Community Resources & Volunteer Opportunities

A strong sense of community is evident in Henderson County through the many charitable, civic, social, and religious organizations that offer a range of life-enriching services with the help of many residents who volunteer their time.

American Red Cross

828-697-2513
RedCross.org

The American Red Cross serving Western North Carolina helps neighbors in need by providing shelter, care and hope during disasters; making the community safer through emergency preparedness education; collecting and providing lifesaving blood products; teaching skills that save lives; and supporting military veterans and their families.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Henderson County

828-507-6644
BBBSWNC.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Henderson County is one of 18 branches of BBBSWNC, an Asheville-based nonprofit. The organization offers one-on-one mentoring programs for youth with the assistance of community volunteers. Each year, the nonprofit serves more than 50 young people across Henderson County, partners with 24 local schools and works to build new relationships with the community. New volunteers (Bigs) are always welcomed and appreciated.

Blue Ridge Humane Society

828-692-2639
BlueRidgeHumane.org

A 501(c)3 animal welfare organization, Blue Ridge Humane Society is dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and neighboring communities. BRHS cares for pets awaiting adoption at the Adoption Center; works to ensure the highest quality adoption counseling experience for potential adopters; and provides owner support for BRHS adopters and community pet owners, including low-cost vaccine clinics, pet training classes, behavior consultations and adoption follow-ups. BRHS also takes an active role in community outreach by providing animal and youth education programs and coordinating community pet food assistance, emergency vet assistance and the Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), the latter of which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville and the Henderson County Animal Services Center. BRHS operates the Blue Ridge Humane Society Thrift Store which provides vital program funding through an upscale shopping experience.

Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County

828-693-9444
BGCHendersonCo.org

The Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County provides a secure, enriching, and positive space for over 1,000 young people each year through after-school and summer programming. These programs aim to promote academic achievement, career readiness, community involvement and physical fitness while encouraging positive personal choices. The club serves children ages six to 18. An all-inclusive membership costs $5 per child per year.

Camplify

828-697-2000
CamplifyNC.org

Camplify builds community leaders through a leadership development journey that nurtures local youth for nine years, beginning in the 4th grade when they are nominated by their school counselors and continuing through their high school graduation. Camplify works with area camps and nonprofits to provide high-quality, year-round experiential education programming that these youth would not have access to otherwise. Through this journey, Camplify helps youth develop the skills they need to thrive and be confident leaders now and as adults.

Children and Family Resource Center

828-698-0674
ChildrenandFamily.org

The Children and Family Resource Center nurtures the development of children by building a strong foundation of family and community. CFRC offers 16 programs focused on parent education, quality child care resources, developmental screenings to prepare children for kindergarten and leadership on children’s issues.

Community Foundation of Henderson County

828-697-6224
CFHCForever.org

Since 1982, Community Foundation of Henderson County has been helping people who care make lasting contributions to causes that matter. In 2021, the Foundation received $6.2 million in new charitable contributions and awarded $5 million in grants and scholarships. Currently, the Foundation manages $130 million across 700-plus funds and trusts. Ninety-one percent of these funds are endowments that provide philanthropic support forever.

Conserving Carolina

828-697-5777
ConservingCarolina.org

Conserving Carolina is a land trust that protects, restores and inspires appreciation of the natural world. The organization serves Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania Counties and parts of neighboring counties. Conserving Carolina has helped protect more than 48,000 acres of natural places from the waterfalls of DuPont State Forest to the rock faces of the Hickory Nut Gorge to the farms and rivers that provide food and clean water.

Council on Aging for Henderson County

828-692-4203
COAHC.org

For more than 50 years, the Council on Aging for Henderson County has been providing and coordinating services that engage, connect and support local adults as they age. COAHC strives to ensure that no one ages alone through programs that include Meals on Wheels’ (delivery of meals to homebound seniors), congregate dining and activities liquid nutrition, caregiver services, senior companions and community resource coordination. The Council on Aging also offers seasonal services including a heat-relief assistance program and shelf-stable meals for inclement weather.

