Community almanac
Vecinos Community Health Hub cuts the ribbon in Franklin
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Vecinos Community Health Hub, an SECU campus, took place on May 6. Led by Vecinos Chief Executive Officer Marianne Martinez, the event celebrated the opening of the new, 16,500-square-foot bilingual medical facility in Franklin.
The Vecinos Community Health Hub opened to patients on May 1 at 19 Smoky Mountain Drive off of U.S. 441. The Hub co-locates free, bilingual medical, dental and social health services to uninsured and underinsured residents of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.
The Hub is a centralized location for several nonprofit organizations that provide care to low-income patients and increase health equity in Western North Carolina. These include the Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic, 30th Judicial District Domestic Violence-Sexual Assault Alliance, Centro Comunitario of Macon County and Pisgah Legal Services.
The opening of the Vecinos Community Health Hub is a pivotal milestone in providing comprehensive healthcare to rural North Carolinians, including migrant farmworker communities.
“We are thrilled to see the Vecinos Community Health Hub come to life,” said Vecinos CEO Marianne Martinez. “The dedication of our staff, partners and volunteers has positioned us for a future where healthcare is more accessible to everyone. After 20 years of serving Macon County through Vecinos’ mobile clinics, we are eager to serve many more residents in need of comprehensive healthcare.”
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The Vecinos Community Health Hub is supported by the generosity of key partners and donors. In 2024, Vecinos received a $1.6 million grant from the State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization funded by SECU members and committed to fostering community development throughout North Carolina. Additional funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facility Healthcare Grant and the Appalachian Regional Commission Grant.
New and existing patients can make an appointment at the Vecinos Community Health Hub by calling Vecinos at 828.293.2274 or by messaging Vecinos on WhatsApp at 828.200.6469.
To qualify for Vecinos services, patients must meet three eligibility requirements: 1) Have a family household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, 2) Be uninsured, underinsured or lack reasonable access to healthcare, and 3) Be at least 18 years old. To learn more, visit vecinos.org/services.
Tipton-Haynes hosts inaugural gala
Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site will be hosting its inaugural gala and benefit dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, May 23 in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Tipton-Haynes started this Gala in hopes to support the new extensions of the visitor center that are to be finished in May. Unfortunately, with the termination of the Federal AmeriCorps Program, Tipton-Haynes lost two of its AmeriCorps Service members. Tipton-Haynes is reallocating the use of the proceeds to help fund positions for these two members to remain until they can find another position elsewhere.
Reservations are required for this Gala. Tickets are $50 per person. For the purchase of your tickets please follow the link square.link/u/HoqYB5Ut, call 423.926.3631 or email the site at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Reservations end May 10.
HRMC earns an ‘A’ hospital safety grade
Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) has been awarded an “A” hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog that sets standards for excellence in patient care. This national distinction celebrates HRMC’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and medical errors.
“This ‘A’ Safety Grade is a direct reflection of the hard work, vigilance, and dedication of our team,” said LaCrystal Gordon, chief nursing officer for HRMC. “Our staff continuously evaluates and improves the way we care for patients, always keeping safety at the forefront. I’m incredibly proud of our entire hospital family for earning this recognition and for the compassionate, high-quality care they provide every day.”
To see HRMC’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on social media.
WNC Civil War Roundtable to discuss augmented reality
The Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table continues its 2025 series of programs at 7 p.m. on May 12 with a presentation by Paul Quigley. His topic will be on augmented reality and its possible use in interpreting the Civil War. The program will take place at the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville. It is free and open to the public.
Quigley will discuss a project based at Virginia Tech’s Center for Civil War Studies that uses augmented reality to present diverse aspects of Civil War era history to the public. The idea is to use mobile devices through which visitors will learn about less familiar Civil War topics: interconnections between the environment and military affairs; the war’s transformative impact on African Americans and other civilians and the benefits of reading wartime documents with a historian’s eye.
Meetings are free and open to the public. More information about programs and field trips with the Roundtable can be found at wnccwrt.com.
Museum holds open house, unveils new exhibit
A new exhibit has opened at The Museum of Haywood County History at the Shook-Smathers House in Clyde focusing on the traditional Appalachian music heritage of the county.
“Our Scots-Irish and English ancestors gave us a rich heritage of ballad singing, dancing and folk music,” said June Smathers-Jolley, who has been working on the exhibit since January. “This exhibit features musicians from Haywood County and the events they would have played for such as corn shuckins’, barn dances, competitions, and early radio shows. We also feature some of the older dance teams such as Champion YMCA and Soco Gap Cloggers as well as more recent dance teams. Ballad singers and songwriters from the county are also included.”
The exhibit is rich with photographs of musicians, dancers and singers.
Area families have donated archives, recordings, and musical instruments to round out the exhibit. The museum is owned by the Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society and is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Friday and Saturday through October.
To celebrate the new exhibit, the museum will be having an open house on Saturday, May 10, with free tours, refreshments and live music.
Haywood County Public Library hosts food drive
Haywood County’s public library announced its third annual food drive, taking place May 12-23.
Anyone wishing to donate can drop off their in-date, unopened canned, boxed or bagged nonperishable food items at any Haywood County Public Library branch. All food will be distributed through Haywood Christian Ministry.
