Local & Community Resources
Warm lines, support groups, disability and identity affirming organizations, COVID conscious spaces, and grassroots mutual aid across Asheville and the greater Western NC area, plus national programs you can use from home.
Each topic below opens on its own, so you can jump straight to the support you need.
Warm Lines & Support Resources
Peer run warm lines and directories for finding affirming, ongoing care, with no police involvement.
Peer-run warm lines that support you without involving the police, plus directories for finding affirming, ongoing care.
Warm Line Directory
Find a warm line in your state — peer-run, non-crisis support for when you just need someone to talk to. The directory lists each line's approach so you can choose one that never involves police.
Trans Lifeline
Peer support run by and for trans people, with a strict no non-consensual active rescue policy — police are never contacted without your explicit consent.
Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line
A peer-run, trauma-informed support line by and for people with lived experience of mental health struggles — no police, no coercion, no forced treatment.
NAMI
The National Alliance on Mental Illness provides advocacy, education, and local support group finders for ongoing connection.
Inclusive Therapists
A directory to find affirming, ongoing care that centers the needs of marginalized communities.
Food & Basic Needs
Free groceries, fresh produce markets, diapers, baby gear, and everyday essentials across Buncombe County.
MANNA FoodBank
WNC's regional food bank, distributing food through hundreds of partner agencies across 16 counties. Find a pantry near you.
Bounty & Soul
Free weekly fresh produce markets across Buncombe County, plus nutrition education and community connection.
Asheville Free Fridges
Volunteer-run community refrigerators and pantries stocked with free food, open to anyone, no questions asked.
12 Baskets Café
A pay-what-you-can community café serving free, dignified meals and fostering connection for all neighbors.
Haywood Street Congregation
Downtown Asheville ministry offering free community meals, a daytime respite center, and belonging for unhoused neighbors.
Bountiful Cities
Building food sovereignty by supporting urban farms, community gardens, and free food access across Asheville.
Eblen Charities
Emergency assistance including free clothing, diapers, formula, and essential baby supplies for families in need across our community.
The BEAR Closet
The Baby Equipment and Resource Closet provides free baby gear, clothing, diapers, and supplies to families across Western NC.
Babies Need Bottoms
Western NC's local diaper bank, partnering with community agencies to distribute free diapers, wipes, and rash cream.
Housing & Shelter
Emergency shelter, housing, and domestic violence support for neighbors across Buncombe County.
Homeward Bound of WNC
Housing, shelter, and outreach for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Asheville and Buncombe County.
ABCCM Crisis Ministry
Emergency food, rent and utility assistance, shelter, and crisis support for neighbors across Asheville and Buncombe County.
Helpmate
Free, confidential support, safe shelter, and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence in Buncombe County.
Mutual Aid
Grassroots networks for disaster relief, supplies, and neighbor-to-neighbor survival support.
WNC Mutual Aid
Community-led disaster relief, supply distribution, and neighborhood mutual aid networks throughout Western NC.
Beloved Asheville
Grassroots mutual aid providing food, housing support, and rapid disaster response to the most vulnerable in our community.
Asheville Survival Program
Grassroots mutual aid and harm reduction providing food, supplies, and survival support to marginalized neighbors.
Health & Wellness
Sliding scale and low cost physical and mental health care, regardless of ability to pay.
Legal Aid
Free civil legal help for housing, benefits, safety, and stability across Western NC.
Community & Cultural Organizations
Bookstores, cultural hubs, mentorship, and identity affirming community spaces across Asheville.
Firestorm Books
A collectively owned radical bookstore and community hub in West Asheville hosting free events, resources, and mutual aid.
YMI Cultural Center
A historic hub for Black culture, art, and community in the heart of Asheville's East End.
Jewish Family Services of WNC
Counseling, case management, and basic-needs support serving Jewish and broader Western NC communities.
Blue Ridge Pride
Asheville's LGBTQ+ pride organization offering connection, advocacy, and year-round community events across WNC.
My Daddy Taught Me That
An Asheville-based nonprofit mentoring young men through leadership development, life skills, and positive role modeling — building purpose, brotherhood, and pride.
My Sistah Taught Me That
The sister program to My Daddy Taught Me That, guiding girls and young women across Asheville through sisterhood, leadership, life skills, and empowerment.
Local Resources for Disabled Folks (Western NC)
Transportation, advocacy, employment, health care access, housing, and education support for disabled people across Western NC.
Transportation, advocacy, employment, healthcare access, housing, and education support for disabled people across Asheville and the greater Western NC area.
Disability Rights North Carolina
North Carolina's statewide protection and advocacy agency, defending the rights of people with disabilities in housing, healthcare, education, employment, and beyond.
Mountain Mobility
Buncombe County's public and ADA paratransit service, offering door-to-door rides for residents who cannot use the fixed-route bus system.