Crossnore Communities for Children

828-301-4622
Crossnore.org

Dedicated to the complex needs of children facing abuse, neglect or other serious risk, Crossnore is a recognized leader in understanding how trauma at home affects the whole child. Crossnore brings clinical expertise and compassionate care to children and families through four interconnected resource communities: therapy services, family preservation, foster care and adoption, and youth independent living.

Henderson County Education Foundation

828-697-5551
HCEFNC.org

Founded in 1986, the Henderson County Education Foundation has supported the teachers and students of Henderson County Public Schools by investing in and responding to the whole child and the whole school to create a thriving community. Through the support of donors, events, and other fundraising efforts, the Foundation is able to provide funds to principals to meet the day-to-day emergencies and other needs of the most vulnerable children in the district. Additionally, HCEF offers post-secondary scholarships to graduating seniors, provides instructional support for arts and music education, supports HCPS curriculum needs with literacy and STEM and helps introduce and expand Leader in Me, a leadership program that empowers students with 21st-century leadership and life skills. The Foundation's flagship event is its annual Education Celebration where outstanding leaders in education are inducted into the Education Hall of Fame.

Henderson County Habitat for Humanity

828-694-0340
Habitat-HVL.org

Henderson County Habitat for Humanity builds homes with families with low incomes who are living in substandard housing, working and can pay an affordable mortgage and are willing to spend “sweat equity” hours helping build their homes alongside Habitat volunteers. Habitat currently builds 12 to 16 energy-efficient homes each year. Habitat’s Home Preservation and Aging in Place programs help low-income homeowners and elderly homeowners with repairs to solve health and safety problems so they can continue to live in their homes safely and as they age.

Henderson County Public Library

828-697-4725
HendersonCountyNC.gov/Library

With the main library downtown and five branches throughout the county, the Henderson County Public Library makes available to all county residents tens of thousands of books, movies and music in both physical and digital formats. Each location offers free Wi-Fi to all visitors and public computer access for those with a card or guest pass. The library offers free engaging programs for all ages including story times, book clubs, computer classes, and more. Visit the library’s website for a full calendar of events.

Hendersonville Rescue Mission

828-697-1354
HendersonvilleRescueMission.com

For more than 41 years, the Hendersonville Rescue Mission has been helping those in need 365 days a year. Serving the hungry, addicted, homeless and poor, HRM offers overnight shelter, an addiction recovery program, the Good Samaritan Clinic, a Day Center and more. What began from a tailgate in 1981 today gives shelter to more than 1,000 people and provides more than 60,000 meals each year from its facility on Maple Street.

Hope Coalition

828-388-7979
ElementsOfHope.org

Initiated by the Henderson County Partnership for Health in 2013, Hope Coalition is a community collaborative that works to educate, evaluate and implement evident-based models on substance misuse and underage drinking in Henderson County. The community is invited to get involved throughout the year and in three annual events – Hope on The Farm, We Are Hope Week and Jingle Jog 5k/Fun Run. Hope Coalition offers programs and resources including Henderson County Youth Council, a Recovery Community Center, Mental Health & Crisis, Prevention Wellness Resources and more. The Buzz, a specialty non-alcoholic bar and café providing an alcohol-free environment for socializing and events is located at 225 S Grove Street.

Houses of Worship

Henderson County has many houses of worship representing both denominational and nondenominational congregations. Henderson County also is home to two Christian-affiliated conference centers – Bonclarken Conference Center and Kanuga Conferences – and Heartwood Refuge, a Buddhist retreat center.

Housing Assistance Corporation

828-692-4744
Housing-Assistance.com

A private, non-profit organization, the Housing Assistance Corporation is committed to providing safe and affordable housing for persons of limited income living in Henderson County and surrounding areas. Housing Assistance Corporation makes a difference in the lives of our community by working on new construction projects, designed to put families into homes that they might not otherwise be able to manage, including self-help built homes. They also enhance the community by doing numerous volunteer projects such as health and safety home repairs for the disabled and elderly.

