On October 9 and 10, hundreds of people from all over WNC met with us during our community meetings in Marion, Sylva and Asheville. At those meetings, and through earlier listening sessions and some online crowdsourcing, we asked folks to share their top priorities to address issues of health and wellness in the region. Although our outreach was informal and the results aren’t scientific, we did learn what’s on the minds of many in WNC communities. We’ll combine what we heard with more data, an exploration of big ideas (we call them “bright spots”) that are working here and in other parts of the country, and deeper conversations throughout WNC to inform our board’s strategic planning process this fall. We’ll also look at the opportunity for systems change and sustainability. And we’ll examine all of these factors through an equity lens. 

If you missed one of the meetings and want to let us know what’s on your mind, we want to hear from you. Please send us a note at [email protected]ht.org and be sure to sign up for our email updates here.