Bounty & Soul is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a $25,000 Impact Grant from the WNC Bridge Foundation. This grant
award will enable the expansion and strengthening of its Rooted in Health™ program. The program focuses on providing equitable access to health & wellness education and resources, so EVERYONE has the opportunity to learn, live healthily, and thrive. Each week,
hundreds of individuals and families from Buncombe and McDowell County participate in Bounty & Soul programs and services. In just the last 2 years, this number has increased by 63% with more people participating in Bounty & Soul programming every day. These funds will ensure the continuation of the health & wellness programming, which includes healthy cooking classes, nutrition education, stress reduction, mental and emotional
wellbeing classes, yoga, physical movement classes, health coaching, physician referrals, and simple, nutritious recipes. By offering their programs and services at no cost with no eligibility requirements to attend, Bounty & Soul makes health and well-being accessible to everyone, including those experiencing food insecurity and inequities and barriers to
optimal health.
“We are extremely grateful to the WNC Bridge Foundation for this investment and for recognizing the impact of our programming on the health and well-being of the community,” says Ali Casparian, Bounty & Soul Executive Director. “We could not consistently provide these much needed and requested services without the support and generosity of committed community partners like WNC Bridge Foundation”. The funding will go directly to providing the education, resources and materials that are available to every individual participating in the Bounty & Soul Rooted in Health programming.
“Providing community members with the resources needed to live a healthy life is important work and we are honored to support Bounty & Soul in their efforts to improve the well-being of our neighbors.” Scott Buchanan, WNC Bridge Foundation President & CEO
WNC Bridge Foundation has been proudly serving the people of Western North Carolina for over 15 years. They are a community-based charity providing direct support to individuals and grants to carefully selected non-profits throughout the region who are working every day to eliminate the barriers in their communities that prevent their neighbors from reaching their full potential. They are committed to being a catalyst of change in the areas of emergency wellness, elder care and youth development.
Bounty & Soul is a nonprofit community-based organization that connects people to nutritious food, health & wellness education and one another through their five weekly markets serving multiple counties. Bounty & Soul programming focuses on whole person health which integrates a nutrient-dense plant-based diet with physical movement, stress reduction, and social connectivity. Bounty & Soul is committed to advancing equity in the food and health system and being a champion of change through their community led model. Since its founding in 2014, Bounty & Soul has conducted over 1,200 wellness, nutrition, and cooking classes and distributed over 1,500,000 pounds of nutrient-dense foods to almost 150,000 individuals. To learn more, go to www.bountyandsoul.org or call 828-419-0533.