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.
Employer List
As of January 25th, 2:20 p.m.
- A-American Electric
- A-B Tech Community College
- AdventHealth
- Anderson Automotive *
- Asheville Media Group
- Biltmore Farms, LLC
- Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Treatment Center
- BlueWest Opportunities
- Brandi Nichole Family Enrichment Center
- Buncombe County Government
- City of Hendersonville *
- Clayens Parkways Asheville
- EmergeOrtho
- FedEx
- Gentry Service Group
- Givens Communities
- Goodwill
- Haywood Community College
- HomeTrust
- iHeartMedia
- Julina F. Keith Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center
- Kelly Services *
- Linamar Light Metals – Mills River
- Linamar North Carolina
- MAHEC
- Mountain Area Community Services, Inc.
- Norafin (Americas), Inc.
- Pratt and Whitney
- PrideStaff
- RATPDEV/Asheville Transit *
- Smith Systems, Inc.
- System Logistics
- The Omni Grove Park Inn
- UNC Asheville
Special Tables
- Mountain Area Workforce Development Board with the AVL Digital Nomads and Meet the Geeks *
- NCWorks Career Center
- Resume Review with Copier Available
Sing with our Choir at a progressive church
Come join us! Contact Mark Acker for more information ([email protected]).
Rehearsals on Wednesday’s, 3:30-4:45
Volunteers are needed to attend all Buncombe County Board of Elections board meetings. Our presence demonstrates our support for the board, reduces the likelihood of intimidation by election deniers and will insure the board proceedings are documented in a timely manner.
We have a number of members attending these meetings, and they alternate who will be taking notes. Please sign up if you’re willing to attend and take a turn with note-taking.
As the March 5th primary nears, you’ll see that the hours of board meetings are long and we are not expecting anyone to stay beyond 2 hours. We are encouraging our attendees to coordinate shifts with each other. Please sign up for the days you can attend and plan for some flexibility please.
This is such an important contribution to protecting our democracy and honoring Buncombe County’s excellent Board of Elections!
The YMCA of Western North Carolina’s Community Health team delivers fresh, healthy food at no charge to hundreds of families in a five-county area. Their mobile food markets are set up like free farmers markets at dozens of locations each month. They ask no questions and place no limits on the amount of food each person chooses. In addition to food, they share tasty recipes, practical cooking demonstrations, and valuable nutrition information that’s easy to understand. The Y is also part of the statewide Healthy Opportunity Pilot (HOP) to address food insecurity for managed Medicaid participants. We prepare and deliver meal boxes that contain a week’s worth of nutritious food, simple recipes, and tips for food storage and cooking. The Nutrition Outreach Hub is their home base for food donation, sorting, and packing.
The YMCA of Western North Carolina is celebrating 10 years of delivering fresh, healthy food at no charge to the community. This work is centered at their Nutrition Outreach Hub, which recently moved into its new home on Riverside Drive. Elected officials, community members, and the media are invited to attend the space’s grand opening and ribbon cutting to learn more about how the Y is improving access to healthy local food. Light refreshments will be served.
Weekly mountain music JAM with
players in a round, where the session is focused on regional fiddle tunes and songs, You are welcome to come and listen or to
learn and join in. This event supports the Henderson County Junior Appalachian Musician (JAM) Kids Program, Free but
donations are accepted.
Join Donna Everhart as she discusses her latest book, When the Jessamine Grows. This is a hybrid event with limited in-store seating and the option to attend online.Registration is required.
Donna Everhart is a USA Today bestselling author known for vividly evoking the complexities of the heart and a gritty fascination of the American South in her acclaimed novels. For readers of Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier and Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles, When the Jessamine Grows is an evocative, morally complex novel set in rural 19th century North Carolina. One woman, Joetta McBride, fights to keep her family united, her farm running, and her convictions whole during the most devastating and divisive period in American history.
Talk of impending war is a steady drumbeat throughout North Carolina, though Joetta McBride pays it little heed. She and her husband, Ennis, have built a modest but happy life for themselves, raising two sons, fifteen-year-old Henry, and eleven-year-old Robert, on their small subsistence farm. They do not support the Confederacy’s position on slavery, but Joetta considers her family to be neutral, believing this is simply not their fight.
