Ahh, the smell of fresh paint. Today we’re excited to share some updates to our newsletter design. We hope these changes will help us deliver an even better reader experience — but as with most remodels, we may experience a few hiccups along the way. If your email doesn’t look quite right or if you have feedback on ways we can continue to improve, please drop us a line.
Show your support by volunteering
Volunteer at food + water distribution sites through Hands On Asheville-Buncombe. | Photo via Buncombe County
Many of our readers have reached out to us, looking for ways to offer their time and energy to support the community’s critical needs and help rebuild. So we’ve rounded up a list of volunteer opportunities in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Stay up to date on organizations’ specific needs through their websites and social media pages. You can also contact them directly to find out how to volunteer.
Here are some places where you can help:
Hands On Asheville-Buncombe
This volunteer opportunity resource from United Way’s Volunteer Center functions like a job board, allowing local organizations to share shifts for people to sign up and help out.
If you want to volunteer, you can browse through pages of opportunities. Here are some available now:
Sign up: Housing Authority of the City of Asheville - Volunteers Needed for Packaging Hot Meals and Delivering to Low-Income Neighborhoods
Sign up: Haywood Street Congregation - Companionship for Medical Respite Daily
Organizations can fill out forms to have their volunteer opportunities included on the site.
BeLoved Asheville
Show up to the distribution site at 32 Old Charlotte Hwy. and coordinators will direct you on how you can help — check out BeLoved’s social media for the latest updates and its current needs list.
MANNA FoodBank
To help the nonprofit sort and distribute food and supplies, create an account on its volunteer portal and choose your shifts.
ABCCM
You can help out at the warehouse at 1845 Brevard Rd. in Arden from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily — no need to sign up in advance. Sign up online to help with Crisis Ministries, Medical Ministry, Transformation Village, or Costello House.
Asheville GreenWorks
Sign up for updates from the nonprofit to receive info on how to help clean up the community when it’s safe to do so.
If your organization has additional opportunities you’d like us to share, let us know. If you’re looking for more opportunities to help, explore the many nonprofits that are fundraising to support critical efforts.
Early voting begins tomorrow, Oct. 17, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 2. From tomorrow to Friday, Nov. 1, polls are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. On Nov. 2, polls are open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. You can go to any of the 10 approved locations, and same-day registration is available. Need a photo ID? You can get one from Buncombe County Election Services.
Edu
On Monday, the Asheville City Schools Board of Education met to discuss the tentative plan to reopen schools on Monday, Oct. 28. Due to difficulty securing the amount of water needed, school days will be shortened to four hours. Note: This plan is subject to change. (WLOS)
Wellness
NAMI Western Carolina is now offering free mental health support Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Drop by 356 Biltmore Ave., Ste. 207 to speak with trained support group facilitators. Plus, check out some additional local mental health resources.
Pets
Asheville Humane Society is launching Affordable Pet Care Clinics on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Providers will offer vaccines, heartworm tests, feline leukemia tests, and microchips with no required appointment and urgent care with an appointment. You can also find free pet food and preventative medication.
Outdoors
The Adventure Center of Asheville is now open Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with local discounts and camps for kiddos. Additionally, the Haunted Trail will be open Oct. 18-20 and Oct. 24-27 for family-friendly Halloween fun.
Open
If you’re looking for some relief in the form of live music, The Grey Eagle is back with a lineup of shows this week and beyond. See who’s playing and get tickets.
Concert
Tomorrow, Oct. 17, head to RAD Brewing Co. for WNC Rising: Community, Music, and Cleanup Relief. The concert fundraiser begins at 5 p.m. with live music, beer, and food from Grush’s Cajun Dino Grill — the suggested $20 donation helps Asheville Tool Library purchase equipment like ozone machines and wood chippers for flood cleanup.
Drink
DSSOLVR has kickstarted a nationwide, collaborative brewing project, Higher Calling. Breweries are provided with the base Hazy IPA recipe to riff on, as well as the label and resources from supply partners to help brew. Proceeds benefit the NC Craft Brewers Fund and its WNC Helene relief.
Category
Community
Updates + need-to-know information
The next water service update will take place at today’s briefing. | Photo via Buncombe County
The following article is being updated on our website daily. Click the button at the bottom of this section to read the full story.
Tuesday, Oct. 15
New community care station open
The old K-Mart and new At Home store at 980 Brevard Rd. is now a community care station, offering access to potable and nonpotable water, hot food, showers, bathrooms, laundry services, Wi-Fi, and counseling.
Find the additional community care stations at:
Ingles, 2299 US-70, Swannanoa
AC Reynolds High School, 1 Rocket Dr., Asheville
Morgan Hill Baptist Church, 594 Barnardsville Hwy., Weaverville
Spectrum update
County Manager Avril Pinder shared an update from Spectrum, saying that more than 236,000 customers across NC lost service during the height of Helene. Spectrum aims to restore service to all locations that are safely accessible and that have power by Saturday, Oct. 19.
Here in Buncombe County, 58% of customers have had service restored and 37,656 are still without. There was no update from AT&T or Verizon.
If you’re looking for a hearty lunch tomorrow afternoon, both Farm Burger’s downtown and South Asheville locations will be giving out free burgers from 12 to 3 p.m. or until supplies last. Plus, a dollar from every burger sold at its locations outside Asheville will be donated to those affected by Hurricane Helene.
