Our 2025 Grants

ASAP serves the Southern Appalachian region by helping local farms thrive, linking farmers to markets and supporters, and building healthy communities through connections to local food. Our WCMA grant funds ASAP's Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables Program, which improves access to fresh food by needy persons and supports the local economy of farmers.  For every SNAP dollar participants spend to purchase fruits and vegetables at the ASAP market, they receive a matching dollar to purchase additional fresh fruits and vegetables.

Grant: $25,000     Sponsor: Robert Turner

API feeds homeless individuals and builds community in West Asheville by serving a hot lunch six days a week, distributing groceries and providing a central gathering spot for the community. Our WCMA grant covers rent, utilities, insurance and supplies for the redistribution of donated food.

Grant: $25,000     Sponsor: Clem Stone

Bounty & Soul operates 10 no-cost community markets, 100 at-home deliveries and 6 community delivery sites providing dignified access to healthy food (95% fresh produce). Our WCMA grant supports the “Redefining Equitable Access to Community Health” initiative, which distributes food from farmers and local donations to individuals with food insecurity via a mobile market in the Black Mountain, East Asheville and Swannanoa River areas.

Grant: $25,000     Sponsor: Donna Bailey

Calvary Episcopal Church Food Pantry provides healthy food (fruits, vegetables, milk, protein, soup and baby food) and is in many cases is a major source of nutritious meals for families in Henderson and Buncombe counties. The Food Pantry also grows some of the produce distributed and offers health related screens and information. Our WCMA grant supplements in-kind donations by funding food purchases. 

Grant: $25,000     Sponsor: Jeff Faistenhammer

Haywood Street Congregation operates a community "Respite" facility, a one-of-a-kind facility in Buncombe County that hosts the homeless or those living in a shelter who have been discharged after an acute medical procedure that requires continued wound care and other physical care, including physical rehabilitation. Our WCMA grant provides about 20,000 meals for “Friends” during the transition and the relocation to an expanded Haywood Street Respite facility. 

Grant: $25,000     Sponsor: Matt Aguiar

For 46 years, Helpmate has worked within our community to provide safety, shelter, and support for victims/survivors of intimate partner domestic violence. Their services include a 24/7 hotline, danger assessment, safety planning, shelter, advocacy, therapy, outreach and case management. Our WCMA grant supports personnel costs for Helpmate’s emergency shelter program, which provides immediate safety and essential support for survivors of domestic violence and their children. 

Grant: $25,000     Sponsor: Donna Ensley

Homeward Bound focuses on preventing and ending homelessness in our community by providing permanent housing and support. Our WCMA grant funds a pilot initiative to test the viability of providing safe overnight shelter during Code Purple nights (when temperatures dip below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower) to currently unserved populations of couples (who would otherwise be separated) and individuals with pets. The grant will provide 20 beds at the AHOPE Center shelter and support 100 cold nights from November through April.

Grant: $25,000     Sponsor: Wayne Swanton

For over 40 years, Western Carolina Rescue Ministries has existed to serve the homeless, poor, and addicted populations of WNC. One of their programs is Abba’s House which provides addicted women who are pregnant or have young children with a free safe space to work towards recovery and other goals while staying with their children. Abba's House seeks to rebuild the family structure by empowering women to live rewarding and self-sufficient lives which will benefit communities now and in future generations. Our WCMA funding supports program expenses including but not limited to staffing, medical treatment, food, childcare, security, transportation, supplies, etc. for Abba House.

Grant: $25,000     Sponsor: Tim Adams

Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) addresses poverty, hunger, homelessness, and access to healthcare for underserved populations across North Carolina. ABCCM’s Doctor’s Medical Clinic serves those who are uninsured and under resourced (generally those with an income less than 250% federal poverty level, or roughly 40K for a family of 4). Our WCMA grant supports modifications, equipment and additional supplies needed to support an increase in volunteer specialist physician engagement.   

Our grant supports the refurbishment of the lactation room in AHH’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Labor & Delivery Unit, The Baby Place with the purchase of Bilisoft Phototherapy Blankets for treatment of neonatal jaundice, the refurbishment of a lactation room for mothers and infants,  including  Infection grade furniture and accessories, a breastmilk storage fridge, postpartum & newborn NICU and breastfeeding patient resources guides and related materials.

The Council on Aging of Buncombe County is a 60-year-old organization that connects seniors with federal, state and local resources for the aging. Our WCMA grant supports their efforts by providing funding for home safety installations and the delivery of food to homebound seniors.

