Homework Diners in Asheville and Buncombe County
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County launched Homework Diners in November, 2016. Homework Diners are a dynamic, comprehensive strategy that surround students and their families with a continuum of coordinated supports including: tutoring, opportunities to build parent-teacher relationships, a free and nutritious meal, connections to community resources and workforce readiness. Homework Diners replicate a proven, well-documented model shown to be successful in building connections between parents, teachers, students and community resources.
Homework Diner Schedule at Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools
Homework Diners take place weekly (except on school holidays or early release days). Families are invited to the cafeteria of the middle school during the scheduled time each week. No pre-registration is required to attend. Homework Diners currently take place at four area middle schools: Asheville, Enka, Erwin and Owen Middle. All are open to any family with a K-12 student in the surrounding school district with an adult family member in attendance with the participating student.
The 2019-20 Homework Diner schedule:
- Erwin Middle on Monday nights starting January 13, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- Asheville Middle on Tuesday nights starting January 14, 2020 from 5-7:00 p.m.
- Enka Middle on Tuesday nights starting January 14, 2020 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- Owen Middle on Thursday nights starting January 16, 2020 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
How Homework Diners Integrate Community Partners
Our organization as well as the community partners involved in the Asheville Buncombe Middle Grades Network are interested in embedding as many community-building elements into these weekly events. We collectively do this by:
- Contracting with local providers to serve families a healthy meal each week.
- Providing stipends for local teachers who are interested in providing homework help/tutoring for students outside of the classroom
- Providing homework help/tutoring for parents so they learn how to better help their kids at home
- Partnering with local service providers and businesses like OnTrack Financial Education and Self Help Credit Union to provide classes around budgeting, financial planning, and home ownership
- Enlisting help from local health providers to share preventative education programs as well as special health screenings for conditions like diabetes and heart health
- And based on the interests and needs of the community, many other kinds of classes and partnerships can and will be built
How You can Get Involved in Homework Diners in Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools
VOLUNTEER: Over 40 volunteers support Homework Diners each week by welcoming the families at registration, serving the meals and providing tutoring support. Hands On Asheville-Buncombe (UWABC’s volunteer center) helps to recruit volunteers from local colleges and universities, civic and business groups, faith-based groups and more. Individual volunteers are needed every week to tutor and groups can sign up to adopt a night and serve the food and welcome families. Learn more about how to volunteer with Homework Diners HERE.
TABLE AS A COMMUNITY NONPROFIT: Nonprofit health and human service agencies, higher education institutions, and other educational and community resource programs can set up a table for free at the Homework Diner events to showcase their program offerings. 2-3 such tables will be available per night for organizations to share resources with families in the community. If you are interested in tabling, please click here to fill out the request form.
SPONSOR: Company sponsorships are available to support Homework Diners. Contact Kris Dionne for more information at kristina.dionne@unitedwayabc.org or 828 239-1049.
DONATE: Help support this work and allow us to continue to grow this program throughout Asheville and Buncombe County schools. DONATE to United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County.
* Homework Diners are funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and sponsorship from Arby's Foundation and the Brumit Restaurant Group.