health. Farm Fresh for Health addresses the real and perceived barriers that influence what we eat and determine health outcomes. ASAP and community partners are using strategies and initiatives built around:

• Produce Prescriptions
• Nutrition Security
• Workplace Wellness
• Wrap-Around Clinical Health Services
• Cooking Classes
• Farm to School
• Social Determinants of Health

Each symposium will introduce key strategies and highlight examples from ASAP and the community, including projects from ASAP’s Community in Action initiative. Attendees will take part in farm tours, hands-on activities, and facilitated discussion about how they can use Farm Fresh for Health tools in their own practices to improve health outcomes. A seasonally focused farm-to-table meal (lunch or dinner) will be provided by a local food partner. Space is limited at each symposium. A $20 registration fee offsets the cost of meals and materials.

DINNER

Catered by Luis Martinez of Tequio Foods.

KEY STRATEGIES

Wrap-around clinical health services, local food and nutrition security programs, cooking classes in the community, social determinants of health

PRESENTERS

KT Taylor is a nurse at Mission Hospital and the farmer and owner of KT’s Orchard and Apiary, where she grows a variety of apples, peaches, nectarines, raspberries, pears, and local honey.

Marianne Martinez is the executive director of Vecinos. Valeria Barrera Vizcarra manages the organization’s Farmworker Health Program. Vecinos is on a mission to provide culturally appropriate health and wellness services for the uninsured Latinx community​. Agricultural work is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country and workers face many barriers when it comes to accessing care. Vecinos aims to break down health care barriers by bringing services directly to the community through out-patient clinics and mobile medical clinics.

Jenna Kranz is the founder and executive director of Uncomplicated Kitchen. Uncomplicated Kitchen teaches community members how to plan meals, shop for ingredients, and cook healthy, simple, and affordable recipes. The organization seeks to bridge the gap between the food people have access to and the tools and knowledge they have to prepare nutritious meals for themselves and their families.

Nilofer Couture is a Registered Dietician and the Clinical Nutrition Manager at Cherokee Indian Hospital in Cherokee, NC. She also serves on the board for both Uncomplicated Kitchen and ASAP. She’s dedicated her career to helping people make better food choices and her work with Uncomplicated Kitchen fits right in with her passion for nutritious eating.

David Smiley is the program manager of ASAP’s Local Food Campaign. During the pandemic, he developed and implemented ASAP’s Appalachian Farms Feeding Families program, which connected farms with feeding sites across the region.

Mike McCreary is ASAP’s farmers market program manager and has developed ASAP’s SNAP incentive programs. Under Mike’s management, in 2009 Asheville City Market was the first market in Western North Carolina to accept SNAP/EBT.

Sarah Hart is ASAP’s communications manager. She coordinated Healthy Eating in Practice, a national conference for physicians and healthcare professionals to better support healthy eating, presented by ASAP in 2018.

Please join us for the 5th annual Love♡Shine♡Play Festival, July 28-31, 2022 (tentative date) taking place against the breathtaking backdrop of the world’s oldest mountains in gorgeous Asheville, NC. The festival classes take place in beautiful venues throughout downtown Asheville as well as our gorgeous & famous Pack Square Park. You will be able to choose from a variety of offerings including yoga classes, meditation, talks, hikes, and more. The pedestrian friendly festival will allow you to immerse yourself in the vibrant life of a city brimming with cultural arts, culinary delights, and many independent shops.

Once you have purchased your tickets, you will receive an order confirmation email from Eventbrite, our ticketing partner. Your e-ticket(s) will be attached to your order confirmation email. Important: if you do not see your order confirmation in your inbox, make sure to check your junk/spam folder. If you are still unable to find them, contact the Eventbrite help center here.

Event is rain or shine, and ALL TICKET SALES ARE FINAL.

We look forward to seeing you in Asheville!

This elegant short form introduces the signature movements of Tai Chi Chuan in a simplified and compact sequence. A wonderful practice for beginners, participants will learn the basic principles of each movement as well as modifications to accommodate individual needs. Tai chi is a safe and effective form of meditative exercise consisting of relaxed and focused movements that clear the mind and relax the nervous system while improving balance, strength, flexibility, stability, coordination, joint health, memory and attentional skills.

Western Carolina Rescue Ministries and iDaph Events present the 4th Annual Light Up the Night 5k! This event is a fundraising, nighttime walk/run event that welcomes all people regardless of ability, race, color, ethnicity, gender, or faith. All the proceeds from this event will directly benefit the continuous work of recovery, rescue, and restoration to individuals throughout WNC.

The first 200 people to register will also receive a FREE glow-in-the-dark commemorative finisher medal!

Each 5k registration will include a FREE t-shirt until July 10th at midnight. After that date, shirts will be available for purchase, in limited quantities and sizes, for $10. Glow sticks, necklaces and bracelets will be available for our in-person participants!

The event will take place at Carrier Park in Asheville, NC on Friday, August 5th. This is your time to shine! Runners will have a rolling start between 7:30 PM to 7:45 PM and take to the greenway to run or walk this fun and unique event.

In addition to the in-person event, there is also a virtual offering for participants who aren’t comfortable coming to an in-person event. The Virtual 5k event experience gives participants an opportunity to participate in this fundraising event ANYWHERE! Walk/Run/Hike 5k and submit your results online!

Western Carolina Rescue Ministries (WCRM) exists to serve the homeless, poor and addicted populations of Western North Carolina. They meet people in crisis, focus on helping them at the point of their need, invest in their future, and help them until they can move forward.