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.
The YMCA Mobile Market will be set up in the library parking lot from 1 -2 pm. Bring your grocery bags and get fresh food for your family. All are welcome, regardless of income or family size. Distributions are free and no paperwork is required.
The market provides fresh produce paired with healthy recipes and a Community Engagement Table with valuable services such as cooking demonstrations.
While you’re in the lot, stop in to get a free library card if you don’t have one, pick up a cookbook or two to experiment with your bundle of groceries, or grab a DVD to watch while snacking.
An Afternoon of Music
Spring Gala Concert
Soprano, Amanda Dimond
Pianist, Arthur DeCotiis
Join us for 4 Bassoon Joy featuring Rosalind Buda, Susan Cohen, Jennifer Anderson, Will Peebles
Sunday, May 15, 4 pm – First Presbyterian Church, Asheville
PAN HARMONIA is pleased to offer donation-based, pay-as-you-can concerts. Seating is limited. Advance reservations strongly encouraged.
**Important Things to Note**
- You MUST be a CURRENT LEAF Member to purchase Tickets (a Member can purchase for a non-member). Join/Renew Membership Here
- You MUST be signed into your LEAF Account (little yellow silhouette in the upper right corner)
- Tickets at each tier are LIMITED! Discount Ticket Pricing ends when ticket # for that tier sells out.
- Retreat is limited to 1500 passes – get yours before they’re gone! Weekend Plus (Thurs-Sun) & Weekend (Fri-Sun) are available and include overnight camping if you desire. Day passes are not available for Retreat. Retreat is designed with a focus on happiness, renewal & connection.
- Health & happiness is #1. Proof of Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 Test within 72 hours for EVERYONE ages 5+. required upon entry.
Redeeming credit? Email [email protected] or call Tues/Wed/Thurs 828-68-MUSIC [828-686-8742]
Buncombe County Organizations Can Apply For Free Hotspots and Service As Part of $13 Million Dollar Pledge From UScellular
Access to reliable internet connectivity causes a divide between Asheville area youth who have access and those who do not. Millions of children nationwide and many right here in our area rely on public Wi-Fi to study when away from school. We are thrilled to announce that UScellular is providing $13 million dollars in free mobile hotspots and service to bridge this issue knows as the “homework gap”.
We encourage nonprofits working with youth in afterschool programs to apply and use this resource to enhance the important work they are already doing. Nonprofit organizations that meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
– Certified 501c3 nonprofit organizations
– Operate within UScellular’s service area
– Focused on kindergarten through 12th grade
– Not a school or government entity
To apply, click here.
If you’re not currently set up as an applicant on Grants Connect, you will need to set up an applicant profile first. Once you’ve set up your profile, click the above link or refresh your page to be taken to the After School Access Project landing page. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Students across Western North Carolina deserve the tools and resources they need to succeed. Hotspots are stand-alone Wi-Fi networks that can connect several devices at once wirelessly and have proven to be a vital tool for youth to access the internet, study and complete homework. In 2021, UScellular donated 2,800 hotspots and service to 33 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, a $2.6 million investment. Clubs have used them to boost their connectivity on site and loaned the devices out to youth and their families to support reliable access at home. Now more organizations have the opportunity to apply.
Think you might need to use an absentee ballot for the Primary Election on May 17? Here’s what you need to know so you can make sure your vote counts.
How to Request an Absentee Ballot
Absentee ballots will be mailed out beginning on March 28. The deadline to submit an Absentee Ballot Request Form is May 10 at 5:00 p.m. for the 2022 Primary Election. Any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive, and vote a mail-in absentee ballot. No special circumstance or reason is needed. Registered voters in North Carolina must request an absentee ballot with an official N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form. There are two ways to access and submit the form:
- Online – Request an Absentee Ballot at the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal.
- On paper – print the English N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 or the Spanish N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 (not available online currently).
For active-duty military, their family members, and U.S. citizens living abroad, click here. If you have questions about that process, you can call us at (828) 250-4200 or visit buncombecounty.org/vote.