Four Seasons is an award-winning, nationally recognized nonprofit organization providing Care Navigation, Home Care, Palliative Care, Hospice Care, Pediatric Palliative Hospice Care, Grief Services, and Caregiver Support to fourteen counties in WNC. Our WCMA grant supports Four Season’s Hospice Care program by providing furnishings, fixtures, toys, books, and a small climbing/play structure for children visiting a family member.  

Catholic Charities provides burial/cremation assistance to struggling families as part of an overall effort to strengthen families, build communities and reduce poverty. Burial expenses can be an urgent short-term need that overstrains families’ financial capacity. Grants are made without regard to religious affiliation, ethnicity, citizenship or other factors. Our WCMA grant is restricted to burial/cremation assistance for WNC residents.

Since 2010, Eblen Charities has administered a program to provide more than 29,000 needy school children with vouchers that can be redeemed for shoes and clothes at Goodwill locations.  Our WCMA grant funds vouchers for approximately 625 children. 

The HARK program works with the NC Department of Social Services to serve the needs of at-risk children. Our WCMA grant supports (i) emergency assistance (primarily short-term housing, transportation and transition assistance) for homeless children and (ii) critical unmet needs (household items, clothing and educational materials) of children in DSS custody.

Founded in 1978, Pisgah Legal Services provides free civil legal aid, anti-poverty advocacy, assistance with applications and appeals for access to healthcare for vulnerable people with low incomes, including struggling veterans, families on the verge of homelessness or bankruptcy, victims of domestic and sexual violence, people in need of health care, and senior citizen victims of fraud.  Our WCMA grant supports their Veterans Law Program, a program that offers free legal services to Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, helping them overcome legal barriers to housing stability.

Avery Creek Elementary School is a K-4 elementary school with approximately 530 students, of which 68.4% are economically disadvantaged and 58% are minorities. Only 38% of its student score at or above proficient level in reading and 33% in math, significantly lower than the 46% and 40% in Buncombe County Schools generally.  Our WCMA grant helps fund the purchase of Sensory Pathways (assistive materials targeting students who struggle with self-regulation and may miss instruction due to social-emotional needs).  This tool will allow these students to reset quickly, by engaging in intentional movement activities. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters matches mentors with children facing adversity  and provides ongoing activities, training & support services to sustain successful match relationships. This local chapter has embarked on a significant new program to address the emotional and practical aspects ("resilience") of preparing for and recovering from significant community “life disruptions”  (pandemics, floods, major family upheavals etc.).  Our WCMA grant partially funds (i) salaries of the new Wellness Program Coordinator and extended work hours for existing staff, (ii) facilitator stipends and materials for  resilience training and (iii) increased travel expenses for staff to execute the program.

Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County, strives to be a place where every child feels a sense of belonging and safety so that they can discover their full potential and create a bright future for themselves. Our WCMA grant supports the critical nutritional needs for children from low-income families during out-of-school periods while attending programs at the facility.  Because government funding supports meals only on school days, many children face food insecurity during holidays and summer break, and our funding helps address those needs for program participants.  

The Bridges Reading Enrichment Program promotes literacy assistance for reading challenged first through third graders from Estes Elementary School. Our WCMA grant supports the purchase of books and related educational material as well as some financial support for a Reading Specialist and a Director associated with this program. 

Our WCMA grant supports select arts-based educational programs for students, children, and families. This funding will also increase accessibility to the offerings at the Asheville Art Museum.

Our WCMA grant exposes middle and high school students to chamber music by funding classroom visits by Asheville Symphony musicians as well as student attendance at live performances.

Our WCMA grant funds a program that brings professional teaching artists to Asheville area kindergarten and first grade classrooms one day a week for 45 minutes. The artisits work with students and teachers to weave theatre, music, movement and storytelling into teaching core curriculum subject areas to enhance learning.

Our WCMA grant supports Junior Theater’s funding for 20 wireless, digital microphones and student scholarships for youth aged 4-18.

Our WCMA grant supports the Asheville Humane Society's Community Solutions department, which provides medical care, exams, labs and meds for pets with urgent medical needs whose families, such as seniors, victims of domestic violence, the homeless or housing insecure and veterans, could not afford to pay the expenses without this assistance.  Our WCMA grant allows the pets to stay with their families instead of being surrendered. The clients,.  

Our WCMA grant supports the New Leash for Life program, which partners with the Western Correctional Center for Women in Black Mountain to allow inmates to train and live with young, rescued dogs under the supervision of a professional dog trainer.