See where the cougars and otters sleep overnight, meet black bears that are not commonly on display, learn the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the animals year-round, observe a training session and find out why the animals call Grandfather Mountain home.

Offered on weekends, April – October.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day and the 25th Anniversary of the GLOBE program, the Buncombe County Library System and NASA are challenging you to make every tree count by using the GLOBE observer app to contribute to a global tree inventory.

Learn more at observer.globe.gov/trees-2020

To join the library team and become a citizen scientist download the free GLOBE observer app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Create an account, go to settings, click on JOIN a GLOBE Team, and type in the referral code: GLIDCTAZ.

You are now part of our Citizen Scientist team, Friends of Treebeard! Follow the directions and head outside!

Happy Earth Day teammate!

Click on Link Below to Register.
https://www.meditationinasheville.org/product/how-to-care-for-our-minds-in-difficult-times/

Sundays April 12 – May 10 10:30am – 11:45am
Register online and the link and instructions on livestreaming will be emailed to you. $10 per weekly class.

Having woken up to our world looking quite different, what can we do now? Buddhist meditation teachings and practices help us to develop more space in ourself giving us flexibility of mind, from which we can make better choices about how to respond in these challenging times.

By helping us develop a different perspective we will begin to notice special opportunities that we might not have noticed before, for becoming kinder, developing ourselves spiritually, and transforming difficulties into greater peace and meaning in our life. Each Livestream class will included guided meditations and practical teachings.

These Livestream classes are available to those who live in Western North Carolina, and the Vicinity of Greenville, SC and Tennessee.

https://riverlink.org/get-involved/special-events/earthday/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=191b64e9-75b2-483f-909b-c345ee2dc5f9

Earth Day is a great time to cherish our connection to the natural world! Every year RiverLink celebrates the holiday with its annual Earth Day Kid’s Festival. We invite families and people of all ages to come out and enjoy environmental education, arts and crafts, performances and more!

As protectors of the French Broad River, we understand the importance of environmental conservation. We and all of our partnering organizations want to share our knowledge and passion with the stewards of tomorrow. This event features educational activities from some of the best local environmental educators. Topics include recycling, wildlife education, farmstead, rivers, and more!

We also love to showcase the earth as a source of artistic inspiration. Festival-goers can express their creativity through many eco-friendly arts and crafts. We will also display the entries and announce the winners for RiverLink’s Voices of the River: Art and Poetry contest, so come show support for your favorite young artist.

And of course, what would a festival be without fun and entertainment? You can expect games, face painting, and more!

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4vY8ZjQRSNKiqao3sBHj7g

Asheville Outlets will host a blood donation drive in partnership with the American Red Cross on Wednesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 23, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day inside the Food Court.

Donors are asked to register in advance by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code Ashevilleoutlets. The American Red Cross will establish additional safety guidelines to ensure all donors are socially distanced.

Donating blood products is essential to community health and eligible donors are strongly urged to
donate blood, platelets, or AB Elite plasma. The Red Cross only collects blood from individuals who are
healthy and feeling well at the time of donation – and who meet other eligibility requirements.
At each blood drive or donation center, Red Cross employees follow thorough safety protocols, including:
 Wearing gloves and changing them often.
 Wiping down donor-touched areas after every collection.
 Using sterile collection sets for every donation.
 Preparing the arm for donation with aseptic scrub.
 Conducting donor mini physicals to ensure donors are healthy and well on day of donation.
We have also increased our vigilance concerning some of these safety protocols including:
 Enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.
 Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment.
 Temperature checks before presenting donors enter the blood drive or donation center.
 Following social distancing practices between donors including donor beds, as well as waiting and
refreshment areas.
 During this time, blankets typically used by platelet, Power Red and AB Elite donors at Red Cross blood
donation centers will be laundered after each use, which may limit the availability. Donors are
encouraged to bring their own blankets, but electric blankets and heating pads are not permitted.
 Staff wearing basic face masks.
To ensure our staff are healthy each day, we have implemented standard staff health assessments prior to all
blood drives.  Finally, only eligible and healthy people can give blood.  These mitigation measures will help
ensure blood recipient safety, as well as staff and donor safety in reducing contact with those who may
potentially have this respiratory infection.

Grassroots Aid Partnership (GAP) plans to serve free, plant-based food every Friday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1022 Haywood Road.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day and the 25th Anniversary of the GLOBE program, the Buncombe County Library System and NASA are challenging you to make every tree count by using the GLOBE observer app to contribute to a global tree inventory.

Learn more at observer.globe.gov/trees-2020

To join the library team and become a citizen scientist download the free GLOBE observer app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Create an account, go to settings, click on JOIN a GLOBE Team, and type in the referral code: GLIDCTAZ.

You are now part of our Citizen Scientist team, Friends of Treebeard! Follow the directions and head outside!

Happy Earth Day teammate!

https://riverlink.org/get-involved/special-events/earthday/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=191b64e9-75b2-483f-909b-c345ee2dc5f9

Earth Day is a great time to cherish our connection to the natural world! Every year RiverLink celebrates the holiday with its annual Earth Day Kid’s Festival. We invite families and people of all ages to come out and enjoy environmental education, arts and crafts, performances and more!

