August 2022

Kindness in Action

There is a hint of coolness in the evening air, the Joe-Pye weed is blooming alongside of the road and that means it is Back to School Time.

Eblen Charities in partnership with our generous community, was able to distribute supplies to nearly 300 families this month! It is a joy to see happy kids ready for school, and relieved parents who know that their child has what they need to start the school year off right.

Read on to hear more about what we're working on, including details on our fall events.

We help families living without air conditioning in the hot months by providing fans at no cost. This year we helped 80 families with a free fan to stay cool! You can donate to our work here.

Eblen Charities Events

School Supplies!

We believe in Kindness in Action, and in helping our neighbors with basic needs. We were happy to distribute school supplies on August 24th to almost 300 families!

We know that many families struggle to provide the school supplies that help kids be successful in the classroom. Thanks to our community, we can ease that struggle.

Thank you to long time friends Ingles Markets along with WLOS-TV, iHeartMedia and Asheville Citizen Times who partnered with us to collect supplies from our community members. People came to help by bringing new school supplies, from little kids excited to help their fellow students to grandparents who enjoyed shopping for school supplies and new backpacks!

Ingles provided amazing food for staff and volunteers, Buncombe County Schools showed off their newest bus, and both WLOS and iHeart Radio broadcast all day.

A special thanks to Two Men in a Truck for providing boxes!

Walk, Run or Roll for Eblen!

Want a way to burn off Halloween candy calories in advance? How about show off your best costume - and your best dog's costume? You can do that while supporting the work of Eblen Charities! Visit our website to learn more and register to walk!

Our Walk, Roll or Run 5 K is at 10 AM on Saturday October 29, 2022 at Carrier Park in Asheville.

All proceeds will help us do our community based work. We are grateful to our sponsors Roberts and Stevens, LLC; White Insurance; Dave and Peggy White; SanStone Health and Rehabilitation; Robby and Michelle Russell; Blue Ridge Orthodontics; Kimmel and Associates; Carland & Anderson CPA; The Lodge at Mills River, StoneCreek Health & Rehabilitation and McKinney Insurance!

If you're interested in becoming a sponsor please contact Kathy Soule.

What's Happening at Eblen Charities?

We're planning a busy Fall to make sure our neighbors have what they need!

Our Boosters and Pumpkins fundraiser starts at participating businesses & schools October 5th - 31st! We use funds raised to do everything from help families pay for eyeglasses and clothing to providing healthy snacks at schools.

Our annual Winter Clothing Giveaway will happen at 52 Westgate Parkway on October 18, 19 and 20th - everyone is welcome and there is no charge for any item.

Our Walk, Run or Roll is October 29th.

And November brings the Smoky Mountain Toy Run in support of our St. Nicholas Project on November 5th (for information email here), followed by Giving Thanks at Thanksgiving, where with partners Ingles Markets, we'll be giving away a turkey and fixings for a holiday meal to 800 families! Sign Ups for appointments will be on our website soon.

And lastly - the St. Nicholas Project providing new items for holiday gifts will open in December. If you'd like to collect new toys, clothing, sports equipment, teen items or gift cards, please contact Kathy or Julie!

Thanks to our friends at Southeast Therapeutic Consultants for sponsoring us at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament! We're grateful for your support!

We rely on the support of businesses, small and large to help us do the work that our community needs.

If you would like to see how your company can be part of Eblen's work, please reach out to Kathy Soule for ways to donate and sponsor with us , or to Julie Johnson if you'd like to give your time to help our work.

Whether it is bringing out a team of volunteers, sponsoring and inviting us to public events, or making a donation, there are lots of ways we can partner together.

Those partnerships allow us to help people with medication costs, gasoline for medical appointments, school supplies, and more.

Meet the newest team member at Eblen Charities, Trina Logan! Trina started as our Intake Coordinator earlier this month and we asked her to share a bit about herself, what she does at Eblen and why she chose to work with us.

"I'm a people person, and I like helping others. I'm married, have 3 kids and 8 grandkids. I love spending time with my family., bowling and reading.

I took the Intake Coordinator position, to help people apply for assistance. I answer the phone and door a lot and process applications. I am happy to be here because I see Eblen as the heart of the community with hands on help. I feel really comfortable here, and people are so nice!"

We're glad to welcome Trina to the Eblen team!

Our friends at Energy Savers Network are on a mission - to change the lives of limited-income families in Western North Carolina by mobilizing volunteers to install energy-efficiency measures in their homes. This can include things like weatherization assistance, including installing interior storm window inserts, insulating water heaters, replacing furnace filters, and switching out energy-consuming light bulbs, To learn more about their services and how to apply, visit Energy Savers Network.

Visit us at the 2022 Parade of Homes Asheville!

The Asheville Home Builders Association (AHBA) is hosting its annual Parade of Homes on October 8, 9, 15 and 16th and Eblen Charities is proud to be part of it!

Thanks to Buchanan Construction, we'll be at a beautiful home in Crestmont raising funds and awareness for our work!

If you'd like to help by volunteering for a shift or learn more about this event, please contact Julie Johnson

Thanks to our Board of Directors

Our nonprofit organization is governed by a Board of Directors, who volunteer their time and expertise. We'd like to give a shout out to our Board! Thank you!

Drue Ray (Chair)

Neal Hanks (Vice Chair)

Donna Parson (Secretary)

Scott Hughes (Treasurer)

David White (IPC)

Susan Ableidinger

Roger Aiken

Pat Bryant

Brian Hall

Scott Hickman

Robby Russell