No Printer? You may complete an absentee ballot request form at the Election Services office at 59 Woodfin Place, Asheville, 28801, or call (828) 250-4200 and one will be mailed to you. You may return the request in one of the following ways:
Mail it to:
P.O. Box 7468, Asheville, NC 28802
Hand deliver it to our office:
59 Woodfin Place, Asheville, 28801
Note: The Absentee Ballot Request Form may not be emailed or faxed. Request forms that are hand delivered to the office must be returned only by the voter or the voter’s near relative
How to Return an Absentee Ballot
The deadline to return the completed Absentee Ballot is Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at 5:00 p.m., however, voters are encouraged to return the ballot as early as possible. You may return it to us in one of the following ways:
By mail: Absentee ballots may be mailed to P.O. Box 7468 Asheville, NC 28802. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, May 17, 2022 and received by Friday, May 20.
At an Early Voting site: Absentee ballots may be returned to an early voting site during the early voting period, but not at a polling location on the day of the Primary Election. Ballots returned at an early voting site must be delivered to the election official at the check-in station.
In person: Absentee ballots may be returned in person to our office at 59 Woodfin Place between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Absentee ballots may be returned only by the voter or the voter’s near relative.
For more information about absentee voting, visit the North Carolina Board of Elections website. Or call us at (828) 250-4200. You can also email your questions to [email protected].
Old Shiloh was one of Asheville’s first communities established by emancipated people. The community moved to its present-day location – New Shiloh – after George Vanderbilt, in an effort to expand his land holdings as he planned to build his Biltmore Estate, purchased the land and buildings and agreed to relocate the Shiloh church and cemetery.
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Bid on a Greener Future Our Silent Auction Features Only-in-Asheville Treats & Unique Experiences to Fund Asheville’s Climate Resilience |
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May 13-29 Bidding Ends May 29 at 8pm
You live in a beautiful, healthy place, and you want to keep it that way. Us too. So we put together a fun way to help protect our home — now and for the future.
We’ve reached out to our community, and collected items from some of the most fun, most delicious, and most unique Asheville businesses. The auction goes live May 13. |
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency (AB Air Quality) is now accepting nominations for our eighteenth annual air quality awards program. The goal of the Clean Air Excellence Awards is to recognize businesses and organizations that have truly gone above and beyond regulatory requirements to improve air quality for the citizens of our area. Past years’ award recipients have included Biltmore, Eaton Corporation, and Asheville Housing Authority; each initiated voluntary efforts that improved air quality in the Asheville-Buncombe County Area.
Award guidelines explain the criteria for the awards and different categories of awards apply to different types of permitted facilities, organizations, and individuals that would like to nominate themselves or another entity for consideration.
To submit a nomination for a Clean Air Excellence Award, please download the application form online and include a brief summary describing what was done to improve air quality for Buncombe County. Examples of voluntary pollution prevention measures include: significant energy efficiency upgrades, switching to more environmentally friendly and lower emitting solvents and cleaners, installing renewable energy systems, and upgrading fleet vehicles to more fuel efficient or lower emitting models. We ask that nominations be submitted to our Agency by June 7, 2022. We encourage you to submit any and all efforts your company (or another company) has undertaken to reduce emissions. Agency staff is available to assist with emissions-related questions.
Award guidelines and applications can be found below as PDFs. Please contact Ashley Featherstone at (828) 250-6777 or [email protected] with questions.
NC DEACS Accepting Applications Now!
Last month DEACS launched a Multifamily Recycling Grant to support recycling at multifamily properties in North Carolina. Local governments, recycling businesses, and property management companies are all eligible to apply for funding. Grant funding can be used to purchase equipment and site developments to establish or expand recycling access for multifamily units. The maximum award is $250,000.
- Multifamily Recycling Grant Program – OPEN
This special grant program offers funding to initiate or expand multifamily recycling programs within the state. Eligible applicants include local governments, recycling businesses or non-profits, multifamily property owners, or multifamily property management companies. Grant funds may be used to purchase typical equipment needs to start or expand the collection of traditional household recyclables (paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass and plastic bottles and containers) from multifamily residences. Examples of eligible purchases include carts, dumpsters, collection vehicles, concrete pads, recycling corrals and education. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with no due date. Approved grant applications will be funded in the order in which they are received until funding is exhausted.Download the Multifamily Recycling Grant request for proposals (RFP) by selecting one of the following links (PDF or Word). Please submit completed applications to Tara Nattress at [email protected].
