News

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World Duchenne Awareness Day 2022

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Partnering to increase safety in Asheville

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Values of The SPARC Foundation

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A Renaissance for Author Loren Clement

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Meet Patricia Waters

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SPARCing Sustainable Careers

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SPARCing Connections Newsletter – August 2021 – Equitable Communities + Services

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Celebrating 6 Years of SPARC!

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SPARCing Connections Newsletter – June 2021

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SPARCing Conversation on The Veronica Edwards Show

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SPARCing Healthy Families – April 2021 Newsletter

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Staff Spotlight – Benjamin Gifford – SPARC’s Domestic Violence Intervention Program

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The SPARC Foundation’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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Partnering for Peace + Healing + Hope to End Gun Violence

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SPARCing Powerful Partnerships – February 2021 Newsletter

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SPARC Awarded Safety and Justice Challenge Grant

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SPARCing Connections Newsletter – December 2020

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SPARCing Family Restoration in Family Centered Treatment- Recovery

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SPARC After Dark shines on in 2020!

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SPARCing Community Health – HERS with Yvette Jives

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SPARCing Health & Nutrition

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SPARC’s New Logo – Meet Designer Tony Delia

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Introducing Leasha Ogle

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Jessica – SPARC’s Success Spotlight – Family Centered Treatment-Recovery

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Welcome, Leasha!

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Ending the abuse: County domestic violence plan

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SPARCing Community Safety

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SPARCing Employment & Second Chances

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Dr. Michelle Alvarez

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Sparc Success Story – Taquon

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sparcfoundation

Beautiful reminder in the SPARC Family Visitation

Beautiful reminder in the SPARC Family Visitation room this morning!🙌🏾💟

Learn about our Visitation Program and career opportunities for Parenting Coaches on our website!

#sparcfoundation #asheville #buncombecountydss #familyreunification #childsafety #triplepparenting #healthyfamilies #cultureofinclusion #avljobs

Tomorrow is World Duchenne Awareness Day! Meet SPA

New opportunities to SPARC change in your personal

New opportunities to SPARC change in your personal and professional life and to ignite connections in your community!
Check out what’s new on the SPARC Career Board!

#sparcfoundation #asheville #hendersonville #westernnorthcarolina #familycenteredtreatment #recovery #buncombecounty #cultureofinclusion #healthyfamilies #equity

SPARCing Youth Mental Health First Aiders! Several

SPARCing Youth Mental Health First Aiders! Several members of our team, along with caring community partners, completed an impactful @mentalhealthfirstaidusa training with @buncombecounty + @vayahealth this week.

Being able to more intentionally show up, foster wellbeing and safety, and ignite connections to resources - in our communities and families - is core to SPARC’s mission and values. Proud of our team for diving in to this opportunity for personal and professional development! 👏🏽

✨Special thanks to Hector Salgado!✨

#sparcfoundation #youthmentalhealthfirstaid #buncombecounty #asheville #ignitingconnections #bethechange #suicideprevention #deescalation #bepartofthesolution #healthycommunity

A few smiling faces of The SPARC Foundation and a

A few smiling faces of The SPARC Foundation and a few words about what we, as an organization, value most. Which resonate with you?
✨Authenticity
✨Balance
✨Collaboration
✨Courage
✨Direct Communication
✨Equity
✨Humor
✨Innovation

#sparcfoundation #asheville #hendersonvillenc #corevalues #ashevillenonprofit #authenticity #balance #collaboration #courage #directcommunication #equity #humor #innovation

Going back to basics - or learning them for the fi

Going back to basics - or learning them for the first time - with parents and families @sparcfoundation. It’s one of our greatest honors and an essential way to increase healing, change and safety.

