As we celebrated the legacy of Dr. King on Monday, one thing became clear to us: the Asheville community is made up of a beautiful, diverse and caring group of people who go the extra mile for each other. And that was on full display for all to see, as some 255 volunteers fanned out across Buncombe County to volunteer their time, energy and compassion — they were steadfast in their commitment to make MLK Day a day on, not a day off.
Together, Stronger
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County partnered with Mission Health and UNC Asheville to host the first annual Partnership for Change Day of Service. The collaboration brought the passion and enthusiasm of UNC Asheville students and Mission Health
employees together with United Way's volunteer center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, to form an amazing team of volunteers. These volunteers made a significant impact at 10 separate projects.Partners for Change
And to top it all off, UNC Asheville provided Partnership for Change volunteers, middle school students and their families free tickets to Monday night's UNCA men's basketball game. In addition, Arby's/Brumit Restaurant Group treated the middle school students and their families to a free Arby's meal prior to the game. Students and their families were seated in the Arby's Scholarship Deck where they enjoyed watching the Asheville Bulldogs cruise to an 83-73 win over Charleston Southern. A fantastic way to end a day of community celebration and service!
Many thanks to UNC Asheville for providing free tickets to Monday night's game, Arby's/Brumit Restaurant Group for donating the great meal and Mission Health for outfitting all the volunteers with the fantastic Partnership for Change t-shirts.
Next Steps
Lastly, we would like to encourage everyone to take Dr. King's message of community betterment through service and apply it throughout the year. Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, the volunteer center of United Way, makes it easy to get involved in meaningful volunteer opportunities with nonprofit organizations in Asheville and Buncombe County. With hundreds of opportunities listed on its website, it's easy to connect with a cause that fits your interests and schedule. For more information visit handsonasheville.org.