If you’re behind on your water bill or afraid your water might get cut off, a new resource might be able to help you. On Jan. 4, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved more than $450,000 in federal funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The initiative is aimed at preventing water disconnections and helping reconnect drinking and wastewater services.
The LIHWAP will be administered by Buncombe County-based Eblen Charities. The nonprofit will make payments directly to utilities on behalf of qualifying households. The program is slated to run through Sept. 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted.
Eligibility requirements
Households that currently receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Work First services, or those that received Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) services from Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021, are automatically eligible to receive this benefit if their water services have been cut off or are in danger of being cut off.
For additional eligibility information or to apply, please contact Eblen Charities at (828) 255-3066.
OUTPACE HUNGER
FEED PEOPLE AND YOUR PASSION!
What Is Outpace Hunger?
Looking for a way to make a real impact this spring and summer? Feed people while pursuing your passion through Outpace Hunger, an action-based fundraising campaign that turns a favorite activity into meals!
For decades, MANNA FoodBank has been working to outpace hunger and food insecurity all across 16 counties of Western North Carolina, including the Qualla Boundary. The 2022 campaign runs May 1 through September 30, and we invite you join the growing community of folks who are Outpacing Hunger alongside of us!
How It Works
Participating in Outpace Hunger is easy!
You decide your level of commitment, so every participant can create their own path to helping provide food to our community. Participants also decide how, when, and where they complete their goal, any time now through the campaign end on September 30.
Outpace Hunger participants:
(1) Register to be a part of MANNA’s Outpace Hunger community. The $20 registration fee includes a t-shirt for you and provides 80 MEALS for neighbors facing food insecurity in WNC.
(2) Choose a favorite activity (run, walk, roll, stroll, hike, bike, paddle, climb, float, skate, golf, and everything in between!) to complete individually, or as a family/group/team.
(3) Set a goal to reach. This can be an activity-related goal, a fundraising goal, or both.
(4) Invite friends and family to support your fundraising efforts through your own, personalized Outpace Hunger webpage.
Whether running a 5K, walking your neighborhood, hiking the Mountains to Sea trail, or paddling the French Broad River, Outpace Hunger participants play a vital part in ensuring our WNC neighbors have access to healthy food.
READY TO OUTPACE HUNGER WITH US?
ALREADY AN OUTPACE HUNGER PARTICIPANT?
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
It’s almost Mind Your Plastic May, and this year we’re challenging you to meet your plastic waste face-to-face. Join the Race2Reduce by pledging to decrease your plastic use for the entire month of May. Sign up to receive plastic tips, volunteer opportunities, and educational materials featuring local Asheville businesses.
How it works: Earn points to win a $75, $50, or $25 gift certificate to Ware, a local sustainability and refill shop in downtown Asheville.
5pts: Like or share a MYPM Instagram or Facebook post
10pts: Post (and tag us) or email us a video/photo of you using one of our plastic tips
15pts: Answer our Friday Trivia question
20pts: Post (and tag us) or email us a video/photo of you using one of our plastic tips
25pts: Lead your own trash cleanup with GreenWorks’ supplies
Last time we ran this contest, over 400 people stepped up, and in 30 days we were able to divert an estimated 6,750 lbs of trash from the landfill
Once you start seeing all the plastics you use, you can’t unsee it.
You reach for your chips, your tube of toothpaste, or your plastic sandwich bags, and feel guilty that all that packaging will spend the rest of time in the landfill.
Us too.
Plastic is super light, but the average person throws away more than 110 lbs of it each year – the equivalent of almost 9,100 plastic soda bottles.
It’s too much. And we decided it doesn’t have to be that way.
We just have to get creative.
When we first started tracking our plastic waste, we challenged ourselves:
How little could we use?
Replacing plastic drink bottles with a reusable bottle was simple.
Keeping reusable shopping bags in the car to grab on the way into the store was also easy.
What’s the next level?
Join our Race2Reduce to find out!
Race2Reduce is your pledge to decrease your plastic use for the entire month of May.
Once you sign up HERE we will send you plastic tips, volunteer opportunities, and educational materials featuring local Asheville businesses!
But you won’t do it alone.
You’re joining a whole community of action takers opening their minds and kitchen pantries to plastic alternatives.
Plus there’s a little friendly competition…
How it works: Earn points to win a $75, $50, or $25 gift certificate to Ware, a local sustainability and refill shop in downtown Asheville.