Her opinion is not favored by many in their community, including Joetta’s own father-in-law, Rudean. A staunch Confederate supporter, he fills his grandsons’ heads with stories about the glory of battle and the Southern cause until one night Henry runs off to join the war. At Joetta’s frantic insistence, Ennis leaves to find their son and bring him home.
But soon weeks pass with no word from father or son and Joetta is battered by the strain of running a farm with so little help. As the country becomes further entangled in the ramifications of war, Joetta finds herself increasingly at odds with those around her – until one act of kindness brings her family to the edge of even greater disaster.
Though shunned and struggling to survive, Joetta remains committed to her principles, and to her belief that her family will survive. But the greatest tests are still to come – for a fractured nation, for Joetta, and for those she loves.
Explore the Rich Heritage of Black Communities in Asheville
The Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail leads visitors through three areas of Asheville: Downtown, Southside, and the River Area. The entire trail takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to walk and read.
Reflecting on Community Resolve
Did you know that Black people helped create this region’s first non-Indigenous households? Did you know that Black people helped build Asheville and connected Asheville globally? Black entrepreneurs created thriving business districts. Black families cultivated close-knit neighborhoods. Black people from all backgrounds built resilient communities and fostered social change.
Immerse yourself in the history and heroism of Black Ashevillians by walking the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail. Deepen your understanding with articles, videos, and more resources available here on the trail’s website.
Follow the Trail
Experience this trail in pieces as you explore Asheville or start at one of our three introduction kiosks to learn more about how Black people in Asheville negotiated landscapes of unequal power to build resilient communities and foster social change.
Growing Minds has published “I Tried Local…” a Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms. This resource—intended for early care and education through second grade classrooms—offers an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. The print toolkit is currently available to educators in North Carolina who participate in a virtual training with Growing Minds. A free digital version is also available to anyone on the Growing Minds website.
Are you interested in earning money while helping support the democratic process? If so, Buncombe County Election Services is looking for poll workers to help with the 2024 Primary and General Elections. It’s a rewarding way to help our community while supplementing your income. If this sounds interesting, read on to learn more about the perks of working the polls, eligibility requirements, pay rates, and more.
Perks of working the polls:
- Meaningful work
- No prior experience needed
- Option to work one full day or shifts for two weeks
- Earn extra money
- Great team atmosphere
- Build highly transferrable skills
- Doesn’t impact unemployment benefits (Per Session Law 2020-71, any person that is receiving unemployment may work as a poll worker without any effect on their unemployment benefits)
- Opportunities for students, people looking for supplemental incomes, and retirees with flexible schedules
Representation from both parties is an important part of the process and is statutorily required. “Our poll workers are the backbone of safe and fair elections,” said Election Services Director Corinne Duncan. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to offer our Buncombe County voters the best experience at the polls, regardless of if they vote early or on Election Day.”
Election Services is staffed up for Early Voting during the primary, but we are currently hiring for the Primary Election Day, especially registered Republicans, and creating a roster of people interested in working the general election in November.
To be eligible you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a registered voter of Buncombe County (Unaffiliated voters are welcome to apply)
- Be comfortable and confident using a laptop
- Be able to sit or stand for long periods of time while working with voters
- Be able to put aside all political activity and conversation on social media and in person for a two-week period over Early Voting and Election Day
- Be able to lift 25 lbs.
Through the Student Assistant Program, students who will be at least 17 years old by Election Day (March 5, 2024) can work as assistants. Student Assistant 101.
Early Voting
During Early Voting (Oct. 17-Nov. 2) each location is staffed with a Captain and a team of workers. Captains earn $16/hour and workers earn $14/hour. Working during Early Voting requires a minimum commitment of 15 of 17 days, including weekend shifts and mandatory paid training. The captain carries the most responsibility with duties including voting location access, task delegation, reconciliation, equipment troubleshooting, and voting process/election law familiarity.
For more information about working Early Voting, contact Karen Rae at (828) 250-4224.
Election Day
On Election Day (March 5), each of our 80 precincts is staffed with three judges and several assistants. Election Day workers receive a lump sum payment (see below) which includes payment to attend the mandatory four-hour training session. Everyone is required to work the entirety of Election Day on March 5, 2024, which typically runs from 6 a.m-9 p.m. Precincts are located throughout the county, and we do our best to assign you to a precinct near your home.
