Intellectual stimulation and skills development are not just for full-time students. UNC Asheville courses for community writers of all levels of experience, and for seniors looking to continue a lifetime of learning, are now open for registration. These courses will all be online this winter and spring.

College for Seniors at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

OLLI’s College for Seniors, now in its fourth decade and offering an impressive variety of courses developed for Zoom to help prevent spread of COVID-19, draws from the experiences and professional expertise of its members as well as from UNC Asheville and other area institutions and people. Courses range from Being Chronically Well, to Asheville and Pandemics: TB, Flu and COVID-19; and also include What’s Up with Genesis; Welcome to Our City: Thomas Wolfe’s Asheville; Ecology of Southern Appalachia; and French Opera: A Reintroduction.

There are no tests, credits or grades. OLLI members collaborate with staff to teach, learn, and design curricula, and also arrange special events. In addition to the annual OLLI membership fee, a tuition fee for each term is paid by College For Seniors participants, with some partial scholarships available.

The College for Seniors winter term begins on Jan. 11, 2021, and registration is now open. To see course descriptions, cost information and more, visit olliasheville.com/college-seniors.

Time is Running Out for 2021 Health Insurance Through ACA

Affordable Care Act “Obamacare” Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 15th

 Pisgah Legal Services (PLS), and its Enrollment Partners of WNC, are offering free assistance to people in the 18-county mountain region, helping them review their options and sign up for plans. The COVID-19 outbreak is making health care coverage even more important in these difficult times.

“This is the most critical open enrollment period of my career, and I’ve been at Pisgah Legal Services for all of them,” says Jackie Kiger, Chief Operations Officer. “With high unemployment and the fact that North Carolina hasn’t expanded Medicaid, there are many more uninsured people. We are seeing people who have lost jobs, income, and insurance and who are struggling with the unemployment benefit system.”

Appointments Still Available with PLS or Go Directly to Healthcare.Gov

Appointments can be made online at www.pisgahlegal.org/aca or by calling (828) 210-3404. For the safety of consumers, staff and volunteers, all appointments are currently being conducted by phone. Depending on where you live in WNC, some of Pisgah Legal’s ACA Partners may be offering in-person appointments.

Shannon Cornelius, Pisgah Legal’s Health Justice Program Director, says, “We are seeing very strong interest this year in sign-ups, but we still have some openings for safe and contact-free help with our trained assisters. There is still time to make an appointment if you act quickly.”

Cornelius also says that people can also go directly to the Health Insurance Marketplace, www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596, if they ready to sign up on their own.

Financial assistance is still available to those who qualify. Last year, more than 90 percent of North Carolinians who enrolled for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace received financial assistance to make their plans more affordable. Subsidies are based on household taxable income and may be difficult for consumers to calculate themselves. Pisgah Legal can help with this process and can factor in unemployment benefits if needed. Pisgah Legal can also answer questions about other coverage, such as COBRA, and help people apply for Medicaid and CHIP.

Pisgah Legal and other Enrollment Partners of WNC participating organizations give local residents free, unbiased health insurance information and enrollment assistance in the NC Health Insurance Marketplace. These organizations include: Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Mountain Projects, Inc., Western Carolina Medical Society, and Pisgah Legal Services.

The ACA – also known as “Obamacare” – is the law that ensures access to quality, affordable health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace. With these plans, consumers are protected and:

• Can’t be denied coverage for a pre-existing health condition and can’t be dropped for getting sick;
• Insurers can’t charge higher premiums to women; and
• Insurers can’t sell substandard plans that don’t pay for essential health care benefits.

Since 1978, nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services has provided free civil legal aid to help people with low incomes seek justice and meet their basic needs including preventing homelessness, stopping domestic violence and securing health care. Pisgah Legal Services provides a broad array of free, civil legal services in 11 WNC counties, and offers immigration law services in 18 counties. Last year PLS served more than 18,000 people across the mountain region.

PLS has offices in Asheville, Burnsville, Brevard, Hendersonville, Marshall, and Rutherfordton and is now opening a new Highlands/Cashiers office to serve people in Macon and Jackson counties. Pisgah Legal has 32 attorneys on staff and relies heavily on the pro bono legal services of more than 300 volunteer attorneys.

Pisgah Legal Services continues to serve clients during the COVID-19 outbreak. For more information, visit www.pisgahlegal.org to apply for help online or make a gift in support of this important work.