5pts: Like or share a MYPM Instagram or Facebook post
10pts: Post (and tag us) or email us a video/photo of you using one of our plastic tips
15pts: Answer our Friday Trivia question
20pts: Post (and tag us) or email us a video/photo of you using one of our plastic tips
25pts: Lead your own trash clean up with GreenWorks’ supplies
Enter to win by pledging to reduce your plastic here.
(*Be sure to check the box that asks if you want to be in the running for prizes.)
Lots of plastics aren’t recyclable, and when we throw them “away,” they only go as far as the Buncombe County landfill off Panther Branch Road in Alexander.
So here’s the thing:
If you want to get in shape, no one else can do your push-ups for you.
If you want to feel awesome, no one else can choose your car dance song for you.
And if you want to protect your home and health from plastic pollution, no one else can choose to consume less plastic for you.
But we CAN do it together.
Over 400 residents participated in the last Mind Your Plastic May plastic reduction challenge – and together we diverted 6,750 lbs of trash from the landfill in just 30 days.
Will you help us break that record this year? Join here.
We’re proud that so many of our fellow Ashevillians are working to end their reliance on plastic! Many thanks to the businesses and restaurants who supported this effort, and are working hard to reduce their own plastic waste. Mind Your Plastic May 2022 is presented for the residents of the City of Asheville in partnership with the City of Asheville. #goingplasticfree.
Questions? Give us a shout at: [email protected]
P.S. It’s Mind Your Plastic May, which means we’re taking action to reduce plastic all month long!
Check out all our events and activities here: ashevillegreenworks.org/mind-your-plastic-may
At the YWCA of Asheville, we eliminate racism and empower women by providing programs and advocacy for over 3,000 community members annually in Western North Carolina with services that support families, promote holistic wellness, and advance racial justice.
Thank you for wanting to share your time and talents with the YWCA! As a volunteer, you are integral to the YWCA fulfilling our mission, and we simply couldn’t do it without your help and support.
YWCA Asheville has volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups. We can design volunteer assignments to fit your schedule, experience, and team-building goals.
The YW is seeking volunteers to help maintain and ensure a thriving YW Garden. Plants in the YW Garden will be transformed into delicious meals for the children in our care by our nutrition team, used to introduce students to new vegetables and herbs, and leveraged by our teachers as curriculum in our childcare allowing the children to watch as plants grow from seed, to sprout, to thriving plant! To become a volunteer at the YWCA of Asheville, email [email protected].
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity is seeking six
AmeriCorps members for a year-long service opportunity beginning in August. Positions
are Construction Crew Leader, New Homes (2) Construction Crew Leader, Repair (3),
and Volunteer Services Coordinator (1). Members receive a living allowance and other
benefits. Those with a passion for affordable housing, an adventurous spirit, and a
sincere desire to serve others are encouraged to apply.
At Asheville Habitat, AmeriCorps members play an important role in providing
leadership on project sites, engaging volunteers to become champions for the mission,
and creating new tools and systems to build capacity. During a year of service,
members gain insight into a non-profit organization and receive hands-on experience in
leadership, team building, public speaking, and community development. For some,
AmeriCorps is an experiential gap year before college, grad school, or a career; for
others it is a stepping stone towards a job in the non-profit sector.
Buncombe County’s newly consolidated 911 Call Center is looking to complete membership of its Communications Steering Committee (CSC) with a community member at-large. As part of the agreement of the consolidation, the CSC will meet at least quarterly to review performance and compliance data and to consider and resolve questions, issues, and disputes relating to 911 call center operations.
The CSC membership includes:
- Buncombe County Director for 911 Communications
- Sheriff or designee
- Chief of Asheville Police Department or designee
- Asheville Fire Chief or designee
- Buncombe County Management designee
- A representative from among other municipalities’ law enforcement agencies dispatched through the 911 Call Center
- A representative from among other municipal and County fire departments dispatched through the 911 Call Center
- One community member at-large.
If you would like to be considered for the community member at-large position on the CSC, please answer the below questions and follow the instructions for submitting them.
Application Questions
Name:
Contact Information (phone and/or email):
1) Briefly, explain why you want to be a part of the Communications Steering Committee.