Chief Judge – $300
Party Judge – $225
Assistant – $200
The Chief Judge carries the most responsibility with duties including collecting precinct supplies, officially opening, and closing the polls, voting location access, task delegation, close of polls audit processes, and voting process/election law familiarity. Party Judges are also required to participate in the official work of opening, and closing the polls, as well as the close of polls audit process.
For more information about working Buncombe County elections, contact Karen Rae at (828) 250-4224 or visit buncombecounty.org/pollworker.
Every year Buncombe County honors community volunteers through the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award program.
The Governor’s Volunteer Service Award honors the true spirit of volunteerism by recognizing individuals, groups, and businesses that make significant contributions to their community through volunteer service. The awards program, created by the Office of the Governor in 1979, recognizes North Carolina’s most dedicated volunteers. Through the years, the award honors thousands who have shown concern and compassion for their neighbors by volunteering in their local community.
Do you know someone who goes above and beyond? Governor’s Volunteer Service Award nominations can be submitted for volunteers who have provided service in a variety of different areas, including:
- Veteran/Military: providing volunteer services to military families and/or veterans
- Serving Youth: demonstrating an outstanding commitment to mentoring or educating youth
- Disaster: providing volunteer service in disaster preparedness, response, recovery, or mitigation
- Animals: demonstrating an outstanding commitment to volunteering with or for animals
- Environmental: providing an exceptional commitment to environmental stewardship
- Historically Marginalized Populations: providing a noteworthy dedication to assisting members of marginalized populations
- North Carolina Preservation: demonstrating a remarkable devotion to restoring or preserving the state’s history, culture, or the arts
- Health and Human Services: showing a remarkable dedication to individuals or groups in need
- Lifetime Achievement: exhibiting a lifelong commitment of 20-plus years to volunteerism and community service
Nominators can also select one of several different categories for the type of volunteer being nominated, including family, youth, senior, Latino, faith-based entity, corporate/business, group/team, national service member, director of volunteers (paid staff) and perseverance in volunteerism (an individual or team who has overcome significant personal obstacles and/or a mental or physical disability).
Nominees can be nominated for more than one category, and nominators are encouraged to check all categories that apply to their nominees. However, only one individual and/or one company/group/team/family should be nominated. Self-nominations are not permitted, and previous award winners from the past 10 years are not eligible.
Each county will select up to ten individuals, businesses, groups/teams, and one paid Director of Volunteers to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to their communities. Buncombe County is seeking nominations from the public through Feb. 15, 2024. Any person, group, or entity from the public, nonprofit, and private sector may be nominated for an award, and one of the nominees will be nominated for the Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer service, awarded to the top 20 volunteers in the state.
If you would like to nominate a deserving volunteer, group, or organization there are two ways. Find a link to the online submission or download a form below. If using the form attached below, please email your nomination forms to [email protected] by Feb. 15, 2024.
In 2023 Asheville-Area Habitat for Humanity volunteers Tricia and Charlie Franck were recognized with a Medallion Award. The pair have been volunteering with the local nonprofit for more than 15 years. During that time, they helped develop and implement the Student Build program. Over six years, this initiative has grown to include six schools that have collectively helped raise $55,000 to sponsor a Habitat home with the students helping build it. Charlie has also helped with building homes, working in Habitat’s Restore, and more. Tricia has also been instrumental working with the Women Build program and serves on the Board of Directors.
Congratulations to the 2023 Governor’s Service Award recipients for Buncombe County:
- Land of the Sky REALTORS Association
- Medallion Award winners Tricia & Charlie Franck
Wednesdays, Feb. 21-March 27 | In this 6-week series, participants ages 11-13 will unleash their imaginations, exploring the endless limits of their voice, creativity, and confidence. Students will learn about what a story includes, find inspiration in the world around them, and unleash their voices onto the page!
Do you need a little inspiration to get moving after the holiday season? Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is proud to announce our 4th annual Winter Hiking Challenge to get folks out and about – no matter your background or ability this is a project designed to get folks outside to enjoy the great outdoors!
The 2024 Winter Hiking Challenge sets a goal of 60 miles in 60 days, to be completed in your own time and at your own speed. Those can be miles you’ve walked, run or hiked – in your neighborhood, around the block, up a rugged mountain trail, or through the forest. Whatever works for your comfort and skill level – just make it 60 miles within the 60-day challenge time period (January 1st to March 1st, 2024). Sign up early to have more time to complete the Challenge. Registration ends on February 25th. Please note, this is a challenge you set with yourself, it is not a competition. Registration for this challenge is $25 per person and your registration fee directly supports conservation work in the Southern Appalachians. If you cannot afford the registration fee at this time, please use the coupon code: SAHC2024.