Anyone with questions can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.356.2502.
‘Spaghetti Disco Dinner’
Women of Waynesville (WOW) will host a Spaghetti Disco dinner from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, May 16, at the VFW located at 216 Miller St. in Waynesville.
For a cost of $15, diners will have the choice of pepperoni pizza bake or spaghetti and meatballs (gluten free spaghetti will be available) and bread and dessert will be included. Meals can be pre-ordered at tinyurl.com/2tcsywaj or purchased on the day of the event.
People can eat on-site or take a plate to go. Bottled water will be available, and other beverages (non-alcoholic and alcoholic) will be available via a cash bar.
All are welcome. This event is being held in a non-smoking, family friendly venue. Disco music will be spinning, so everyone is encouraged to dress in their best boogie attire and join in on the dance floor.
All proceeds will benefit WOW, which is an all-volunteer organization in its 13th year, supporting the needs of women and children in Haywood County. This year alone, WOW has provided more than $8,600 in fundraiser dollars and donated more than $30,000 in volunteer hours supporting other local organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, Haywood County Schools Foundation, Haywood Pathways Center, KARE, Mountain Projects and REACH.
For more information about WOW, visit womenofwaynesville.org or follow WOW on Facebook at facebook.com/womenofwaynesville.
United Way receives $25,000 grant from Duke Energy Foundation
Duke Energy Foundation has awarded United Way of Haywood County a $25,000 grant to expand its post-Helene efforts in Western North Carolina. The funding is part of $500,000 in new grants from Duke Energy Foundation awarded to 20 nonprofits supporting long-term recovery efforts in Western North Carolina.
Since Hurricane Helene’s impact, Duke Energy and its foundation have committed over $2.7 million to disaster readiness, relief and rebuilding efforts in North Carolina.
For more information on Duke Energy Foundation and its initiatives, visit duke-energy.com/Foundation.
Pisgah Legal Seeks Community Support to Assist WNC Immigrants
In Western North Carolina, Pisgah Legal Services provides most of the free civil legal aid for area immigrants, with only three attorneys working on behalf of people living in the 18-county region. Local supporters of the nonprofit have launched a giving challenge to match up to $100,000, increasing resources and supporting this work.
Giving online is fast, easy and secure at www.pisgahlegal.org/justiceforall.
Checks may be mailed to Pisgah Legal Services, P.O. Box 2276, Asheville, NC 28802.
Lake Junaluska launches $14 million fundraising campaign
Lake Junaluska has launched the Sharing Our Gifts Campaign, a fundraising drive that seeks to raise $14 million to transform the grounds.
The campaign is the most ambitious fundraising drive in the history of Lake Junaluska. It will provide resources to strengthen the organization’s ministry to youth and families by expanding recreation options and creating versatile lodging options. The campaign will also invest in three beloved sacred spaces, as well as the Lake Junaluska dam, in order to continue the mission of serving as a place of light and hope.
“We are looking toward a bold vision for Lake Junaluska’s future — to position Lake Junaluska as the most welcoming place for personal renewal in our region and beyond,” said Ken Howle, executive director of Lake Junaluska. “We invite all who love Lake Junaluska to be a part of this important effort. Together, we can share our gifts to make a lasting impact.” lakejunaluska.com
Haywood Habitat for Humanity kicks off community fundraiser
Haywood Habitat for Humanity announced its inaugural “Haywood Rising: Spring Festival Building Hope” event, taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, at Allen’s Creek Park in Waynesville. This community-wide celebration will feature live music a food truck, and a shed raffle—all to support Habitat’s mission of building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.
The event will include a food truck rally, a shed raffle, live music and activities throughout the day.
The event is free to attend. Food truck vouchers will be available for purchase both prior to and during the event. Raffle tickets will also be available for purchase at the event. Additionally, attendees who bring household donations will receive a free raffle ticket for a special basket of goodies from the Habitat ReStore shop. All proceeds directly support Haywood Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing programs.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit haywoodhabitat.org.
SCC’s Small Business Center garners statewide excellence award
Starting a business is a big step for anyone, but starting one from a different state is another matter entirely.
Originally from New Hampshire, Erin Tuveson fell in love with Western North Carolina, where she worked in outdoor adventure programs for over a decade. After returning to New Hampshire, she took on the role as the manager of a local hostel. Continually feeling inspired by the Appalachian Trail, that’s when she got the idea to start Rambling Roots Hostel.
Tuveson reached out to Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center, and Director Marne Harris was more than willing to take on the challenge, which ultimately resulted in her receiving the Business Success Story – Business Start-Up award for the 2024 Excellence Awards of the North Carolina Small Business Center Network.
Over the span of 14 months, Harris assisted Tuveson in creating a business plan and obtaining a loan before Tuveson moved to the area.
As part of a network of experienced Small Business Centers across North Carolina, Southwestern’s Small Business Center serves startup and existing small business owners with complimentary seminars, counseling and a resource center.
For more information, to reserve a seat or to request one-on-one confidential counseling, visit southwesterncc.edu/ sbc or call 828.339.4426.
