Eblen Charities supports students, faculty, and families through its Education Program. We believe that students learn best when they are fed, safe and have the resources they need to perform in school, and we are happy to offer support.
This includes providing healthy snacks for schools each year; ensuring that low-income school children have shoes and clothing, and providing food for students on free and reduced lunch over spring break. We provide eyeglasses for children whose families are struggling to afford them. Each spring we host the Prom Dress Express, a retail like environment filled with new and gently used formal dresses and accessories to support teens going to proms, military balls and other formal events.
Each year we host a school supply drive in partnership with the Ingles Markets Tools for Schools program, as well as media partners WLOS and iHeart Media. Those new schools supplies, and backpacks are given out to our community at no charge. In 2023, we ensured that over 600 local children started the school year fully prepared!
We also support new teachers having affordable and safe housing through
our Williams/Baldwin Teacher Campus! This 24-unit apartment complex provides two bedroom/two bath apartments for $950 a month. Built in partnership with Buncombe County Schools, Asheville City Schools and the SECU Foundation, this complex was developed to help bring and retain quality teachers to our community since 2017.
The campus was named in honor of Roy and Wanda Williams; and Buddy and Rosa Lee Baldwin, area educators that have impacted countless lives in our community and across the nation.