All participants will receive informative emails with suggestions for some of our favorite places to hike across the mountains of NC and TN. This special email series will include recommendations to enjoy places that SAHC has protected as well other favorite trails and destinations. Due to overuse of popular trails in the area we will try to share tidbits about some of the lesser-known trails and places to enjoy the great outdoors. Are you a little unsure about hiking in winter? We will share helpful Winter Hiking Tips, for those who haven’t hiked during the winter months. Lastly, those who complete the Winter Hiking Challenge will receive a commemorative SAHC patch after the end of the challenge.
Please note, the Challenge signup fee is a fundraiser to help support conservation efforts; you DO NOT have to pay to hike public trails. Feel free to enter miles at any date during the 60 days, as long as they are all entered before March 1. You can even enter your miles at the end of a certain time period (e.g, entering your miles for the week on Friday, all under one entry).
Time spent outdoors and in nature can help with both mental and physical health. We hope this Challenge will make it interesting for folks to explore places you may not have hiked before, and/or to rediscover the joy of nature in your own backyard.Take the Challenge by yourself, or with friends and family. Please just be safe while doing so!
Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce for the seventeenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.
We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website, buncombemastergardener.org where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get access to the online 2024 School Garden Grants Application.
All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 12, 2024, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 15, 2024. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.
We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 60 School Garden Grants totaling over $47,000. These grants have involved more than 17,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.
School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2024.
Click on the link below to review the guidelines for school garden grants:
Guidelines for 2024 School Garden Grants
Buncombe County students interested in entering the field of conservation, agriculture or another natural resource program can win a $1,000 scholarship from The Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District.
The William Hamilton Memorial Scholarship will provide a student with money to go towards their studies. Eligible students must attend or plan to attend an accredited college or university and must submit a proposal for a volunteer conservation project in Buncombe County.
One winner will be selected by a committee of Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District staff and Supervisors and the funds will be dispersed directly to the institution upon completion of the volunteer project.
Scholarship Timeline:
February 28, 2024 – Deadline to apply
April 11, 2024 – Winning applicant announced
June 30, 2024 – Deadline to complete volunteer project
July 11, 2024 – Presentation to the Board, award dispersed
The winner is also expected to attend a Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District Board meeting to present the results of their project and accept their scholarship.
Find the application below. Completed applications and questions can be sent to [email protected].
The application can also be mailed to:
Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District
Attn: Jen Knight and Rose Wall
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville NC, 28806
The online survey for our Systemwide Parks & Recreation Master Plan is now available, and we want to hear from you! Your input is the cornerstone of this planning process. Click the button below to take the 10 minute survey!
This systemwide plan aims to define how we will continue to provide high-quality options for our residents as our community continues to grow and diversify. Your insight will help create the roadmap for Buncombe County Parks & Recreation to follow for the next 20 years
Come pick up a bingo card and do the many HARD tasks (like taking a nap or reading a book). One row gets you a fun sticker. Three rows and you’re entered for our grand prize drawing.
Buncombe County’s residents, especially those living in and at the edge of poverty, have been able to access valuable, life-saving emergency assistance benefits through Eblen Charities. For many years now, Eblen Charities has partnered with Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) to administer the Emergency Assistance, Crisis Intervention, and Low Income Energy Assistance programs. Due to an increase in need from our neighbors and challenges with processing benefits between state and partner agency systems, BCHHS transitioned the administration of these programs from Eblen Charities to the County on November 13, 2023.
We recognize that this a change for our community as Eblen Charities has provided this assistance for many years and has been a vital resource for our neighbors in crisis. BCHHS began answering calls and processing online applications on November 13, 2023. Beginning December 1, 2023, with the start of Low Income Energy Assistance application processing, BCHHS will start taking in-person requests at 40 Coxe Ave. in downtown Asheville.
Low Income Energy Assistance provides a one-time annual vendor payment to help eligible families pay their heating expense. Households containing a person age 60 or older or disabled receiving services can apply starting December 1, 2023. All households can apply starting January 1, 2024. Low Income Energy Assistance applications are accepted until March 31, 2024 or until funds are exhausted.