Vaya Health
The public managed care organization for Western NC, connecting people to services for intellectual and developmental disability, mental health, and substance use needs.
The Arc of North Carolina
Statewide advocacy, resources, and community support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
NC Vocational Rehabilitation
Free employment services — career counseling, training, and job placement — for people with disabilities across North Carolina.
First in Families of NC
Flexible, family-centered support and small grants for households with children or adults living with a disability.
Brain Injury Association of NC
Information, peer support, and resources for people living with brain injury and their caregivers.
NC Council on Developmental Disabilities
A statewide council advancing policies, services, and community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities.
NC Services for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Statewide communication access, interpreter services, and support for Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind North Carolinians.
A-B Tech Accessibility Services
Accommodations, assistive technology, and student support for students with disabilities at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
Mountain Housing Opportunities
Affordable and accessible housing development and homeownership support for residents across Western NC.
Know of a disability resource in Western NC that should be here? Reach out and I will add it.
COVID-Conscious Places & Resources (Asheville)
Directories, mutual aid groups, and tools for finding safer spaces to eat, gather, and connect around Asheville.
Still caring for your health — and the health of disabled, immunocompromised, and high-risk neighbors — does not mean giving up community. Here are directories, mutual-aid groups, and tools to help you find safer spaces to eat, gather, and connect across Asheville and beyond.
Mask Bloc Asheville
Volunteer-run mutual aid providing free N95 and KN95 masks, rapid tests, and air purifiers to neighbors who need them — no cost, no questions, no proof required.
Clean Air Club
A growing directory of COVID-safe concerts, events, and gatherings that require masks and run HEPA filtration — community, art, and connection without sacrificing your health.
COVID Action Map
A crowd-sourced, interactive map of venues across the country with mask, vaccine, and ventilation requirements, so you can plan where to eat, shop, and gather more safely.
People's CDC
Independent, community-led public health guidance on masking, testing, ventilation, and layered protection — clear information not shaped by political pressure.
Build a Corsi-Rosenthal Box
A free, step-by-step guide to building an effective DIY air purifier from a box fan and filters — an affordable way to clean the air at home, work, or in community spaces.
Free Testing & Test-to-Treat
Find free at-home rapid tests and Test-to-Treat locations where you can be evaluated and prescribed Paxlovid quickly if you test positive.
Refresh Connections
A community for immunocompromised and COVID-cautious people to build friendships and connection — online and in person, safely and without judgment.
Clean Air Crew — Spaces
Resources and toolkits to help cafés, studios, and gathering spaces improve ventilation and become genuinely safer, more accessible places for everyone.
Know of a COVID-conscious café, venue, or group in Asheville that should be here? Reach out and I will add it.
Open Support Groups & Meetings
Free drop in meetings and online peer support you can join from Western NC.
Free, drop-in support, organized local-first. Every link below opens a live meeting finder or a free online session you can use from Western NC — not just a national homepage.
Local, In-Person Meetings (Western NC)
Alcoholics Anonymous
Open and closed AA meetings meet daily across Asheville and Western NC — search the meeting finder to locate an in-person group near you today.
Al-Anon & Alateen
Free, anonymous in-person meetings for the families and friends of someone with a drinking problem. Search by city to find one in Western NC.
NAMI Support Groups
Peer-led groups for people living with mental health conditions and their families, hosted in person by NAMI affiliates across Western NC.
GriefShare
Grief support groups meeting in churches and community spaces across the region — enter your zip code to find the next in-person group near you.
Celebrate Recovery
A Christ-centered 12-step program for hurts, habits, and hang-ups, hosted by local congregations throughout the region.
Overeaters Anonymous
A free 12-step fellowship for compulsive eating and food obsession, with in-person meetings listed across Western NC.
Know of a local group that should be here? Reach out and I will add it.
Peer Support From Anywhere (Join Online)
Free online meetings and drop-in communities you can use from Western NC — no travel required.
DBSA Support Groups
Drop-in peer support for depression and bipolar disorder — free online meetings you can join from home, plus local chapters where available.
SMART Recovery
Science-based meetings for addictive behaviors, with daily online sessions you can join from anywhere and a mix of local in-person groups.
Trauma, ADHD & Neurodivergent Groups & Resources
Local in person groups, plus funds, free programs, and online peer communities you can use from home.
Some support is best found close to home, and some is national but reaches you wherever you are. Start with local, in-person groups — then explore funds, free programs, and online peer communities you can use from anywhere.
Local, In-Person Groups (Western NC)
Run a local group for trauma, ADHD, or autism in Western NC? Reach out and I will add it here.
Resources You Can Use Locally
National funds, free programs, and online peer groups that connect you with real support wherever you live.
Trauma
Give an Hour
Free, confidential counseling donated by licensed clinicians for active-duty service members, veterans, and their families — matched with a provider near you.
Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
Funds free therapy sessions through its Therapy Fund, expanding access to culturally competent care for Black communities — apply for funded sessions wherever you live.
Project LETS
Offers peer support, advocacy, and crisis response resources rooted in disability justice, strictly without the use of police or carceral systems.
ADHD
CHADD
The leading ADHD organization — use its directory to find a local chapter near you, plus online communities, webinars, and training for adults and caregivers.
ADDA
The Attention Deficit Disorder Association runs free, peer-led virtual support groups you can join from home, plus member resources for adults with ADHD.
ADDitude
An online ADHD magazine and community with expert-reviewed articles, downloadable tools, and active forums where adults and families share local strategies.
Autism & Neurodivergence
AANE
The Asperger/Autism Network offers virtual support groups for autistic adults, parents, partners, and siblings — join from anywhere, plus a directory of local providers.
Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
Community, resources, and advocacy by and for autistic women, girls, and nonbinary people, with affirming information and online connection.
TACA
The Autism Community in Action connects families to local chapters and in-person meetups alongside free online education, mentorship, and caregiver support.
Community & Identity Resources
Affirming organizations for autistic, queer and trans, Black and brown, Latinx, Palestinian, Jewish, fat, and reproductive health communities.
Affirming, culturally responsive organizations for autistic, queer and trans, Black and brown, Latinx, Palestinian, Jewish, fat, and reproductive-health communities.
Autistic Community
Queer & Trans Communities
Trans Lifeline
A trans-led peer support and crisis hotline staffed by and for trans people, with no non-consensual active rescue.
Campaign for Southern Equality
Asheville-based LGBTQ+ advocacy and direct aid across the South, including emergency funds and mutual support.
Tranzmission
An Asheville-based, trans-led nonprofit offering peer support groups, resources, and advocacy for trans and nonbinary people across Western NC.
Youth OUTright
Western NC's only LGBTQIA+ youth advocacy and support organization, offering free weekly groups, mentorship, and community for queer and trans teens.
Black & Brown Communities
Therapy for Black Girls
A space dedicated to the mental wellness of Black women and girls, with a therapist directory and podcast.
The Loveland Foundation
Provides free therapy funding for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people across the country.
Latinx Therapy
A reduced-rate directory connecting Latinx communities to culturally responsive, Spanish-speaking therapists.
Palestinian Communities
Palestinian Feminist Collective
Community care, mutual aid, and liberation-centered mental health resources for and with Palestinians.
Asheville for Palestine
A local, grassroots collective organizing solidarity, mutual aid, and community education with Palestinians across Asheville and Western NC.
Gaza Soup Kitchen
A volunteer-run mutual aid project providing hot meals, food distributions, and daily support to families facing hunger and displacement in Gaza.
Jewish Communities
The Blue Dove Foundation
Resources and conversations that destigmatize mental health and substance use within the Jewish community.
Jewish Voice for Peace
A Jewish-led movement organizing for peace, justice, and Palestinian freedom and equality, with local chapters and national campaigns rooted in Jewish values.
Asheville Jewish Community Center
A welcoming hub for Jewish life in Western NC, offering programs, cultural events, early childhood education, and connection for families across Asheville.
Jewish Family Services of WNC
Counseling, case management, and basic-needs support serving Jewish and broader Western NC communities.
Chabad House of Asheville
A home for Jewish life in Asheville with Shabbat dinners, holiday gatherings, Torah study, and warm, inclusive community programming.
Fat Liberation
ASDAH
The Association for Size Diversity and Health promotes a weight-neutral, Health At Every Size approach to care.
NAAFA
The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance works to end size discrimination and build fat community.
Asheville Fatties
A local, size-inclusive social community for fat folks in and around Asheville — meetups, friendship, and joyful, weight-neutral connection.
Asheville Body Liberation Collective
A grassroots Asheville collective creating space for body liberation, mutual support, and community care beyond diet culture.
Yoga for Body Liberation — Kate Mosher
Size-inclusive, trauma-informed yoga in Asheville that centers body liberation, accessibility, and moving in a way that feels good to you.
Reproductive Health
Planned Parenthood
Reproductive and sexual health care, education, and advocacy, with a health center in Asheville.
Carolina Abortion Fund
Practical and emotional support for people traveling to, from, and within the Carolinas for abortion care.
Free Contraception Kit Request
Stateline Abortion Access provides free reproductive health kits — emergency contraception, pregnancy tests, and supplies — to folks across Western NC at no cost.
Plan C — National Mail-Order Access
A national, vetted guide to ordering abortion pills by mail, with provider comparisons, pricing, and financial assistance for every state.
The Fosnight Center for Sexual Health
A specialized medical practice in Asheville focused on comprehensive sexual medicine, functional pelvic urology, and inclusive gender-affirming care.