"No Germ Zone" educational workshop hosted by Clean Streak - Dec. 4th

 

Clean Streak, Inc., in partnership with E-Mist Corporation, would like to invite everyone to a free luncheon and educational class on stopping the spread of germs and airborne pathogens. 

Showing all  businesses and medical facilities how to step in and take control of the constant spread of germs in the workplace. Educating attendees on a new healthy environment for customers and employees. Come learn about Electrostatic, a new innovation - learn more about living and working in a cleaner space. 

Please contact Clean Streak at (828) 891-8800 to register to attend. Everyone is welcome.

CarePartners Foundation assists shoppers with gift wrapping to support Hospice

Asheville Outlets is pleased to announce it will partner with CarePartners Foundation this holiday season for its annual gift wrapping booth. One of its largest regional fundraisers, the CarePartners Foundation booth is manned by hundreds of volunteers who wrap holiday gifts in exchange for donations to hospice. Now in its 22nd year, the gift wrap booth raises tens of thousands of dollars for hospice care in the community. The booth will be located in the Food Court at Asheville Outlets.

“This is such a wonderful fundraiser,” said Sharon Morgan, General Manager, Asheville Outlets. “It provides a convenient and appreciated service for shoppers while raising much-needed money for the invaluable community service that hospice provides."

Over 300 community volunteers are needed and most shifts are just three hours. “This is something most anyone can do,” said Amanda Cantrell, volunteer chair for this year’s gift wrap project. “If you’re looking for a way to help people in need over this holiday season, we hope you’ll consider signing up for a few shifts.”

Those interested in volunteering can easily sign up via the online scheduling system that allows volunteers to choose the date and time that works best for them.

All funds raised through the gift wrap booth at Asheville Outlets will help patients facing life-limiting illness as well as their loved ones. It also helps provide services for which there is no traditional reimbursement source – such as those for grieving children, bereavement counseling, and indigent care.

Volunteers can sign up for a shift online at www.carepartnersfoundation.org/events or contact Amanda Cantrell at giftwrap@carepartnersfoundation.org .

OnTrack offers financial education throughout December

December Financial Education Schedule
Classes are free unless noted. Pre-registration required. Call today at 255-5166.

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How to Find Extra Income in Your Day-to-Day Life - Getting a second job or working extra hours are only two ways to help increase your cash flow. We will do several exercises to help you build a personalized plan to creatively decrease expenses and increase income.

• Wednesday, December 2 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm - offered thru the Women's Financial Empowerment Center
• Wednesday, December 16 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm - offered thru the Women's Financial Empowerment Center

Raising a Money Smart Child- Curious about how to teach your child about money but not sure where to start? This class will discuss easy to implement strategies to teach your child valuable life lessons about money from an early age through the college years.

• Thursday, December 3 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm - offered thru the Women's Financial Empowerment Center

Manage Your Money Series - Our most popular seminar deals with the basics of budgeting, setting goals, planning spending to realize goals, saving strategies, and tracking spending.

• Saturdays, December 5 & 12 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

Homebuyer Education Series - ($50.00 participant fee) Our HUD-certified course provides a step-by-step explanation of the home-buying process, a fantastic resource book, and an opportunity to interact with local real estate / lending / legal professionals so that you can make an informed decision about the biggest investment you will probably ever make. Certificate received upon completion.  

• (4-part class) Mondays & Wednesdays, December 7, 9, 14 & 16 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm

What Every Woman Needs to Know- Everyone uses money, but not everyone approaches it the same way. This group education class will explore the differences in how women approach money; how our thoughts and feelings, and even our fears, both help and hinder us. We can learn to take advantage of our unique ways of decision making, and also our approaches to the risks and rewards of personal finance. Consider this issue that affects women the most: since we live longer than men, but still tend to earn less over a life-time, what's a woman to do? This workshop will help you figure it out!

• Tuesday, December 8 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm - offered thru the Women's Financial Empowerment Center

Understanding Credit. Get it. Keep it. Improve it. - Find out what you know about credit!  Learn what credit is, how to fix your past credit mistakes, read your credit reports, understand credit repair, and more.

• Wednesday, December 2 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm OR
• Thursday, December 10 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm OR
• Tuesday, December 15  from 12:00 to 1:30 pm OR
• Monday, December 21  from 5:30 to 7:00 pm OR
• Tuesday, December 29  from 12:00 to 1:30 pm

Understanding Reverse Mortgages 

- Learn the basics about Reverse Mortgages. This class will help you:

- Finally understand what a reverse mortgage is and how they work.

- Learn about how reverse mortgages can provide cash to homeowners over age 62.

- Understand how the loans are paid back.

- Learn about different scenarios and how a reverse mortgage can be helpful; and

- Determine if you have enough equity in your home for a reverse mortgage to be a good solution for you.

·         Thursday, December 17  from 12:00 to 1:30 pm

Local celebrity waiters compete for tips at "Flapjacks for Families" holiday fundraiser

Irene Wortham Center’s Flapjacks for Families event benefits area families and children. 

WHO: The Irene Wortham Center Early Learning Center provides high quality education and care for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, with and without disabilities.  The Center currently serves 108 children, with most living at or below poverty level.  Fifty percent of the children also have significant disabilities.

WHAT: WNC celebrity servers will compete for tips and a chance to win the “golden spatula” at Flapjacks for Families.  100% of the funds raised and toys collected at Flapjacks for Families go to families served by Irene Wortham Center.  Breakfast is $10 per person or FREE with a new, unwrapped toy of the same or greater value.  Kids under 2 eat free.

WHERE: Hickory Tavern in Biltmore Park Town Square, 30 Town Square Blvd. Asheville, NC.

WHEN: Saturday, December 5^th 8:00-10:00 a.m.

WHY:  The holiday season is an exciting time for many.  However, for economically challenged families, the holidays can be especially tough.  Funds and toys collected at Flapjacks for Families go a long way in making the season brighter.  Enjoy pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee all the while making the holidays joyous for families in need. 

"Matching for a Cure" registers potential bone marrow donors

Every three minutes, one person is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Every 10 minutes, someone dies. Patients are searching for a cure. The exciting part of this struggle is that a cure does exist, and each one of us has the potential to be part of that cure for someone waiting for a match and bone marrow transplant. That’s the message Mission Hospital spread during last week’s Bone Marrow Registry Drive, which added more than 60 new names to the National Bone Marrow Registry.

Dr. Lindsey Gouker, who specializes in pediatric hematology and oncology at Mission Children’s Hospital, said participation for these types of events can vary, but was pleased with the turnout. “I’m so grateful to our employees and community members for getting involved. The steps to become a member of the national registry are quick and easy, but the impact is huge,” said Dr. Gouker. That’s because, for patients seeking a transplant, a larger and more diverse registry means a better chance of finding a match. Getting added to the registry takes about 15 minutes and involves a painless cheek swab. 

Each individual patient has a likelihood of about 66-97 percent of finding a matching donor, as well as only a 30 percent chance of finding a matched donor in their family. Matching is dependent on several factors, and race and ethnicity play a big part. Because markers, or specific proteins used to find a match, are inherited, individuals with diverse ancestry are especially encouraged to join, and individuals between ages 18 and 44 are especially needed.

“Having worked with bone marrow transplant patients, I’ve had the opportunity to see their lives changed by this experience,” said Dr. Gouker.  “The possibility to save a life lies in each one of us. What an incredible gift we have the potential to give to someone who needs us.”

Missed the event at Mission Hospital? You can still join the registry. Visit join.bethematch.org/mission and enter promo code “mission” to complete an online questionnaire and request a kit by mail.