To qualify for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, households that meet the following criteria may be eligible:
- Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility criteria.
- Meet income requirements.
- Be responsible for its heating costs.
The Crisis Intervention Program serves individuals and families who are experiencing or are in danger of experiencing a heating- or cooling-related crisis.
To qualify for the Crisis Intervention Program, households that meet the following criteria may be eligible:
- Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility criteria.
- Meet the income requirements.
- Have an energy related crisis.
- Have a utility statement that shows how much is owed to alleviate the crisis.
For those who have previously received Low Income Energy Assistance Program assistance, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will begin notifying eligible households by mail beginning November 19, 2023. Households will have 10 days to report any changes to their household. Applicants can report changes by contacting the BCHHS office or by making changes to the form that was mailed to you and return it to BCHHS, located at 40 Coxe Ave. in Downtown Asheville. If no changes are reported, the information from last year will be used to process this year’s automated Low Income Energy Assistance payment.
If you are interested in applying for these Energy Assistance benefits, you can quickly apply online at www.epass.nc.gov. If you would like to apply over the phone, have general questions about energy assistance, or need to check on the status of your case, please call us at (828) 250-6330. Beginning December 1, 2023, you may also visit us in person at 40 Coxe Ave. in downtown Asheville. Please bring your parking ticket with you inside of the building for free parking.
Buncombe County also will administer Emergency Assistance, which Buncombe County Social Work Services distributes as funds become available to our community. To apply for Emergency Assistance, go online to epass.nc.gov, call Buncombe County at 828-250-6330, or apply in person at 40 Coxe Ave.
BCHHS will continue to partner with Eblen Charities to assist families and individuals in our community during times of crisis and hardship. For more information on the services that are available in our community, visit www.buncombecounty.org/hhs.
Mini-grant applications are available three times during the 2023-2024 school year. You may apply one time during this cycle. Mini-grants must be used within a year after receiving the funding.
Applications due by:
- November 30, 2023
- January 30, 2024
- March 30, 2024
If you have questions about your eligibility to apply for funding, please email us at [email protected] before submitting your application. We are unable to provide mini-grants to schools located outside of our 23-county service area or to folks who have received a grant from us within the past year. Learn more and apply here!
Food Scraps Drop Off
The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in
two locations for all Buncombe County residents. This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Register for Food Scraps Drop Off
Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin? Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.
Locations
Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot
30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville
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- Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.
Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot
749 Fairview Road, Asheville
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- Dawn – Dusk
West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building
942 Haywood Road, Asheville
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- Library open hours
- Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander
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- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm
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Food Scraps Drop Off
The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is offering a FREE Food Scrap Drop-Off program in two locations for all Buncombe County residents. This organic matter will be collected and turned into good clean compost, keeping it OUT of our landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Register for Food Scraps Drop Off
Need a handy kitchen countertop food scrap bin? Let us know on the registration form! We’ll be having bin giveaways at city and county facilities and would love to give you one.
Locations Holidays call for hours
Buncombe County Landfill – Convenience Center
85 Panther Branch Road, Alexander
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- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 12:30 pm
Murphy Oakley Community Center and Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the east side of the parking lot
749 Fairview Road, Asheville
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- Dawn – Dusk
Stephens-Lee Recreation Center “Food Scrap Shed” next to the Community Garden on the North side of the parking lot
30 Washington Carver Avenue, Asheville
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- Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.
West Asheville Library – “Food Scrap Bin Shelters” on the south side of the building
942 Haywood Road, Asheville
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- Library open hours
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The 2024 Conference Planning Committee has been creating a conference that meets your goals for certified credit hours and is fun and educational as well. This is conference will be IN PERSON at the Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, SC. You can either pay with a credit card when registering online, or choose the “invoice me” option and mail your check. Your registration will not be complete until the check has cleared. If your membership has expired, you will be prompted by the system to renew your membership prior to registration. Keep watching our Facebook page, our new website, and the Preliminary program, for news about the conference. If you have any questions, you can contact Becky Wardlaw at 803-960-0323 or via email at [email protected]. 2024 Conference Planning Committee Dr. Angelia Scott- 2024 Conference Chair Judy Whitesell, SCECA Meeting Planner Becky Wardlaw- SCECA Executive Director Davida Price- President of SCECA Dona Pitts- Past President of SCECA Stephanie Barton- Chief Financial Officer |
As a poll greeter, you are the last source of guidance and information before voters cross the threshold to the ballot box. Your presence matters.