2) How will your life experience and unique perspective help us in regard to performance and compliance data and resolving questions, issues, and disputes relating to 911 call center operations? Please note if you are bilingual.
3) What do you consider the most pressing challenge for public safety communications (911)?
4) Where do you live?
- Asheville City
- South Buncombe (such as Arden/Avery’s Creek/Royal Pines)
- North Buncombe (such as Woodfin/Weaverville/Barnardsville)
- East Buncombe (such as Swannanoa/Black Mountain/Montreat)
- West Buncombe (such as Candler/Leicester)
5) Have you lived in Buncombe County for 1 year or more? Yes or No
Submit your application questions by email or in person to Jennifer Aviles by May 31, 2022, to [email protected] or 200 College St., Third Floor, Asheville NC 28801. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Aviles at (828) 250-4089.
May is Foster Parent Appreciation Month and Buncombe County is celebrating the incredible families who have stepped up to Foster Our Future. Becoming a Foster Parent is a big decision. “Many people begin their foster journeys with an idea of what being a foster parent should be,” says Amy Huntsman, Foster Care Supervisor for Buncombe County Health and Human Services. “But parenting, regardless of biological relation, is complex and encourages parents and children alike to grow in surprising and unexpected ways.” At Buncombe County, we like to refer to fostering as a journey; and if fostering is a journey, then social workers are the tour guides- supporting you supporting kids.
Buncombe County Foster Care Social Workers serve our foster parents in three categories throughout the fostering journey: preparation, placement, and maintenance.
Explore Options and Learn More!
The first step of the foster journey for any potential parent is training. The Foster Parent Training Class, or MAPP Class, combines storytelling with practical application techniques that offer a realistic, comprehensive understanding of what being a foster parent is like. Taught by our team of social workers and current foster parents, you can expect this course to be engaging and set you up for success on the licensure exam.
This course is taught over six weeks. Classes meet once a week for 3 hours per class. Completion of this course does not result in automatic licensure. Potential foster parents will have to seek licensure through the state of North Carolina. The Buncombe County social work team is here to educate and support you every step of the way and make sure that you are making the best possible decisions at every turn.
SIGN UP | CALL US: (828) 250-5868 | buncombecounty.org/foster
Placement
Once our foster parents get licensed, the placement phase begins. Each foster parent is assigned a social worker who facilitates the placement process including; helping you complete licensure requirements, assessing the best types of children for your home and skill set, and assisting you in process of meeting a foster child and having them settle into your family.
Maintenance
Once a child has been placed in your home, that same social worker will continue working with you to ensure you and the child are supported throughout this experience. Our social workers help foster parents; learn about a child’s individual medical. Behavioral, or developmental needs, refer and assist families in gaining supports for the youth, and engage foster parents in ongoing training and advocacy to ensure both the youth and the foster family’s needs are met.
There are currently over 340 children in foster care in Buncombe County. A shortage of foster parents in Buncombe County has resulted in approximately 100 of those children being placed outside their communities, away from their homes, schools, families, friends, and anything familiar to them. We know that children who are placed in their home communities have a better foster experience and are more likely to be reunited with their biological families when compared to those who are placed far away. If you have ever thought about becoming a foster parent, now is the time. Click here to sign up for Foster Parent Training classes and help us bring the kids in care back to Buncombe County.
Contact Us:
Facebook: @fosterbuncombe
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (828) 250-5868
Website: buncombecounty.org/foster
Cook teams of 4-6 individuals are invited to bring ingredients and prepare meals onsite or bring meals that have been prepared elsewhere. To meet our dietary standards, we ask that each meal provides a meat, vegetable and starch.
Requirements:
- Background Check
- Brief orientation prior to service
- Ability to Multi-Task
- Friendly Demeanor
Health & Safety:
- We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face mask if you have not been fully vaccinated
- Temperatures will be checked and a COVID-19 disclosure will be signed at the volunteer entrance
-
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
ABCCM Transformation Village provides up to 100 beds of transitional housing and will provide emergency shelter beds, post Covid-19. Transforming lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success including stabilization, life skills, education and reintegration. We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.
Transformation Village gives hope, healing, health and a home to single women, mothers with children, and female Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide residents a fresh start and a place to heal surrounded and supported by Christian love, trust, education and companionship.
