At United Way, we talk about three strategies - Give, Advocate and Volunteer. One way you and others can advocate is to register to vote, educate yourself about the issues and the candidates, and vote. United Way is making it easier to do so. We now have our Voter Page 2014 up on our website. This page includes many items, including links to:

• Early voting sites, dates and times in Buncombe County that are now available and in a form that is easy to print.
• NC Board of Elections webpage where people can check if they are registered and at what address, identify their polling place on November 4th, and also see their sample ballot.

United Way is excited to host two AmeriCorps VISTA members again this year- Sam Fontaine and Alexandra Woodhouse- to coordinate Enka Middle Community School activities. 

Throughout the year, Sam & Alex will work to create partnerships between Enka Middle School and the community.

Alex, Sam and Enka Middle staff will need your help to build supports for students and families.  These supports will happen in a variety of ways, but after school clubs, family nights, and service days are just a few ways you can get involved. 

Did you know that success in school by 9th grade is a primary indicator of whether or not a student will graduate high school? As a community, when we provide middle school students ongoing encouragement and support during this critical time, we can stop them from falling off track.  Click here to read more about what United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County is doing, and ways we all can support middle school students during this critical time in their lives. 

In recent months, MANNA has undergone major changes at its facility on Swannanoa River Road -  temporarily limiting its volunteer activities.  The construction project is set to be complete in October, and the volunteer center will be returning to normal operations.  In the meantime, volunteers are still very much needed to sort and pack food donations!  For individuals or groups looking to get involved with MANNA, please contact the volunteer manager, Maxwell Gruber.  Click here for details. 

Hands On volunteer of the month is Larry Layton.  Larry and his wife Sandra joined MANNA as volunteers this past June, and quickly became involved with MANNA on several levels!   Larry is an example of an individual who is engaged and dedicated to the betterment of his community.  MANNA and Asheville are lucky to have him on board! Read more about Larry!

Click here to view pics of volunteers in action!

Our Partner Agencies offer great ways to get involved each month.  We've highlighted a few below.