ABCCM to announce WNC network for veterans, military members and families

Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) and national program AmericaServes will announce on Thursday, Aug. 3, a major expansion of ABCCM’s Veteran Services of the Carolinas ministry with the launch of NCServes - Western, a coordinated network to provide support and information for veterans, active service members and their families in 12 Western North Carolina counties.

The Western network is the fourth in the state of North Carolina and extends coverage from the coastal region in the eastern part of the state to the mountains in the west, making North Carolina the most widely covered state in the nation.

The announcement will be held at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium, 340 Victoria Road in Asheville. Registration will open at 9 a.m., with remarks beginning at 9:30. Speakers are expected to represent ABCCM, the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University, the Walmart Foundation, A-B Tech and others.

The new network will connect veterans with services in areas including health care, housing, education, job training, and legal and financial counseling. More than 40 public, private and nonprofit agencies and providers are expected to be part of the network. NCServes - Western is funded by a two-year, $450,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation.

The NCServes - Western network, which is part of the national AmericaServes network administered by IVMF, uses technology and its partner network to guide veterans, service members and their families to the most appropriate services and resources available.

The Western North Carolina coverage area consists of the following counties: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Polk, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford, Transylvania, and Yancey.

ABCCM’s Veterans Services of the Carolinas (VSC) will handle the day-to-day management of NC Serves - Western. VSC Since 2002 VSC has administered education and employment training with job placement, housing and homeless prevention programs for veterans in 26 Western North Carolina counties.

The event is not open to the public, but all media are invited and welcome to attend.