We are seeking energetic volunteers to prepare and serve meals for our residents for lunch and dinner. This opportunity provides you with the chance to prepare meals in our commercial kitchen alongside our trained staff while serving the women and children of Transformation Village.
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
Bounty & Soul is a community-based non-profit with a mission to connect people to food, education and each other.
Like to get creative and crafty? Enjoy preparing fun educational games for children? We invite you to be a part of this small, sweet, and intentional shift that directly supports our Kids Programming. We are looking to have 1-2 folks join us Mondays from 1:30-3:30pm at the Bounty & Soul office. We’re talking bubbles, meditation pin wheels, produce fortune tellers, mini-cook books, exercise games and more!
Requirements:
- Must agree to adhere to all safety measures implemented at the site
- A positive attitude to bring to the group
- A passion for sharing information on children’s health and wellbeing
- Excellent customer service and communication skills
Health/Safety:
- We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face covering when delivering items
- Cloth covering nose and mouth
- Fabric or disposable face mask
- Asking volunteers to maintain physical distance of 6 feet or more when possible
- Note: there are times when the volunteer task requires volunteers to engage closer than 6 feet. Please do not sign up if you feel uncomfortable.
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 2:45-6pm
K-6th graders.
Does your child enjoy having fun and making new friends? Offering
arts, crafts, special events, homework assistance and more!
Families currently enrolled in the school system’s reduced or free
meal program, please contact your recreation center for discount
fee information.
Locations: Burton, Grant, Montford, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Montford Pre-Teen Afterschool Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021 – June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
5th-6th graders.
New program designed to meet the needs of your pre-teen.
Providing time dedicated to school assignments, life skills, arts,
communication, leadership, fitness, nutrition, and loads of fun.
Location: Montford
Teen Leadership Program
Pre-registration required. FREE for the 2021-2022 school year
August 23, 2021-June 3, 2022 | Monday-Friday | 3:30-6pm
6th-9th graders.
Looking for a cool and enriching alternative for your Teen to attend
this school year? We offer creative activities, diverse projects,
field trips, and more.
Locations: Grant, Shiloh, Stephens-Lee
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
Literacy Together (formerly the Literacy Council of Buncombe County) is a nonprofit organization working with children, youth, and adults to increase comprehensive literacy and English language skills through access to literacy resources and specialized instruction by trained volunteer tutors. Literacy Together relies on volunteer tutors to offer students personal instruction and high-quality materials through various programs.
The Youth Literacy Program is seeking tutors to meet with students K-5 twice a week for 50 minutes, between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The Youth Literacy Program works with two after-school programs that primarily serve youth of color. The two locations are in Asheville.
Youth Literacy tutors work with children from low-income families who read, write, and/or spell below their grade level. Tutors in this program complete an initial orientation and a 16-20 hours training, which includes some pre-course work and/or homework (short articles to read, short videos to watch). They then receive follow-up support and the option to attend in-service training throughout their tutoring commitment. Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.
Time Commitment:
- Twice a week for 50-minute sessions between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
- Youth Literacy tutors commit to working with their students for at least one school year.
Requirements:
- GED or High School diploma
- Excellent customer service skills
- Ability to work patiently with various levels of literacy skills
- Access to reliable internet
- Ability to navigate virtual meetings with minimal distractions
- Complete a background check
Training:
- Tutors must complete 16-20 hours of training prior to being assigned a student
Cook teams of 4-6 individuals are invited to bring ingredients and prepare meals onsite or bring meals that have been prepared elsewhere. To meet our dietary standards, we ask that each meal provides a meat, vegetable and starch.
Requirements:
- Background Check
- Brief orientation prior to service
- Ability to Multi-Task
- Friendly Demeanor
Health & Safety:
- We are asking volunteers to wear/bring their own face mask if you have not been fully vaccinated
- Temperatures will be checked and a COVID-19 disclosure will be signed at the volunteer entrance
-
Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer?
Your safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s main priority. We encourage you to review and adhere to the recommendations on the Buncombe County readiness site on how best to avoid COVID-19 and what to do if you think you might have it.
ABCCM Transformation Village provides up to 100 beds of transitional housing and will provide emergency shelter beds, post Covid-19. Transforming lives is through four developmental phases called Steps to Success including stabilization, life skills, education and reintegration. We are honored to report that 8 out of 10 leave us with a living wage job and permanent housing.
