Big thank you this week to One World Brewing not only for letting us host our amazing community celebration at their West Asheville locations but also making 12 Baskets the benefit for December with $0.50 from each pour of Ashevegas Pale Ale at both locations donated to us at the end of the month.
the intersection: A 12 Baskets Zine
the intersection: A 12 Baskets Zine
Our writing group, Moonlight Cheese Alliance, has now published three zines and they will all be on sale at Thursday’s Community Celebration! All zines are sliding scale price $7-14 and all funds will go back to the writing group’s efforts to publish an anthology.
The group meets every Friday at 1 pm in the 12 Baskets Garden.
@moonlight_cheese_alliance
✨ LIMITED RELEASE T-SHIRT ✨
We are excited to release our 2024 12 Baskets T-shirts designed by local artist Spence Beals as an ode to the resilience of our community!
We will be selling in person at our event at One World Brewing West (520 Haywood Rd) Thursday December 5th from 4-8 pm.
Pre-order open now! $25 to our Venmo or PayPal @ashevillepovertyinitiative with your size (S-XL), pick up at the event or cafe. All proceeds will go back into the 12 Baskets Cafe.
Get it before it's gone!
Westival Update!
We are excited to announce we have a new date for Westival! We will now be hosting our signature yearly event in the Spring of 2025. Please mark your calendar for March 15th from 4-8 pm at Archetype Brewery.
F.AQ.
What is the date/time of the event? NEW Date: March 15, 2025; SAME Time: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where will the event be? SAME Location: Archetype Brewery in West Asheville
What do you need to do to claim my tickets/go to the event? NOTHING! We are hosting the same awesome party just on a different day. If you have a ticket you are good to go! You will get an email closer to the date with details on your ticket.
What if I can’t make the new date? Reply to this email and let us know if you want to donate your ticket to someone affected by the storm or if you want a refund.
Can I still buy a raffle ticket? YES! Same prizes and the same cost of $5, find them here for purchase. Proceeds from Westival raffle tickets will support the continued efforts of API’s mission to build community and promote economic justice.
Asheville Poverty Initiative would like to thank our sponsors, volunteers, and community partners for their continued support in making this event possible.
Thanks,
The Westival Team
2024 Impact Report
Take a look at our 2024 Impact Report. Click on the file below to read the full report!
API and Racial Equity: Spiral of Transformative Change
Community Workshop
This session will help you practice using a racial equity analysis in your work. You will look at how Asheville Poverty Initiative deals with power, privilege, and oppression, considering your roles as a bystander, interrupter, and colluder.
Facilitated by: Spiral Path Consulting
Wednesday, August 21 from 1-3 PM
Located @ 12 Baskets Cafe - 610B Haywood Rd.
Food and Snacks provided!
Introducing Westival!
Fundraiser to celebrate West Asheville food and community
A new event showcasing West Asheville food will occur at Archetype Brewing on Saturday, September 28, from 4-8 pm. “Westival” is a fundraiser for 12 Baskets Cafe and the work of Asheville Poverty Initiative (API), and will allow participants to sample from over 10 West Asheville-based food businesses.
“There is so much to celebrate about West Asheville,” said Ben Williamson, Executive Director of API, which operates 12 Baskets Cafe at 610 Haywood Road. “We wanted to design an affordable, casual event that highlighted the many exceptional food businesses we are surrounded by, as well as the amazing sense of community that exists,” Williamson said. Besides access to the food, Westival will include a DJ, information tables, a raffle, and other activities.
“12 Baskets Cafe serves without judgment,” said Tony Franco, Owner and Executive Chef at Food Experience. “Their focus is on the simple task of filling people’s bellies with an extended hand of love. It’s a clear, unambiguous effort to ease suffering, and anything we do to help is appreciated and accepted as well. We love working with 12 Baskets!” said Franco.
A food experience for the West of Us
Celebrating Local Food & Building Community in West Asheville
A fundraiser for Asheville Poverty Initiative
LOCATION: Archetype Brewery - 265 Haywood Rd
DATE: SATURDAY, September 28, 2024
TIME: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
What to expect:
Food from WAVL
music
neighbors
fun
independent businesses
casual
inexpensive
inclusive
small plates
The Return of 4 Cafe Meals a week!
As many remember, 12 Baskets Cafe used to offer sit-down meals five days a week. COVID forced us to pantry days. We have heard from the community a desire for more sit-down days, but we also recognize the benefit of grocery days.
Recently, our friends at Salvation Army opened a food pantry just down the street at 750 Haywood Road. We’ve been working with them to refer our pantry operations there. This could mean community members would have access to both sit-down and pantry days each day of the week!