As protectors of the French Broad River, we understand the importance of environmental conservation. We and all of our partnering organizations want to share our knowledge and passion with the stewards of tomorrow. This event features educational activities from some of the best local environmental educators. Topics include recycling, wildlife education, farmstead, rivers, and more!

We also love to showcase the earth as a source of artistic inspiration. Festival-goers can express their creativity through many eco-friendly arts and crafts. We will also display the entries and announce the winners for RiverLink’s Voices of the River: Art and Poetry contest, so come show support for your favorite young artist.

And of course, what would a festival be without fun and entertainment? You can expect games, face painting, and more!

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4vY8ZjQRSNKiqao3sBHj7g

Asheville Outlets will host a blood donation drive in partnership with the American Red Cross on Wednesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 23, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day inside the Food Court.

Donors are asked to register in advance by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code Ashevilleoutlets. The American Red Cross will establish additional safety guidelines to ensure all donors are socially distanced.

Donating blood products is essential to community health and eligible donors are strongly urged to
donate blood, platelets, or AB Elite plasma. The Red Cross only collects blood from individuals who are
healthy and feeling well at the time of donation – and who meet other eligibility requirements.
At each blood drive or donation center, Red Cross employees follow thorough safety protocols, including:
 Wearing gloves and changing them often.
 Wiping down donor-touched areas after every collection.
 Using sterile collection sets for every donation.
 Preparing the arm for donation with aseptic scrub.
 Conducting donor mini physicals to ensure donors are healthy and well on day of donation.
We have also increased our vigilance concerning some of these safety protocols including:
 Enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.
 Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment.
 Temperature checks before presenting donors enter the blood drive or donation center.
 Following social distancing practices between donors including donor beds, as well as waiting and
refreshment areas.
 During this time, blankets typically used by platelet, Power Red and AB Elite donors at Red Cross blood
donation centers will be laundered after each use, which may limit the availability. Donors are
encouraged to bring their own blankets, but electric blankets and heating pads are not permitted.
 Staff wearing basic face masks.
To ensure our staff are healthy each day, we have implemented standard staff health assessments prior to all
blood drives.  Finally, only eligible and healthy people can give blood.  These mitigation measures will help
ensure blood recipient safety, as well as staff and donor safety in reducing contact with those who may
potentially have this respiratory infection.

Women, now more than ever, it’s essential to continue building our connection with Self and in turn with others.

To recognize and express our knowing, our truth and feel the fullness of our being. No more apologies, no more waiting for permission to be who we are in the world. Now is the time. The world needs us fully expressed!

No more hiding aspects of ourselves in order to keep others around us comfortable. Let’s be with all of it- our wisdom, our messiness, our hurts, our desires all in a safe and intimate container.

This class is limited to 10 women. Each week will be guided by a powerful theme. We’ll be using the tools of Authentic Relating and Circling to get curious, to be with each other with deep listening, embracing all that arises as we learn to slow down, notice the nuance of our experience, and articulate that with each other.

The Cost: pay what you can. Suggested range $50-$175

Class schedule: Mondays 2:30-4:30pm
April 6th- May 11th
Cost will include a 30 min one on one with Cathy, weekly class, Inclusion in private FB group.

To register go here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/womens-6-week-course-tickets-101458101914

Starting on Tuesday, March 24, Ingles will dedicate the first shopping hour from 7 – 8 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to senior shoppers and those with compromised immune systems.

Publix Markets reserves 7-8 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for customers age 65 and older. Home delivery is available through Instacart.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day and the 25th Anniversary of the GLOBE program, the Buncombe County Library System and NASA are challenging you to make every tree count by using the GLOBE observer app to contribute to a global tree inventory.

Learn more at observer.globe.gov/trees-2020

To join the library team and become a citizen scientist download the free GLOBE observer app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Create an account, go to settings, click on JOIN a GLOBE Team, and type in the referral code: GLIDCTAZ.

You are now part of our Citizen Scientist team, Friends of Treebeard! Follow the directions and head outside!

Happy Earth Day teammate!

https://riverlink.org/get-involved/special-events/earthday/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=191b64e9-75b2-483f-909b-c345ee2dc5f9

Earth Day is a great time to cherish our connection to the natural world! Every year RiverLink celebrates the holiday with its annual Earth Day Kid’s Festival. We invite families and people of all ages to come out and enjoy environmental education, arts and crafts, performances and more!

As protectors of the French Broad River, we understand the importance of environmental conservation. We and all of our partnering organizations want to share our knowledge and passion with the stewards of tomorrow. This event features educational activities from some of the best local environmental educators. Topics include recycling, wildlife education, farmstead, rivers, and more!

We also love to showcase the earth as a source of artistic inspiration. Festival-goers can express their creativity through many eco-friendly arts and crafts. We will also display the entries and announce the winners for RiverLink’s Voices of the River: Art and Poetry contest, so come show support for your favorite young artist.

