(May 2025) – The Women for Women (WFW) giving circle awarded eleven grants totaling $258,974 at a recent awards celebration. Women for Women’s mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through collective giving. Since 2006 and with additional support from the Women's Fund, WFW has invested more than $5.4 million in grants in WNC.
For this grant cycle, WFW invested in programs that increase economic stability for women and girls in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. The grants supported organizations addressing nutrition, housing and childcare.
“These organizations represent the resiliency of our mountain communities following the storm. We are pleased to support them as they support recovery for women and their families throughout Western North Carolina,” said Grants Committee Co-chairs Meg Bradley and Jane Haynes.
The 2025 grants are:
Nutrition
DigIn! Yancey Community Garden received $25,000 to help restore a local food supply devastated by Hurricane Helene and increase the supply of fresh food in Yancey County while building skills, relationships, and resources to support a resilient local food system. This program supports growing organic vegetables for the community and teaching 75+ women and children the skills to grow food.
Equal Plates Project received $25,000 to provide nourishing meals for single parent families with ingredients sourced from women run farms. Equal Plates will provide 25,000 meals shared with women, children, and families in after school programs, Latinx families in mobile home communities, and meals for women and children in HelpMate’s domestic safety support group in Buncombe, Madison, McDowell and Henderson counties.
Food Connection Inc. Mobile Meals Program received $25,000 to provide nutritious meals through direct service, partnerships, and community driven initiatives in Buncombe, Henderson and McDowell counties. Mobile Meals rescues surplus chef-prepared food from restaurants, hospitals, and event venues, repackaging it into heat and serve meals provided to women, girls, the elderly and those affected by Hurricane Helene who face ongoing food insecurity.
Housing
Rutherford Housing Partnership (RHP) received $25,000 to assure safe, affordable housing for low income, women-led households in Rutherford County. RHP will provide critical home repairs to homes and rental units damaged by Hurricane Helene. This grant prioritizes single mothers, elderly women, and women with disabilities, addressing current needs and offering education to reduce future financial risk and housing insecurity.
Thrive received $25,000 to empower individuals with mental health and housing needs to thrive in a supportive community. Thrive’s Housing Case Management Program provides individualized support to find, secure and maintain housing. Assistance may include negotiation with landlords, payment of rental and moving costs, help with utilities, application for benefits, provision of household goods and connection to other resources in the community. The project serves people in Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania counties.
The International Friendship Center of Highlands received $25,000 to serve 50 low-income Hispanic women-led households and their children through their Mujeres Seguras, Hogares Seguros (Safe Women, Safe Homes) program by providing critically needed home repairs resulting from Hurricane Helene. Multi-pronged advocacy efforts and tenant’s rights education will benefit hundreds more low-income renters in Macon and Jackson counties.
Pisgah Legal Services received $16,987 to help low income women in Western North Carolina keep decent, safe and affordable housing services. PLS’s Homelessness Prevention Program will provide legal representation and consultation to avoid homelessness by preventing or delaying unnecessary evictions or foreclosures; stabilizing housing for families by obtaining or protecting affordable housing, such as Federally subsidized housing or rent reductions due to unfit conditions; and preserving or improving the quality of housing conditions.
Thrive Asheville received $16,987 to assist low income, women-led families in Buncombe County through the Landlord Tenant Partnership Program (LTP) to obtain safe, affordable permanent housing by recruiting, educating, and incentivizing landlords to accept federally funded Housing Choice Vouchers. Thrive Asheville will provide landlords and tenants with one year follow up support for long term success. Post Helene housing displacement and instability have heightened demand for LTP’s critical services.
Childcare
Children First/Communities In Schools received $25,000 to provide region wide support for childcare programs post Helene through the Western North Carolina Early Childhood Coalition. The Network is a central hub for ensuring that the childcare sector has the information, multi-level coordination and personal relationships necessary for recovery.
Verner Center for Early Learning received $25,000 to support high quality educational and relationship-based learning environments in Buncombe County from prenatal to pre-kindergarten where every individual is valued and respected. Operating support helps ensure Verner can be a resource for free and low cost childcare in the community for the long term.
Woodson Branch Nature School received $25,000 to support their after-school program and plans to add two programs that will serve girls from low income families: Global Girls (learning about women and girls in other cultures) and Girls on the Run (a running activity) for girls’ grades K 8. Woodson Branch Nature After School Program transitioned to a free/donation-based program after Hurricane Helene. The school is located in Madison County.
The Women’s Fund, a CFWNC endowment addressing the unmet needs of women and girls, contributed $73,510 to the grants.
Women for Women is an initiative of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC). New members are always welcome.