Sign me up for updates. Sign up now
by Wendy Logan Cuellar, MA.Ed., LPC
School Counselor, Enka Middle School
Growing up, my family didn't have a lot of money, but we always had food on the table and a consistent, stable home to live in. Unfortunately, as a school counselor for Enka Middle School, I see far too many students in my school and across Buncombe County who are not as fortunate.
On Friday, September 26, Buncombe County folks will be celebrating! The celebration is for our Culture of Health. Come to Kimmel Arena at UNC Asheville at 4 p.m. to not only celebrate, but learn more about what many individuals and groups are doing collectively to improve the health of all our residents.
TO RSVP FOR THE CELEBRATION, VISIT BUNCOMBE COUNTY'S WEBSITE>
Primary -- Tuesday, March 3, 2020 Election Day -- Tuesday, November 3, 2020
The first, and easiest thing to do is simply declare, "I am going to vote this year!"
Make that pledge below and United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County will promise to send you a few voting-related e-newsletters with key information and dates, including the first and last days of early voting, early voting sites, and more.
In February, I wrote a piece about a school in another state that took lunches away from students who weren’t paid up. Thankfully, I learned then that Buncombe County Schools has a policy of ensuring each student has a lunch, even if his or her parents haven’t covered the cost for that day. Now, it’s even better news over the summer with the announcement that for the third year in a row, schools are offering free lunches at 16 different sites scattered around the county.
by David Bailey
President/CEO
We’ve lost a dear friend and I want to share a few memories with you.
Marilyn Patton, the first lady of philanthropy to so many in our community, passed on April 9. If you never had the opportunity to meet Marilyn, the best way I can describe her is that she was a funny, feisty, generous, approachable and knowledgeable woman. Most of all, she was kind and we will miss her.
by David Bailey
President/CEO
Wellness is a goal we all strive for, even if we aren’t terribly consistent in our approach. Most of us need encouragement to participate in the activities that foster good health and wellness. Be it organized sports, a brisk walk each morning with the dog or some yoga or meditation, people need and wish for healthy living.
I spent Sunday afternoon at Carrier Park, along with hundreds of my neighbors, in pursuit of just such a healthy activity, and the chance to give back to a community I love.
Funny how school lunches play out in different settings. Not so funny if you are the child who is denied a meal. Here are three ways schools have approached feeding children:
Another snow day for schools means scrambling on all sides. As a parent, I would be so frustrated because I still had to get to work and now I had to figure out what to do with my children. Old enough to stay home? They would wreck the house! Need child care? Programs might open at 10, but I had an 8:30 meeting! And then, as it often happens in the mountains of WNC, by noon the roads are clear and the sky is sunny. However, as a school board member, I soon understood how complicated it is.
How do you decide which came first; the chicken or the egg? I’ve had multiple opportunities to debate with people in Buncombe County about which is more important to a successful life; one’s education, income or health. There are very impassioned and energetic views on all sides.
There are predictors that link these three areas: Likelihood of graduating from high school goes up with higher family income; Parents’ education level indicates children’s education level; Poor health or poor access to health care can lead to poor performance in school.
Imagine a very long line of infants and toddlers standing outside, waiting to get into a building. 980 children in fact. Imagine that adults in communities across the state looked at those lines every day and the only way they could get one child out of the line was if another child was removed from the service they were waiting for.