Interfaith Assistance Ministry

828-697-7029
IAM-HC.org

Founded in 1984, Interfaith Assistance Ministry (IAM) is the largest nonprofit provider of crisis services in Henderson County. IAM provides free assistance with vital basic needs to Henderson County residents who are experiencing a financial crisis or an ongoing crisis. In 2022, IAM provided more than 71,830 service touches to 16,080 unique individuals. Many children and adults received assistance more than once. IAM provides services from 9AM – 4PM, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, extended hours from 9AM – 5:30 or 6PM (during Daylight Saving months) on Tuesdays and from 9AM – 1PM on Friday. Crisis services include a grocery order of nutritious food, personal hygiene items such as diapers and feminine products, clothing in all sizes, sheets, blankets, towels, pillows, financial assistance with rent to prevent new homelessness, utility bills, prescriptions and gasoline vouchers. IAM also serves homeless residents with tents, sleeping bags and other supplies and pet food. The agency also provides required clothing needed for working women and men to help them accept better-paying jobs. Budget counseling, referrals to other helping nonprofits and information about job openings is also provided. The IAM Thrift Store, located behind IAM’s crisis services facility at 119 Jack St., is open from 9 – 5PM Tuesday through Saturday to help sustain the nonprofit.

Literacy Connection, formerly Blue Ridge Literacy Council

828-696-3811
LitCouncil.org

Literacy Connection transforms lives by cultivating literacy skills that promote economic and social success. Volunteer tutors work directly with adult learners to increase their basic literacy skills, learn English as a Second Language, prepare for the US citizenship exam, obtain a GED or reach job-related goals such as promotions, raises and career changes with improved work literacy. Additional programs like Health Literacy and Digital Literacy serve the senior population. Literacy Connection partners with the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and Juvenile Justice to offer literacy support to at-risk youth and with Henderson County Public Schools to offer a kindergarten readiness program to mothers of preschoolers.

Safelight

828-693-3840
SafelightFamily.org

Safelight is a comprehensive nonprofit serving all survivors of interpersonal violence such as domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse and child abuse. The nonprofit offers a continuum of services moving survivors from crisis to sustainability. Safelight’s services include a 24-hour crisis hotline, an emergency shelter, case management, individual counseling, support groups, onsite medical linkage to care, forensic medical exams and interviews for children, emergency room advocacy, law enforcement advocacy, legal advocacy, and community education and advocacy. Safelight’s Dandelion Café and Resale Store are components of the nonprofit’s onsite paid job training program, helping trauma survivors rebuild the confidence and skills necessary to obtain sustained employment that leads to self-sufficiency.

Smart Start Partnership for Children

828-693-1580
SmartStartPFC.org

Smart Start Partnership for Children has been serving families with young children ages 0-5 in Henderson County since 1998. With the mission to support, educate and advocate to build a strong foundation for the youngest members of the community, the organization works toward a vision where every family in Henderson County has equitable access to opportunities and resources so that all children in Henderson County can reach their full potential. Smart Start focuses on improving the availability and accessibility of high-quality early childhood education, improving the quality of care that all young children receive in licensed child care centers, providing the tools and resources parents need to support the health development of their children, building community resilience, early literacy efforts and community education. The work of Smart Start Partnership for Children is grounded in a commitment to diversity & inclusion, equity, cultural humility, resiliency and community partnerships.

The Storehouse

828-692-8300
StorehouseOnline.org

Formed in 2000, The Storehouse is a Christ-centered food and hygiene pantry for those in need in Henderson County. The nonprofit’s mission is to help families and individuals facing food insecurity in a caring and respectful manner by distributing coats, blankets, hats, gloves, socks, linens, personal hygiene items, kitchen supplies and pet food. They provide direct food assistance to an average of 325 households monthly, and support ongoing community outreach by partnering with churches, charity organizations and local government agencies. The Senior Delivery program brings monthly food and household essentials to the homebound or disabled elderly. At Christmastime, the nonprofit partners with Henderson County schools to bring joy to needy families through its Blessings in Boxes program which in 2022 provided Christmas gifts to 2,038 children from 728 families.

