Press release from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce:
(Asheville, NC) – On Thursday, September 28th, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce awarded thirteen $10,000 grants to local non-profits in honor of its 125th anniversary. The Together for Tomorrow grants were made to organizations whose work aligns with the Chamber’s mission of “Building Community Through Business.” The grants were funded with support from Asheville Chamber member businesses and ticket sales for the 125th Anniversary Celebration.
“One of our guiding principles is ‘collaboration.’ It’s one of the reasons why our tagline is ‘Together, we are more,’ said Kit Cramer, Chamber President and CEO.
“We recognize there is strength in numbers, and for our anniversary we wanted to recognize non-profits that work alongside us to build long-term economic vitality, solving problems to move the community forward.”
Nonprofits were invited to apply for the special grants earlier this year. Applications were reviewed by a committee of business leaders who selected 24 finalists. Recipients were then selected based on a combination of committee scoring and public vote.
Recipients are:
- All Souls Counseling (to support expansion of their counseling services for uninsured, underinsure and under-served populations in our community)
- Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (to support their Double SNAP program increasing access to fresh food and supporting small businesses at farmers’ markets)
- Asheville Greenworks (to support their Tree Keeper Training Program, a workforce development program introducing youth to the field of arboriculture)
- Asheville Habitat for Humanity (to support expansion of ReStore initiatives and the Deconstruction Program)
- Asheville Museum of Science (to support student engagement with STEM skills and careers through industry partnerships)
- Black Wall Street AVL (to create an Entrepreneurial Navigator to connect entrepreneurs with necessary resources for growth)
- Blue Ridge Public Radio (to support a campaign spotlighting BIPOC businesses and local makers)
- Buncombe County Schools Foundation (to support a teacher recruitment and retention plan including financial support for students and teaching assistants to pursue careers in teaching)
- Eblen Charities (to support their gas voucher program which provides assistance to those seeking employment or new hires)
- My Daddy Taught Me That (to support internships, skill-building and entrepreneurships for Black youth)
- OpenDoors Asheville (to support career awareness and college preparedness for low income students of color)
- Western Carolina Rescue Ministries (to support their Transitional Housing Program for graduates of their recovery program)
- YWCA of Asheville (to support childcare services for individuals seeking employment or education)
As an added bonus, each month of the anniversary year, one grant award winner will be profiled in the Chamber’s communications channels.
Read more about the grant recipients at www.ashevillechamber.org/125years.
Supporters of the Chamber’s 125th Anniversary Celebration and grant program include: Asheville Sun Soo Martial Arts, SanStone Health & Rehabilitation, First Horizon Foundation, First Bank, Capstone Health Alliance, Duke Energy, Pratt & Whitney, HomeTrust Bank, Mission Health, First Citizens, DMJPS, Altura Architects, Biltmore Farms, FORVIS, Western Carolina University, MB Haynes, Whitney Commercial Real Estate, AVL Technologies and AdventHealth.
About Asheville Chamber of Commerce
For 125 years, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been the catalyst for economic vitality in our community. Asheville Chamber initiatives have stimulated economic development, influenced public policy and supported the growth of thousands of local and regional businesses.
Today, the Asheville Chamber:
- fosters collaboration among business and community leaders from Asheville and throughout the region,
- connects businesses to the resources they need to be successful and
- takes a reasoned and thoughtful approach to advocating for business and community issues.
Together with its members and partners, the Asheville Chamber nurtures a healthy business environment to create a better quality of life and future for the people who call our region home.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.