--- title: "Partner Stories - Dogwood Health Trust" canonicalUrl: "https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-stories/" excerpt: "our partners At Dogwood, we couldn’t exist without our partners – the community organizations and government entities that are helping their fellow citizens live, learn, earn and thrive, without exception. Our partners have a shared vision of making the places we call home healthier, stronger, more inclusive, better educated, economically stable and more resilient today and for future generations. Find out more about our partners’ stories and the positive outcomes our work together is bringing to Western North Carolina. Search by partner name, strategic priority area or county to find out about the amazing work being done to close gaps, clear […]" metaDescription: "Hear inspiring stories from our partners improving lives in WNC. Explore what’s possible and discover outcomes of our collaboration." datePublished: "2023-08-29T14:33:07-04:00" dateModified: "2025-10-31T09:34:58-04:00" --- - Partner Stories - Dogwood Health Trust # our partners At Dogwood, we couldn’t exist without our partners – the community organizations and government entities that are helping their fellow citizens live, learn, earn and thrive, without exception. Our partners have a shared vision of making the places we call home healthier, stronger, more inclusive, better educated, economically stable and more resilient today and for future generations. Find out more about our partners’ stories and the positive outcomes our work together is bringing to Western North Carolina. Search by partner name, strategic priority area or county to find out about the amazing work being done to close gaps, clear roadblocks, pursue opportunities and apply imaginative ideas! [* ## Cultivating Healthy Aging in Western North Carolina A few years ago, Burke County senior citizen Vivian Lawrence had never grown her own food. Today she confidently tends rows of vegetables, fruits and herbs at a local community garden discovered through a class offered by Cooperative Extension in Burke County called the Farm to Senior Services Project.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/cultivating-healthy-aging-in-western-north-carolina/) [## A Reason to Smile: Bringing Critical Dental Care Back to WNC In many dental practices across North Carolina, front desk staff are shuffling appointments. A routine cleaning might be pushed back three months, or a child needing a filling might need to wait a little longer for care.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/a-reason-to-smile-bringing-critical-dental-care-back-to-wnc/) [## Curiosity at “WORX” — Middle Schoolers Get a Hands-On Head Start on Their Futures At age 14, Savannah Jefferson is considering a career in forensic science, maybe one day as a private investigator.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/curiosity-at-worx-middle-schoolers-get-a-hands-on-head-start-on-their-futures/) [## Closing the STEM Gap, One LEGO at a Time At 4:30 on a Thursday afternoon at Saluda Elementary School, dozens of elementary students work together to solve an archaeological challenge.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/closing-the-stem-gap-one-lego-at-a-time/) [## Still Standing: Celo Commons provides new nexus for South Toe Valley For 40 years, the historic Celo Inn offered the South Toe Valley community in rural Yancey County both a cherished gathering space for locals and a comfortable home base for visitors.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/still-standing-celo-commons-provides-new-nexus-for-south-toe-valley/) [## Solving the Childcare Crunch: How McDowell Tech Is Growing the ECE Workforce In McDowell County, like many communities across Western North Carolina, working families know firsthand the challenges that emerge when childcare is hard to come by.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/solving-the-childcare-crunch-how-mcdowell-tech-is-growing-the-ece-workforce/) [## Collaboration & Innovation: Shaping the Future of WNC Healthcare Three years into a project aimed at fortifying the diminishing supply of future health care workers, especially in rural regions like Western North Carolina,](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/collaboration-innovation-shaping-the-future-of-wnc-healthcare/) [## The Difference Maker: WNC Affordable Housing Loan Fund Brings Balsam Edge to Life Haywood County residents in search of local, affordable housing options are now one step closer to coming home, thanks to a multi-pronged, collaborative effort](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/the-difference-maker-wnc-affordable-housing-loan-fund-brings-balsam-edge-to-life/) [## Older Adult Collaborative Launches & Related Report Released Dogwood’s Older Adult Collaborative (OAC) grantee cohort launched in January 2026.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/older-adult-collaborative-launches-related-report-released/) [## Breaking Barriers Through Adventure: Waypoint’s Expanding Impact in Western North Carolina When Jacob initially joined a small group of peers in the Leaders In Training (LIT) program to venture into the Western North Carolina (WNC) wilderness last summer, he was admittedly uncertain.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/breaking-barriers-through-adventure/) [## Looking Back and at What’s Ahead for the Digital Opportunities Initiative When it comes to our work on digital opportunities or any issue, our why always starts with the people who live here.