And of course, what would a festival be without fun and entertainment? You can expect games, face painting, and more!

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4vY8ZjQRSNKiqao3sBHj7g

Asheville Outlets will host a blood donation drive in partnership with the American Red Cross on Wednesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 23, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day inside the Food Court.

Donors are asked to register in advance by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code Ashevilleoutlets. The American Red Cross will establish additional safety guidelines to ensure all donors are socially distanced.

Donating blood products is essential to community health and eligible donors are strongly urged to
donate blood, platelets, or AB Elite plasma. The Red Cross only collects blood from individuals who are
healthy and feeling well at the time of donation – and who meet other eligibility requirements.
At each blood drive or donation center, Red Cross employees follow thorough safety protocols, including:
 Wearing gloves and changing them often.
 Wiping down donor-touched areas after every collection.
 Using sterile collection sets for every donation.
 Preparing the arm for donation with aseptic scrub.
 Conducting donor mini physicals to ensure donors are healthy and well on day of donation.
We have also increased our vigilance concerning some of these safety protocols including:
 Enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.
 Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment.
 Temperature checks before presenting donors enter the blood drive or donation center.
 Following social distancing practices between donors including donor beds, as well as waiting and
refreshment areas.
 During this time, blankets typically used by platelet, Power Red and AB Elite donors at Red Cross blood
donation centers will be laundered after each use, which may limit the availability. Donors are
encouraged to bring their own blankets, but electric blankets and heating pads are not permitted.
 Staff wearing basic face masks.
To ensure our staff are healthy each day, we have implemented standard staff health assessments prior to all
blood drives.  Finally, only eligible and healthy people can give blood.  These mitigation measures will help
ensure blood recipient safety, as well as staff and donor safety in reducing contact with those who may
potentially have this respiratory infection.

Dear Bounty & Soul Family,

Bounty & Soul is deeply committed to the health and well-being of the community. It is what you have trusted and helped us to do all these years and we couldn’t be more grateful. On behalf of the board and staff, we want you to know that during this challenging time, we are being called to deliver on our promise of providing healthy food and support to our community in this great time of need and we are doing so in a BIG WAY…TOGETHER. It is our priority to ensure the health and safety of our staff, volunteers and community members as we navigate this crisis and we are following the guidance of the WHO, CDC and state and local officials to quickly adapt to take the necessary precautions. This is what we are doing to provide much-needed resources while providing safety and protection:

• We will be hosting drive-thru pick up sites for participants to collect pre-made healthy food boxes. Tuesdays at St. James Episcopal Church Parking Lot from 11am-1pm and Fridays at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church Parking Lot from 4-6pm. We are asking that no one arrives to the site prior to the scheduled times.
• We have cancelled all of our classes, kids activities and after-school programming as to follow the guidance for social distancing until further notice. Recognizing the importance of staying well, we will STILL provide healthy recipes, helpful tips, resources and education (including how to manage stress in a crisis) through printed materials, social media and on our website. Hope-filled messages and affirmations will also go into boxes.
• We have hand sanitizer, gloves, masks and constant messaging on washing hands set up at our volunteer shifts and at the distribution sites as well as ask everyone to take the following steps and precautions:

(1) Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer immediately upon entering new spaces.

(2) Avoid shaking hands, touching your face, nose and eyes and other personal contact.

(3) Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not hands. If your cough/sneeze is persistent, consider using a mask if available. 

(4) If you have a fever, respiratory symptoms or feel unwell please stay home.

(5) If you have traveled internationally or flown recently please refrain from activities at this time.

Thank you for your commitment and support in ensuring that Bounty & Soul continues to get Produce to The People during this time of uncertainty. Now, more than ever we must come together as a community, as a nation, as a world to be there for one another, support and love each other. It’s the Bounty & Soul way…

In solidarity, health and love,

Ali, Abbie, Adam, Karla, Linda, Fitz and the Board of Bounty & Soul

HOW YOU CAN HELP
(1) Donate Funds to Help Us Purchase Bulk Grains and Other Shelf-Stable Items
(2) Donate Food/Organize a Food Drive/Write hope-filled messages of encouragement to go into boxes
(3) Deliver Benevolent Boxes to Seniors and other Vulnerable Populations

Contact Karla at [email protected] to learn more about any of these opportunities.

Bounty & Soul is also in need of small boxes from Ingles and/or reusable bags. These can be dropped off at our office located at 999 Old US Hwy 70 W, behind the Swannanoa Valley Medical Center.

NAMI WC is hosting virtual Family Support Group meetings utilizing the Zoom application. We will maintain the monthly meeting schedule which is the 1st Sat. at 10 am and the 3rd Tues. at 6 pm.
The next meeting will be Tues. April 21st at 6:00 pm.
You do not need a Zoom account to participate. However, you will need to download the Zoom app. If you are not familiar with the Zoom app, please review the 30 minute “Getting Started with Zoom” video.
To attend a virtual Family Support Group meeting, please contact Terri Harris at [email protected] so we can send you the Zoom meeting link.