We will run a trial week of this arrangement from Monday, June 3 to Friday, June 7. 12 Baskets Cafe will be open for sit-down meals on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11a-1p. We will not do pantry days that week. Salvation Army will be open for pantry access on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9a-2:30p and Friday from 9a-1p.
We will see how things go that week and make a decision on our schedule moving forward. We are excited to build this new partnership!
Spring 2024 Newsletter - 12 Baskets Cafe
We are starting New Volunteer Orientation!
ORIENTATION FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS:
Join us on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am for an orientation with our Executive Director Dr. Ben Williamson. Ben will lead an orientation session specifically designed for those new to volunteering at 12 Baskets Cafe. Learn about our mission, the impact we make, and how you can play a crucial role in serving the community. Following the orientation, new volunteers will have the opportunity to immediately apply their knowledge during a volunteer shift from 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM. This is a hands-on experience to actively contribute to our mission of addressing poverty and fostering a sense of community.
We've also built in time for new volunteers to enjoy lunch with their neighbors. It's not just about serving others but fostering connections within the community. We'll explore how our work at the café directly addresses poverty and builds the foundation for a Beloved Community. You can sign up here for our next orientation.
Holiday 2023 Newsletter - 12 Baskets Cafe
New Executive Director, Ben Williamson!
We are thrilled to announce that the Board has unanimously approved Dr. Ben Williamson as API’s new Executive Director, and that he has accepted!
Having lived in Asheville for 20+ years, Ben is deeply invested in this community and has been connected to API since its early days. He is passionate about empowering people through community building and fostering environments where relationships can lead to transformation. Coming to us with previous experience as an organizer and manager, educator, administrator, and interim director of a non-profit, Ben is looking forward to employing his diverse skill set to provide leadership for API. Ben honed his operations and management skills working as the Western Region Organizing Manager of Down Home North Carolina, which builds power among working people in North Carolina’s small towns and rural communities, and as the Interim Executive Director for Green Opportunities, Asheville. While working at Down Home, Ben completed his Ed.D. in educational leadership with a focus on building working-class power and civic agency in Appalachia. Agreeing with Nelson Mandela’s statement that “education is the most powerful weapon we have to change the world,” Ben also has a background as an educator and educational administrator, most recently having worked as the Dean of Students and Director of Service at the Asheville School. He is excited not only about our amazing community at the 12 Baskets Café but also about our Realities of Poverty Education Program, which he sees as having the power to change narratives about scarcity and poverty in our community. Ben’s first official day as our new Executive Director will be Monday, January 22 (although you may see him around the Café before then). Please join us in welcoming Ben!
Upcoming Events:
Social Justice Book Club Tuesdays at 6pm
Art Group Thursdays at 1pm
Writing Group Fridays at 1pm (pictured here)
Tech Tuesday with Jensen from Asheville Digital Lifestyle Tuesday, 1/16 at 1-3pm
Community Forum 1/18 at 6 pm
Interested in getting your event here? EMail us at contact@ashevillepovertyinitiative.org
Get involved!
You are invited to come for a meal on Monday or Thursday from 11am to 1pm. Be part of the community and build relationships around our tables. Or come by on Tuesday or Friday at the same time for grocery items, conversation, and coffee in the garden. You can also help with food pick ups from food partners such as Earth Fare or Whole Foods. Email us at Contact@ashevillepovertyinitiative.org
Connect With Us:
12 Baskets Café and Garden is located at 610 Haywood Road.
mailing address: 789 Merrimon Ave, Asheville NC 28804-2447.
Donate link: www.ashevillepovertyinitiative.org/donate
Marketing/communications: shelly@ashevillepovertyinitiative.org
Instagram: @12basketscafe - Facebook: @ashevillepovertyinitiative
Give!Local
Blue Christmas Meditations
Join us at @trinitywavl TOMORROW for blue Christmas meditations. Walk over with us after the art group (1-2pm) at 2pm.
September/October 2023 12 Baskets Newsletter
Who we are
Summer Newsletter
Check out our summer newsletter!
Art Meet Up
Thursday @ 1:00 pm in the 12 Baskets Cafe Garden
Join Julia from TrueJay Studio for a community art meet-up.
Some paper and donated supplies will be available for all to use but please bring any supplies you want to use or even some to share!
Julia will guide you in a prompt and collaboration in the beautiful garden space next to the cafe.
Book Club
12 Baskets and House of Mercy have a joint book club that meets every Thursday at 2 pm. Email shelly@ashevillepovertyinititve.org for more info.
Writing Group
12 Baskets Cafe writing group, lovingly known as the cheese alliance. We meet every Friday at 1 pm in the garden.