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/looking-back-and-at-whats-ahead-for-the-digital-opportunities-initiative/) [## Telling the Story – Court Delays & Foster Care in WNC According to professionals who work within the child welfare system, time in foster care should be measured in minutes — not days, weeks or months.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/telling-the-story/) [## Power of Partnership: How Community-Led Solutions are Expanding Broadband Access How can we bridge the digital divide in Western North Carolina (WNC)? For Through the Trees, the answer lies in our communities.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/power-of-partnership/) [## Making headway — WNCSBI grants shore up small business recovery Thousands of Western North Carolina small businesses have moved further down the road to recovery, thanks to grants from the public-private Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative (WNCSBI).](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/making-headway-wncsbi-grants-shore-up-small-business-recovery/) [## Fueling Safer Futures at Helpmate with the Leverage Fund With the rising rate and severity of domestic violence in Buncombe County, Helpmate’s crisis shelter for survivors fleeing intimate partner violence is bursting at the seams.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/fueling-safer-futures-at-helpmate-with-the-leverage-fund/) [## Strategic Planning Grants Help WNC Communities Combat the Opioid Epidemic The historic $26 billion national opioid settlement agreement is bringing millions to communities that experienced the devastating effects of opioid misuse and addiction.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/strategic-planning-grants/) [## Lending an Ear — How Community Listening Sparked Progress in Child Welfare In the fall of 2021, Dogwood Health Trust received a flurry of grant requests for emergency transitional housing for children in Western North Carolina (WNC) involved in the child welfare system.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/lending-an-ear-how-community-listening-sparked-progress-in-child-welfare/) [## Better Together: WNC Afterschool Programs Collaborate to Serve Local Families Childcare challenges for working families don’t end once kindergarten begins.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/better-together-wnc-afterschool-programs-collaborate-to-serve-local-families/) [## Harnessing the Power of Local Leaders to Close WNC’s Digital Divide Elevate Digital, one of 10 collaboratives funded by Dogwood’s Digital Opportunities Initiative, is working to make broadband internet more available, affordable and useful for people...](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/harnessing-the-power-of-local-leaders-to-close-wncs-digital-divide/) [## Collaboration is Key to Increasing Broadband Access in WNC When it comes to improving the health and wellbeing of all people in Western North Carolina (WNC), expanding access to broadband is a necessary part of the work.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/collaboration-is-key-to-increasing-broadband-access-in-wnc/) [## Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County Like many working parents, Henderson County resident Brittny Hobkirk’s day begins long before the sun comes up.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/boys-girls-club-of-henderson-county/) [## Verner Center for Early Learning In a livelihood devoted to the care and development of society’s youngest members, Early Care and Education (ECE) professionals spend countless hours attending to the needs of young children.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/verner-center-for-early-learning/) [## WNCSource Early Care and Education (ECE) is a lifeline for families and young children across Western North Carolina (WNC), providing enriching experiences for young learners, allowing parents to work, and keeping local businesses running.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/supporting-and-expanding-the-early-care-and-education-workforce/) [## Art with Heart In spring 2025, a group of about 20 artists from Asheville nonprofit Open Hearts Art Center gathered at Dogwood Health Trust’s headquarters to commemorate the installation of their 12-foot by 20-foot collaborative mixed media piece.](https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/partner-profile/art-with-heart/) ### search stories search by name search by county County Served By County * Avery * * Buncombe * * Burke * * Cherokee * * Clay * * Graham * * Haywood * * Henderson * * Jackson * * Macon * * Madison * * McDowell * * Mitchell * * Polk * * Rutherford * * Swain * * Transylvania * * Yancey * * Watauga * * All 18 Counties * * ECBI * * Qualla Boundary search by focus areas By Area Served * * Housing * * Education * * Economic Opportunity * * Health & Wellness * * Behavioral Health/Substance Use Disorder * * Racial Equity * * Hurricane Helene * * WNCSBI * * Digital Opportunities * * Leverage Fund * * Older Adults [](#) - [](#) [*](/) [](https://twitter.com/DogwoodWNC) [Facebook *](https://www.facebook.com/Dogwood-Health-Trust-212994690131241) [Instagram **](https://www.instagram.com/dogwoodwnc/) [Linkedin **](https://www.linkedin.com/company/dogwood-health-trust/) * [](https://twitter.com/DogwoodWNC) [Facebook *](https://www.facebook.com/Dogwood-Health-Trust-212994690131241) [Instagram **](https://www.instagram.com/dogwoodwnc/) [Linkedin **](https://www.linkedin.com/company/dogwood-health-trust/)