Thanks to a $1,181,000 grant from Dogwood Health Trust, Out of the Ashes, the only dedicated homeless shelter in Rutherford and Polk Counties, has purchased a new property that will add nearly 50 beds and address critical – and previously unmet – needs. Dogwood’s grant funded the purchase of a recently renovated 14,300 sq. ft. church that sits on 7.4 acres just outside of Forest City. An additional four acres of buildable land with water and sewer will allow for future expansion. The new facility will include low-barrier, dry shelter and transitional housing. The grant will also fund two shuttle buses to transport residents to engagements that are part of their wellness journey, allow for centralized supportive programs to improve efficiency and access, and provide onsite childcare that will allow mothers to work and take a vital step towards self-sufficiency and permanent housing. Low-barrier shelter does not currently exist in Rutherford or Polk and is for individuals who may not be ready to commit to a recovery program but need a safe place to stay. Learn more here.
Dogwood Health Trust also announced that it has invested $25 million in the newly-created Pisgah Fund, a $50 million investment fund focused solely on the 18 counties served by Dogwood Health Trust. The fund will seek out and make investments in start-up or existing high-growth companies that can deliver innovative products or services to improve health in the region and produce jobs for WNC residents. Learn more here.
Buncombe County Public Libraries (BCPL) is joining a growing number of library systems across the country reducing financial barriers to services. As of July 1, 2021 BCPL will permanently eliminate late fines for overdue library materials, and forgive all previous overdue fines so that everyone can start a new chapter at the library. This change is a part of a movement from libraries nationwide, guided by recommendations from the American Library Association in an effort to increase free public access to library services. The decision to go fine free locally was made with staff input, endorsed by the Library Advisory Board, and approved by the Board of Commissioners. BCPL will continue to send reminders to patrons to return items when materials are due and a separate notice when they are past due. It’s important to note that anyone who fails to return, loses, or damages a library item, will still be responsible for paying replacement fees for those items. Any item overdue for 45 days will be considered lost, and patrons will incur a charge for that item. Learn more here.
Expansion:
Mercy Urgent Care’s Weaverville facility is expanding its operating hours beginning Monday, June 28. The clinic, located at 61 Weaver Blvd., Suite 106, will now be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Mercy Urgent Care treats non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses such as cuts, strains and sprains, broken bones, ear infections, sinus pain, flu, mild allergies, digestive issues, animal bites, and minor burns. Other services offered at the Weaverville location include telemedicine visits, COVID-19 tests, standard medical examinations, and screenings and assessments, including those required by educational institutions, employers and the Department of Transportation. Learn more here.
Happenings:
The Folk Heritage Committee has announced its summer 2021 dates for two cele- brated mountain traditions in Asheville, North Carolina: the 55th season of Shindig on the Greenand the 94th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. Shindig on the Green is a free event in the heart of downtown Asheville, with a stage show and informal jam sessions, taking place on Saturday evenings. Kicking off on July 3rd this year, Shindig on the Greenwill be held on July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and August 14 and 21, 2021 in the heart of downtown Asheville at Pack Square Park’s Roger McGuire Green. The 94th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk and Festival, a ticketed event at Lipinsky Hall Auditorium at UNCA, 300 Library Lane, has a different show each night at 6:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, August 5, 6 & 7, 2021. The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival was founded by Bascom Lamar Lunsford in 1928 and is the nation’s longest running folk festival. Learn more here.
Asheville Outlets is hosting a Pack 2 School Supply Drive from Saturday, July 10 through Saturday, August 7, 2021. The drive will kick-off on Saturday, July 10 with volunteers from Seacoast Asheville Church on-site collecting school supplies near the entrance of Sportsman’s Warehouse from noon to 3:00 p.m. Throughout the four-week drive, marked bins will be available in the Food Court for donation drop-off. School children at four local elementary schools will be the recipients of supplies collected during the program. Student supply needs include: #2 pencils, erasers, colored pencils, crayons, glue sticks, school scissors, folders, spiral notebooks, marbled composition notebooks, dry ease markers (pencil & regular size), pencil pouches and back packs. Classroom needs include: white & color copy paper, Band-Aids, tissues, hand sanitizer, Ziploc bags, disinfectant wipes, and hand soap. Learn more here.
Registration is now open for a new, free South College program to help people brush up on English and math skills prior to attending any institution of higher learning this fall. The Bridge Program is open to recent high school graduates who may have suffered learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and re-entry students seeking to enhance or change career paths and needing a refresher in English and math. Participation is open to anyone starting college or returning to school, regardless of intention to enroll at South College. In Asheville, the program will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 13-29, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. at South College’s campus at 140 Sweeten Creek Road. Registration is available here and space is limited.
Solarize Asheville Buncombe & Renu Energy Solutions is holding a virtual Lunch & Learn about commercial solar on July 8 from 12 – 1 p.m. Join campaign organizers and the selected commercial contractor, Renu Energy Solutions to learn all about solar for your business or nonprofit organization. Learn how to take advantage of discount pricing and valuable tax incentives, achieve paybacks in less than 5 years, meet sustainability goals and share your sustainable story with the community you serve. All participants qualify for a free evaluation with a 25-year pro forma energy and carbon reduction forecast.Learn more and register here.
At Pisgah Legal Services’ 11th Annual Justice Forum, the headline speaker will be Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician, scientist and advocate who exposed the dangerous levels of lead in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water after testing blood lead levels of local children. The event, which will be held October 7 at 7 p.m., will be online via Zoom to protect the health and safety of participants and attendees, however, for guests who would like to gather in-person, an outdoor, pre-event Reception and Forum Watch Party will also be offered, with limited attendance, at Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave., in Asheville. All applicable COVID-19 protocols will be followed. Details to come and advanced registration required.
Radius Chiropractic, the neurologically based chiropractic office located in East Asheville, wants to bring breakfast or lunch to your office to talk about their practice. At Radius, Dr. Dan and Dr. Erin are focused on getting to the root cause of your health concerns and optimizing your well being. Using NASA certified technology to locate nerve interference, they can pinpoint the exact problem area in your nervous system. To set up a free breakfast or lunch for your staff, please call 828-333-4447 and ask to speak with Community Relations Manager, Erin McEntire.
Opening:
The Crate & Barrel Outlet at the Asheville Outlets is now open! The store features contemporary and modern furniture, housewares, décor, entertaining items, kitchen accessories and more at value pricing and the new location also features the brand’s CB2 line. Crate & Barrel Outlet receives updated inventory daily and provides shoppers access to clearance pieces, as well as an assortment of items currently offered in Crate & Barrel stores. All items at Crate & Barrel Outlet can be taken home the day of purchase. Learn more here.