Plan to attend a 1-hour poll greeting training where you learn how to greet, guide, and support our voters with needed information. Your trainer walks you through a step-by-step process and best practices to make the greatest impact on voters. You’ll have the opportunity to sign up for your best day(s) and time(s) with our Mobilize app.
Please join us for the next Goodwill Business Advisory Council (BAC) meeting to be held on Thursday, February 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. We’ll be meeting at The Omni Grove Park Inn located at 290 Macon Avenue, Asheville.
Networking and Lunch: 11:30 a.m.
Meeting: Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: Omni Grove Park Inn
Meeting Room: The Skyline Meeting Room.
Arrival Directions: Park in the Sammons parking garage and take the guest elevator to the lobby level. Upon exiting the elevators, turn right and walk towards the lobby. The Skyline Meeting Room entrance is across from the patio entrance to the Edison Restaurant.
Join us to discover the diverse opportunities that The Omni Grove Park Inn offers, gain insight into its leadership development initiatives, and learn about its community engagement strategies as we showcase our current leaders’ impactful work.
Featured Speakers:
Sasha James – Recruiting Sourcing Specialist
Kathleen Perez – Director of Human Resources
Elizabeth Jordan – Current Leader in Development
Paige McCoy – Current Leader in Development
Emily Moore – Assistant Front Office Manager, past Leader in Development
Janie Hicks – CIA Pro Chef Program Participant
Amari Kidd – CIA Pro Chef Program Participant
Melissa McKnight – Executive Banquet Chef and Food Connection Board Member
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Career Quest: Grove Park Inn with Sasha James
Sasha is the recruiting sourcing specialist for The Omni Grove Park Inn. She’s joining us to talk about customer service in the hospitality industry. Watch the video to learn more.
Want to feature your organization and job opportunities? Contact Career Quest for more information. |
Pruning techniques are essential for promoting the health and productivity of plants. Different techniques can control diseases, stimulate new growth, and maintain aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Join us as horticulture expert John Murphy teaches the basics of pruning.
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We need your voice and participation! Parks, greenways, trails, and open space greatly impact our communities by offering outdoor spaces and activities where residents can gather, play, and recreate. As our community is growing and becoming even more diverse, our desires for recreation, outdoor activities, trails, and open space are also growing. To meet these evolving needs, Buncombe County Parks & Recreation is beginning the process of creating a Systemwide Plan to define how we will continue to provide high-quality options for our residents. This systemwide plan will result in our first Parks & Recreation Master Plan, an updated Greenways and Trails Master Plan, and an Open Space Plan. But to create these roadmaps, we need YOUR VOICE! These plans will look 20 years ahead by asking residents what they love now, and what they want to see in the future. Community members will be invited to interactive meetings, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and pop-up events throughout the County. There will also be an online survey as well as a survey which will be mailed to Buncombe County residents. Help us sow the seeds and shape the space by attending these upcoming community input opportunities: Community Meeting 1: The first public community meeting will be taking place on February 1, 2024 at East Asheville Library (3 Avon Road) from 5-7 p.m. Community Meeting 2: The second public community meeting will be taking place on March 21, 2024 at Enka High School in Candler (475 Enka Lake Road) from 5-7 p.m. These community meetings will be interactive, so participants should come prepared to participate in various community parks and recreation, greenways, trails, and open space planning exercises. Language services will be available to Spanish-speaking community members. Additional community workshops will be held to gather public input. To get up-to-date information about these workshops and to learn more about the Systemwide Plan, sign up to receive updates here. Here, we will post dates and locations for community meetings, additional pop-up event information, survey notices, and more. For questions or for more information, please call (828) 250-4260 or email [email protected]. |
The first Systemwide Parks & Recreation Master Plan community meeting will be taking place on Thursday, February 1 from 5-7 p.m. at East Asheville Library. This meeting will be interactive, so participants should come prepared to share their voice and feedback by participating in various parks, recreation, greenways, trails, and open space planning exercises.