#sparcfoundation #asheville #strongfathers #dvip #domesticviolenceinterventionprogram #buncombecounty #enddomesticviolence #safecommunities #healthyfamilies #domesticabuseinterventionproject #theduluthmodel

Getting to know and work with high school interns

Getting to know and work with high school interns is always a highlight of the summer at SPARC! This year, we are fortunate to have Zhtaviya working with our Office Manager, Nanci Farmer (also photographed)
Enjoy this quick Q+A-
Will you please tell us a little about yourself?
✨My name is Zhtaviya Byrd, I go to Asheville High School & I'm going to be a senior this year!

You've been a tremendous help with important administrative work this summer... is that something you're interested in as a future career or why did you choose to focus on that type of work during your time with SPARC?
✨I learned about SPARC when Alex Mitchiner came to my school and talked to us about CAYLA (The City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy). I looked through the website, of course, but I didn't get a real feeling until I came to one of the SPARC events with my mom and Tony (Shivers). I had one talk with Jackie, and I already felt welcomed! That's why I selected SPARC. I chose to focus on the administrative side of things because that's something I don't normally do, so I wanted to push myself a little bit.

What are your future career goals?
✨My future career goals include becoming a surgical technologist, which means I would be getting all the tools ready and cleaned for surgeries.

And just as important, what do you like to do for fun?
✨I love to shop online for fun, I call it "therapy shopping" because it makes me feel good!

Thank you, Z! We’re so happy you’re here.

#sparcfoundation #asheville #ashevillehighschool #summerinternship #ignitingconnections #cultureofinclusion #thefutureisbright #gogetter

“These capacity-building possibilities through t

“These capacity-building possibilities through the Lane grant are rare, yet critical, to the health of nonprofits, and we are grateful to the Lane committee and CFWNC.” - Jackie Latek, SPARC Foundation

✨Congratulations to our fellow honorees. We celebrate the the vital work you do!
~ McDowell Mission Ministries
~The Family Place of Transylvania County
~Children & Family Resource Center, Hendersonville
~Center for Domestic Peace, Sylva
~ HIGHTS - Helping Inspire Gifts of Hope, Trust and Service

#sparcfoundation #asheville #hendersonville #transylvaniacounty #ignitingconnections #avlnonprofit #capacitybuilding #cultureofinclusion #equity

🫧 Beating the heat and having a bubbly blast at

🫧 Beating the heat and having a bubbly blast at Pisgah View! 🫧
SPARC is 🎶HAAAAAPPYYYY🎶 in community with @mydaddytaughtmethat and @r2sasheville!!

#sparcfoundation #asheville #mydaddytaughtmethat #readtosucceedavl #ignitingconnections #communitysafety #summerfun #violenceinterrupters #buncombecounty #pisgahviewapartments #konaiceavl #stillsmilingphotography

EXCITING NEWS and an OPPORTUNITY to SPARC great ch

EXCITING NEWS and an OPPORTUNITY to SPARC great change in your community!
Use the link in our bio to learn about our new OPERATIONS DIRECTOR position - and others- on SPARC’s expanded Career Board!

✨Thanks for helping us spread the word✨
#sparcfoundation #asheville #hendersonville #ignitingconnections #newposition #avltoday #operationsdirector #nonprofitjobs #avljobs #equity #cultureofinclusion

Celebrating our Queen at The Temple!
✨👸🏾✨ @tacotempleavl Office Manager extraordinaire and a bright light that keeps SPARC shining in every way! Happy Birthday, Nanci! 🎈

Passionate about working with kids and families?

Excuse us… but can we just have a moment of WOW

Excuse us… but can we just have a moment of WOW for the beautiful soul that is Sala Manaya-Merrit @i.am.amiram ❤️🙌🏾
Creative, Mother, Partner, Friend, Professional, Board Member, Intellectual… and let’s now not forget COVER MODEL! 📸 A fun surprise seeing her smiling face on the cover of @asheville_made today and we are always grateful for all Sala offers the entire SPARC organization!
Looking for something to smile about? Pick up a free copy of Asheville Made and meet Sala! 😊

#sparcfoundation #ignitingconnections #asheville #ashevillemade #boardmemberappreciation #iamamiram #ashevilleartist #bigcrafty #ashevillemodel #ashevillejewelryartist

Today! Coming together - Resources for Resilience

Today! Coming together - Resources for Resilience is facilitating a Listening Circle for residents of the Hillcrest community. Please join us at 1pm in the Community Center.