Spread some mountain magic and holiday cheer with these unique gifts from Asheville’s artisans and makers. Shop from over 50 local vendors or share your love of Asheville by giving the gift of travel this holiday season.

Update: Funding must be accessed by Dec. 30, 2020.

Attention Buncombe County residents: If you are struggling to pay your rent, mortgage, or utilities, Buncombe County’s COVID Housing Assistance Program may be able to help. The funds must be accessed prior to Dec. 30.

“If you think you may possibly qualify, please call our office at 250-5500 to learn more,” said Economic Services Director Phillip Hardin. “Financial assistance is available immediately to support our community members impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic who need help with rent, mortgage, or utilities, but we have to use these dollars by Dec. 30.”

To qualify to receive relief funds earmarked for the Housing Assistance Program, households must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• The applicant/household lost income due to COVID-19.
• There is a sustainability plan to pay shelter expenses going forward after the County assists with past due bills.
• Income limit of 200% of the federal poverty level ($52,400) for a family of four.

Buncombe County is now accepting inquiries and applications. Please fill out the attached form and return to Buncombe County Health and Human Services or call (828) 250-5500 to be connected with a caseworker to start the application process.

The recommendation will now go to the Buncombe County Commissioners and Asheville City Council, who will vote in December to consider the recommendation and determine next steps for removal logistics and funding sources.

While public comment is now closed, public can access the archive of agendas, minutes, public comments and recorded meetings here: https://publicinput.com/VanceMonumentTaskForce.

The Museum was closed for nearly six full months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing severe losses in revenue. Though we are now open, uncertainty still looms, and it will take a dedicated effort to recover to a position of strength and stability. Thanks to a generous grant from a longtime foundation supporter, the Museum has established the Asheville Art Museum COVID-19 Relief Fund and matching challenge to encourage additional operational support during this difficult year. We invite you to participate in the challenge and help secure the Museum’s future as we work to serve our community through engagement with the arts.

Through December 31, 2020, all Annual Fund donations and upgraded memberships will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000. Give any amount to the Annual Fund, and boost your impact at this critical time with the one-to-one match. You may also join the Masterpiece Society or renew at another upgraded membership level. Any gift in addition to your current renewal will be matched by this fund and will count toward your membership

As we move toward the Holiday season, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has released guidance for fall-related events. The guidance was developed with the goal of safer holiday breaks for college students and private social gatherings.

Asheville Police Department announces rollout of new anonymous crime tip tool

The Asheville Police Department (APD) is putting a new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members. This new tool, TIP2APD, allows the public to share anonymous tips with police officers and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation. (See video tutorial below.)

 

The tool also allows the community to find information on incidents APD is currently asking for help with, and to receive alerts about crime activity in their city.

 

 

 

The application is available for free download for both iPhone and Android users via the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store by searching “AshevillePD.”

 

Individuals without a smartphone can share information with police by sending an anonymous text tip via their cell phone by texting keyword TIP2APD and their message/tip to 847411.

 

The TIP2APD tool is only for non-emergencies and is not a replacement for 9-1-1. In the event of an emergency please dial 9-1-1 immediately.

• farm design and production
• marketing and business development
• systems management
• connecting them to the regional farming community

Apply to be Mentored

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Click here for a Coronavirus Self-Checker
• People who have had close contact (link to help you determine your risk) (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
• People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, links to local or state ​health departments.

all donations — up to $200,000 — will be matched by donors

Pisgah Legal Services
is receiving 1,000 calls
per week on average
for assistance.

More than ever, people across Western North Carolina need Pisgah Legal Services: Many have lost their jobs and can no longer pay their rent; others need help securing health insurance. Many are facing increased domestic violence and do not how to safely escape. Others are too scared to seek medical treatment because of their immigration status.

Support Pisgah Legal today and help us provide legal remedies that result in long-term solutions for people struggling in our region during the COVID-19 crisis, and beyond. With early legal intervention, we can keep difficult situations from spiraling out of control and trapping families, seniors, children and other vulnerable people in poverty.

Please join us in the fight so that more people can get back on their feet and we can emerge from this crisis a more just and resilient community.

The GSWP, now celebrating its 20th year of workshops with some of Western North Carolina’s finest authors, is offering five-week, 10-week and 15-week courses including poetry, prose, feature-writing, editing and revision. These Spring 2021 Semester courses have start dates ranging from late January to mid March. Registration is now open, with course descriptions, instructor bios, cost information and more, available at greatsmokies.unca.edu.