There will be a presentation reviewing the systemwide planning process as well as information on the current state of Buncombe County’s Parks & Recreation Department, greenways, and open space. After the presentation, County staff from the Parks & Recreation, Open Space, and Agriculture & Land departments will be available at various stations around the room to answer questions and receive your input. The livestream of this event and the online survey will be available on the Systemwide Parks & Recreation Master Plan website.
BLUEGRASS JAM
Hosted by Drew Matulich
Don’t miss your chance to check out some of the best pickers from all over WNC at our amazing Bluegrass Jam curated by the talented Drew Matulich — every Thursday starting at 7:00 pm! A real show-stopping performance only at Jack of the Wood! Open jam starts at 9:30 pm.
Explore the Rich Heritage of Black Communities in Asheville
The Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail leads visitors through three areas of Asheville: Downtown, Southside, and the River Area. The entire trail takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to walk and read.
Reflecting on Community Resolve
Did you know that Black people helped create this region’s first non-Indigenous households? Did you know that Black people helped build Asheville and connected Asheville globally? Black entrepreneurs created thriving business districts. Black families cultivated close-knit neighborhoods. Black people from all backgrounds built resilient communities and fostered social change.
Immerse yourself in the history and heroism of Black Ashevillians by walking the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail. Deepen your understanding with articles, videos, and more resources available here on the trail’s website.
Follow the Trail
Experience this trail in pieces as you explore Asheville or start at one of our three introduction kiosks to learn more about how Black people in Asheville negotiated landscapes of unequal power to build resilient communities and foster social change.
Whenever you want!
Supplies available at
2 Sulphur Springs Road
If you need to request supplies for the same or next day, please call 828-254-1776.
Organizing a litter cleanup with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other community members is easier than you may think! Asheville GreenWorks provides cleanup supplies and safety information, and will coordinate trash pick up as needed. Available supplies include safety vests, gloves, trash grabbers, trash bags, and SHARPs containers (upon request).
Review the attached guides for instructions and safety information.
Need to know
Please review the attached documents and contact [email protected] with any questions. Your supplies will be available for pickup on the date you’ve requested at Asheville GreenWorks’ office at 2 Sulphur Springs Road, Asheville, NC 28806.
All cleanups should be reported using the online form and supplies should be returned after your cleanup.
The City’s Neighborhood Matching Grant program is now accepting applications for the 2024 calendar year. Neighborhood organizations can apply for up to $5,000 in funds to be matched with volunteer time, fundraising and in-kind donations.
The biggest change to the program in 2024 is a transition to rolling applications. Previously, neighborhoods had to meet a hard application deadline. Now, applications will be accepted throughout the calendar year or until a maximum of 14 projects are awarded.
What kinds of projects can the Neighborhood Matching Grant program fund?
The program supports a wide range of imaginative projects, giving neighborhood organizations an opportunity to improve the quality of life in their community in ways that are most important to them. Projects that address a neighborhood issue or need in one of the following categories are eligible. This list is not exhaustive.
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Physical improvement
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Neighborhood identity
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Community building events
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Public safety
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Marketing and branding
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Organizational development and capacity building
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Programming (cannot be programming that is currently ongoing)
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Kickstart funding for new neighborhood organizations
A snapshot of past projects is available in the Spotlight Projects Guide.
“The grant-funded improvements to our park have really improved our neighborhood’s sense of community,” says Rob Patete of Kenilworth Forest.
Want to learn more?
The City will host a drop-in workshop:
- February 19, 2024
- 4-6 p.m.
- Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center.
Background
Established in 2021 by City Council, the Neighborhood Matching Grant program is designed to strengthen relationships between neighbors, cultivate the spirit of volunteerism, and help communities accomplish self-determined goals. The program has so far awarded 36 projects, resulting in $159,110 in City funds and an estimated 2,500 volunteer hours invested in Asheville’s neighborhoods.
The City’s Neighborhood Services Specialist, Meredith Friedheim, hopes to continue this impact with a few minor improvements in 2024. “We’ve had three years to see the potential that can be reached with this program as well as to understand how best to manage it on the back-end. Our neighborhoods have shown us that they are ready and willing to invest their time and resources in projects that are important to them. For me, there is exciting momentum going into this fourth year.”
The Neighborhood Matching Grant program is administered by the Community Engagement Division of the Communication and Public Engagement Department. To find out more about the Neighborhood Matching Grant Program and to apply, visit the program webpage.