Aisha Adams Media

11/06/2025

11/06/2025

With SNAP benefits delayed or reduced in November, ASAP is providing emergency gap support to any community members who need food assistance. Made possible through a generous donor, SNAP-eligible shoppers can receive $40 in market tokens to spend on food from local farms and vendors at Asheville City Market. Customers do not need to swipe a SNAP card to receive these tokens. These tokens will be offered at Asheville City Market each Saturday for the month of November, as long as funds allow, and offered per market and per household.

In addition to the crisis for those who rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table, the current SNAP disruption hurts farmers, who are losing income from regular customers who use SNAP and Double SNAP to buy local food. This comes at a time when many farmers in our region have also lost income due to the termination of other state and federal local food access programs, and are still recovering from Helene. ASAP is focused on forging solutions that support both farmers and our community in accessing healthy, local food.

Funding for this emergency support at Asheville City Market comes from a private donor and is not part of ASAP’s regional Double SNAP for Fruits & Vegetables program. For any SNAP participants who have funds on their SNAP cards, ASAP will continue to match up to $20 for fruits and vegetables at all participating farmers markets. Search for participating markets at https://asapconnections.org/find-local-food/farmers-markets/.

Asheville City Market takes place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, on North Market Street between Woodfin and Walnut streets, in downtown Asheville. The market is conveniently located on ART bus lines and free parking is available at Hometrust Bank and the Family Justice Center.

Other markets are starting similar programs. Check out their newsletters and social media for more information. Look to your community for resources and keep your eyes peeled on our story or ’s page for various available resources like free meals, food distribution sites, and more.

11/02/2025

Looking for a Holiday Dinner with no stress and less mess? Call Kente Kitchen Market for dinner that will impress. We deliver too!

11/01/2025

Show UP for First Friday on The Block!

This is What Made Me, a memoir of personal essays about surviving trauma, challenging systems, and claiming healing by local author, advocate, and friend to many, Aisha Johnson Adams.

This Book Sharing & Signing will be our feature for November’s First Friday on The Block and will relaunch our series, Le Mot Noir, celebrating the achievements of local authors! Aisha Johnson Adams will read from her book, answer questions, and get us talking to one another while we get closer to ourSelves.

If you are interested in participating in the series, let us know. And most of all let’s show up for one another.

Please RSVP via Eventbrite so we can plan accordingly. Thank you for our generous sponsors: Food by Kente Kitchen & Market. Beverages by Burial Beer!

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-friday-conversations-book-signing-with-aisha-johnson-adams-tickets-1839999350589?aff=oddtdtcreator

11/01/2025

Halo Braid, a hair-braiding robot created by Harvard alumni Yinka Ogunbiyi and David Afolabi, recently won the President’s Innovation Challenge at Harvard Innovation Labs.

“What if every time you got your hair cut, it took six hours, cost $200 to $300, and gave your hair stylist arthritis at age 29? This is what it’s like to get your hair braided. And I know this first hand because I’ve worn braids all my life,” Ogunbiyi told a captive audience.

The patent-pending robot halves braiding time by finishing braids started by stylists, making the centuries-old craft faster, more efficient, and affordable for clients.

🔗 https://buff.ly/cGY0dlI