United Way of Henderson County

828-692-1636
LiveUnitedHC.org

United Way fights for the health, education, financial stability and basic needs of everyone in our community. Through partnerships and support as well as volunteer time and financial support from individuals, organizations and local businesses, over 35,000 services are provided to county residents each year. It takes a community to make this work possible, and new resident participation is always welcome.

Vocational Solutions of Henderson County

828-692-9626
VocSol.com

Vocational Solutions of Henderson County, which has served the community since 1967, provides career and life skills training for adults with disabilities or vocational barriers to employment. Clients participate in academic classes, training to promote independent living, community-inclusive activities and work projects provided by local business partners.

WNCSource

828-693-1711
WNCSource.org

For more than 55 years, WNCSource has been providing Western North Carolinians with programs and services to help them reach their potential and become self-sufficient, contributing members of the community. Programs include early childhood education, affordable housing assistance, community-wide transportation and healthy living services for older adults. Headquartered in Hendersonville, WNCSource works independently and in collaboration with its network of community partners to deliver essential programs and services to low-income and underserved residents of Henderson, Transylvania, Rutherford and Polk Counties.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

NC 2-1-1

NC 2-1-1 is an information and referral service administered by United Way of North Carolina and supported by local United Ways and public and private partners across the state. North Carolina residents in all 100 counties can get connected to a database of more than 13,000 verified resources by dialing 2-1-1 (or 1-888-892-1162) or by visiting NC211.org. This service is free, confidential, multilingual, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

CIVIC CLUBS

Henderson County has multiple civic clubs for community members to connect and work together on volunteer efforts. Check with the individual clubs to confirm meeting times and locations.

KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL

Hendersonville Kiwanis Club
HendersonvilleKiwanis.org
The Hendersonville Kiwanis Club, which is more than 100 years old, meets at 11:45AM on the second and fourth Thursdays at Grace Lutheran Church at 1245 6th Avenue West in Hendersonville and at 5:30PM on the first and third Thursdays at changing locations. Special events are planned on the fifth Thursday.

LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL

Edneyville Community Lions Club
E-Clubhouse.org/Sites/EdneyvilleCommunity
The Edneyville Community Lions Club meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month at the Southern Trust Estate and Auction Company at 1050 7th Avenue E in Hendersonville.

Etowah Lions Club
828-891-3071
EtowahLions.com
Facebook.com/EtowahLionsClub
The Lions Club in Etowah meets at the Etowah Lions Den at 447 Etowah School Road the second and fourth Tuesday at 6:30PM, and offers a Farmers Market on Wednesdays from May through October from 3PM to 6:00PM.

Hendersonville Lions Club
E-Clubhouse.org/Sites/Hendersonville
The Hendersonville Lions Club meets on the first and third Fridays in the Henderson County Parks and Rec offices, 708 S. Grove St., at 12:30PM. A Zoom option is provided for those who cannot attend in person. Email [email protected] for more information or to join the Zoom meetings.

Mills River Lions Club
828-890-1817
Facebook.com/millsriverlionsnc
The Mills River Lions Club meets at 7:45AM the first and third Fridays of the month at the Mills River Community Center.

Mountain Home Lions Club
E-Clubhouse.org/Sites/MountainHomepa
Chartered in 1979, the Mountain Home Lions Club meets at 6PM the third Thursday of the month at Bay Breeze Seafood Restaurant at 1830 Asheville Highway in Hendersonville.

ROTARY CLUB INTERNATIONAL

Rotary Club of Hendersonville
HendersonvilleRotary.org
The Rotary Club of Hendersonville meets at noon on Tuesdays at Grace Lutheran Church at 1245 6th Ave. W in Hendersonville.

Rotary Club of Hendersonville-Four Seasons
FourSeasonsRotary.org
The Hendersonville-Four Seasons Rotary Club meets at 5:30PM on Mondays at Janitzio Mexican Restaurant at 1053 Spartanburg Highway in Hendersonville.

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

Four Seasons Toastmasters Club
FourSeasonsToastmasters.com
The Four Seasons Toastmasters Club holds a hybrid meeting at 8am on Fridays by Zoom and in person at Trinity Presbyterian Church on Blythe Street in Hendersonville. Email [email protected] for Zoom meeting ID.

Community