Transformation Village gives hope, healing, health and a home to single women, mothers with children, and female Veterans experiencing homelessness. We provide residents a fresh start and a place to heal surrounded and supported by Christian love, trust, education and companionship.
We are seeking energetic volunteers to prepare and serve meals for our residents for lunch and dinner. This opportunity provides you with the chance to prepare meals in our commercial kitchen alongside our trained staff while serving the women and children of Transformation Village.
Buncombe County Organizations Can Apply For Free Hotspots and Service As Part of $13 Million Dollar Pledge From UScellular
Access to reliable internet connectivity causes a divide between Asheville area youth who have access and those who do not. Millions of children nationwide and many right here in our area rely on public Wi-Fi to study when away from school. We are thrilled to announce that UScellular is providing $13 million dollars in free mobile hotspots and service to bridge this issue knows as the “homework gap”.
We encourage nonprofits working with youth in afterschool programs to apply and use this resource to enhance the important work they are already doing. Nonprofit organizations that meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
– Certified 501c3 nonprofit organizations
– Operate within UScellular’s service area
– Focused on kindergarten through 12th grade
– Not a school or government entity
To apply, click here.
If you’re not currently set up as an applicant on Grants Connect, you will need to set up an applicant profile first. Once you’ve set up your profile, click the above link or refresh your page to be taken to the After School Access Project landing page. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Students across Western North Carolina deserve the tools and resources they need to succeed. Hotspots are stand-alone Wi-Fi networks that can connect several devices at once wirelessly and have proven to be a vital tool for youth to access the internet, study and complete homework. In 2021, UScellular donated 2,800 hotspots and service to 33 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, a $2.6 million investment. Clubs have used them to boost their connectivity on site and loaned the devices out to youth and their families to support reliable access at home. Now more organizations have the opportunity to apply.
Think you might need to use an absentee ballot for the Primary Election on May 17? Here’s what you need to know so you can make sure your vote counts.
How to Request an Absentee Ballot
Absentee ballots will be mailed out beginning on March 28. The deadline to submit an Absentee Ballot Request Form is May 10 at 5:00 p.m. for the 2022 Primary Election. Any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive, and vote a mail-in absentee ballot. No special circumstance or reason is needed. Registered voters in North Carolina must request an absentee ballot with an official N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form. There are two ways to access and submit the form:
- Online – Request an Absentee Ballot at the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal.
- On paper – print the English N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 or the Spanish N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form for 2022 (not available online currently).
For active-duty military, their family members, and U.S. citizens living abroad, click here. If you have questions about that process, you can call us at (828) 250-4200 or visit buncombecounty.org/vote.
No Printer? You may complete an absentee ballot request form at the Election Services office at 59 Woodfin Place, Asheville, 28801, or call (828) 250-4200 and one will be mailed to you. You may return the request in one of the following ways:
Mail it to:
P.O. Box 7468, Asheville, NC 28802
Hand deliver it to our office:
59 Woodfin Place, Asheville, 28801
Note: The Absentee Ballot Request Form may not be emailed or faxed. Request forms that are hand delivered to the office must be returned only by the voter or the voter’s near relative
How to Return an Absentee Ballot
The deadline to return the completed Absentee Ballot is Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at 5:00 p.m., however, voters are encouraged to return the ballot as early as possible. You may return it to us in one of the following ways:
By mail: Absentee ballots may be mailed to P.O. Box 7468 Asheville, NC 28802. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, May 17, 2022 and received by Friday, May 20.
At an Early Voting site: Absentee ballots may be returned to an early voting site during the early voting period, but not at a polling location on the day of the Primary Election. Ballots returned at an early voting site must be delivered to the election official at the check-in station.
In person: Absentee ballots may be returned in person to our office at 59 Woodfin Place between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Absentee ballots may be returned only by the voter or the voter’s near relative.
For more information about absentee voting, visit the North Carolina Board of Elections website. Or call us at (828) 250-4200. You can also email your questions to [email protected].
Old Shiloh was one of Asheville’s first communities established by emancipated people. The community moved to its present-day location – New Shiloh – after George Vanderbilt, in an effort to expand his land holdings as he planned to build his Biltmore Estate, purchased the land and buildings and agreed to relocate the Shiloh church and cemetery.