The team at Mission Health broke ground this week on a new Behavioral Health facility in Asheville. The Sweeten Creek Mental Health and Wellness Center is slated to open in early 2023. Located just off Sweeten Creek Road in Asheville, this 120-bed center will offer advanced therapies, technologies and evidence-based best practices to improve the health and well-being of our community. Mission Health’s new $62 million facility will offer 84,000 square feet of space that will include a therapy gymnasium, music therapy, art therapy and more. The 26-acre property will also include outdoor recreation space and gardening. Sweeten Creek Mental Health and Wellness Center will care for adult, geriatric, adolescent, and pediatric patients. This expansion adds 38 additional beds that will help meet the growing needs of our community and allow Mission Health to continue to care for patients in a state-of-the-art facility that keeps our community members close to home. Learn more here. (Photo used for this blog post from groundbreaking.)
Dogwood Health Trust has announced the formal release of its goals and objectives within each of the organization’s four strategic priorities: Housing, Education, Economic Opportunity, Health & Wellness. The result of months of research, discussion and planning, the new goals – posted to its website – will guide Dogwood’s work over the next several years. To achieve its defined goals and objectives, Dogwood will continue its grantmaking activities along with impact investing, convening, education and advocacy, capacity building, as well as using its leverage and influence to attract additional partners, investments and allies for Western North Carolina. Additionally, the organization is updating its process for grantmaking in 2022 to include more regular grant cycles and request for proposal (RFP) opportunities to coalesce partners around certain goals for deeper or broader impact. Potential partners and organizations seeking funding from Dogwood are encouraged to explore the goals and objectives on Dogwood’s website and share ideas and questions with the Impact Team.
Community:
Canopy has launched Canopy Gives Back™ which provides charitable foundations and non-profits with completely free digital advertising campaigns taking place during November and December 2021. “Canopy was founded on the premise that there is a genuine need for an agency that can make digital advertising accessible to small and midsized companies with modest budgets.” said Canopy’s Founder, Bobby Youngs. “Canopy Gives Back™ evolved from that core philosophy. COVID-19 has impacted vulnerable communities the hardest, so supporting more than twenty charities located in Western North Carolina is a genuine privilege for us.” “Digital engagement is an important tool in our efforts to connect individuals experiencing significant barriers to employment with well-paying career opportunities,” said April Brown, Director of Industry Recruitment and Expansion at the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County. “We appreciate Canopy’s support of our Inclusive Hiring Partners initiative and their efforts to help us reach area job seekers.” “We are so appreciative that Canopy is helping non-profits in our community! Targeted advertising is a luxury when you have a tight budget. This gift of generosity will help countless animals find their homes. Thank you from all of us at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, both two-and four-legged!” added Brooke Fornea, Brother Wolf’s Director of Marketing and Guest Experience. Learn more about Canopy here.
The Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity is pleased to announce that their first two Aging in Place homebuyers, Ann Cox and Kay Ponder, have closed on their Habitat homes built specifically for aging adults. This new housing model is the result of a partnership between Deerfield and Asheville Habitat. This video provides a comprehensive overview of the partnership and many heartwarming remarks from Ann and Kay. Learn more about Habitat here. Learn more about Deerfield here.
Happenings:
The Mars Hill University Department of Theatre Arts and the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre (SART) will present two co-produced events for the 2021 holiday season: “A Southern Appalachian Christmas Concert” and “A Christmas Carol.” Both productions will be presented in-person at Owen Theatre on the university campus, and “A Christmas Carol” also will be available in an on-demand online format.“A Southern Appalachian Christmas Concert” is Saturday, December 4, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 5, at 2 p.m. In-person performances of “A Christmas Carol” will be December 9-19, and virtual performances will be available on-demand from December 20-26. All patrons in Owen Theatre will be required to wear a mask upon entering the facility and for the duration of the production. Tickets for “A Christmas Carol” are available at www.sartplays.com. Standard seats are $28, premium seats are $32, and the virtual pass is $25. For more information, contact the SART box office at (828) 689-1232 or sart@mhu.edu.
Opening:
Asheville Outlets is pleased to announce the opening of Direct Tools Factory Outlet. Direct Tools Factory Outlets offers the most-wanted indoor and outdoor power tools at prices up to 75% less than traditional retail. Direct Tools Factory Outlet provides an extensive selection of power tools, lawn & garden, batteries & chargers, hand tools & accessories, indoor and outdoor fans, and more. Learn more here.
Asheville Outlets is pleased to announce the opening of locally owned and operated Earthling Coffee & Espresso. The North Carolina coffee brewer will serve a wide selection of coffee and espresso drinks from their Food Court location. Earthling Coffee & Espresso is open daily during center hours; curbside pick-up is also available. Earthling Coffee & Espresso was founded by Jaimi and Chris Gunkel, a local couple seeking to bring hand-crafted, organic coffee to western North Carolina. Earthling’s original double drive-thru opened in 2019, the Asheville Outlets Cafe is the company’s second location. Learn more here.
Promotion:
Holiday shopping is easy and meaningful when you purchase one-of-a-kind, locally made items from the Explore Asheville Holiday Gift Guide. The 2021 edition features more than 80 authentic goods from some of the area’s top creatives, makers and craftspeople, from handmade wares to specialty food and beverages. Make an impact this holiday season and share the creative spirit of Asheville’s community of local artists and businesses.Shop now.
Love Asheville? Want to support small business and make a difference where you bank? Self-Help Credit Union offers a Go Local Certificate of Deposit that lets you put your money where your heart is. Self-Help is a member-owned community development credit union, and the only one in our region. By investing with Self-Help, you show your support for their work in Western North Carolina, including financing for green businesses, community economic development projects, and homeownership for women and people of color. At the same time, you earn a higher rate than a standard savings account. And you’ll get a free Go Local card for opening the account. Your Go Local Card gets you access to discounts and special offers at over 590 businesses that make Asheville and Western North Carolina so special. Learn more here.