#sparcfoundation #asheville #mydaddytaughtmethat #resourcesforresilience #ignitingconnections #communitypartners #endgunviolence #cultureofinclusion #listeningcircle #healingcircle

SPARCing education, support and community! Amanda

SPARCing education, support and community! Amanda Von Litolff and Missie Parren took to the streets of Waynesville for the SHARE Project’s 2nd Annual WNC Drug Awareness Walk.
As Peer Support Specialists, Missie and Amanda bring life-saving expertise to SPARC’s Family Centered Treatment Recovery teams and to the families we serve. These two also go above and beyond, as you see, giving of their time in the community as well! 🙌🏾 💙
Great coverage of the event by @themountaineernews - search “Addiction is a disease” on their website for the story by Vicki Hyatt.

#sparcfoundation #asheville #hendersonville #waynesville #peersupport #familycenteredtreatment #recovery #shareproject #ignitingconnections #cultureofinclusion

‘Field trip Friday’ for several members of SPA

‘Field trip Friday’ for several members of SPARC’s Equity Advocates Committee! We soaked up the rich history and wisdom shared by Mr. DeWayne Barton and Mr. Clifford Cotton as part of the Burton Street Community + Peace Garden educational, inspirational and aspirational Hood Huggers Tour. One of Asheville’s oldest African American neighborhoods, Burton Street was founded by E.W. Pearson in 1912. (Pearson was also Clifford Cotton’s grandfather!)
Whether you’ve lived in or near Asheville for months, years, or for a lifetime (we had all represented in our group) we guarantee you will learn A LOT! Get connected @hood_huggers @peacegardener + @bluenotejunction - so many ways to get informed and get involved!

#sparcfoundation #asheville #ignitingconnections #hoodhuggers #burtonstreet #blackhistory #equity #makethishustlework #dewaynebarton #bluenotejunction

"We're just nothing but grateful to be able to do

"We're just nothing but grateful to be able to do some of the things we plan to do with this funding," said Jackie Latek, executive director of the SPARC Foundation, which the city awarded $153,483 in American Rescue Act Plan COVID-19 relief fund dollars.

SPARC, an organization that "provides education and support in order to keep people out of institutional care," according to its website, will use the money for domestic violence intervention.
"In Buncombe County we have high rates of domestic violence," Latek said. "You look at the increased need for shelter beds of victims of domestic violence. It's such important funding that goes to those groups. And we also want to understand that one of the ways we address and decrease domestic violence in our community is really going to serve the people that are committing that violence in the home. That is our role in the community."

The group will use funding to train and reach people who use "power, control and violence in their relationships," establishing relationship to create accountability and behavior change.

This funding in particular will narrow in on addressing child abuse issues, which increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, Latek said.
"With this funding, we'll be able to bring in more training for our staff focused on trauma-informed care to address really getting at the core of how somebody begins to choose to use violence as tactic in their relationships," she said.

#sparcfoundation #asheville #domesticviolenceinterventionprogram #arpa #buncombecounty #ignitingconnections #endchildabuse #traumainformedcare #citizentimes #andrewjones

“All-in-one” is something we hear often from f

“All-in-one” is something we hear often from families when describing Family Centered Treatment (FCT) and FCT-Recovery. Maybe because the work is done in the home and by every member of a family - no splintered appointments all over town with no two members of a family addressing the same thing at the same time.
Each family member is most certainly an individual with his or her own needs, but as a unit, a family also has many strengths to draw on and some weaknesses to shore up. With our expanding Family Centered Treatment and FCT-Recovery programs in WNC, we not only have the opportunity to directly affect the outcomes for current families, but also for generations to come. Children see a positive shift in their family system and carry that into their future families.

#sparcfoundation #asheville #sparcinghope #hendersonville #transylvaniacounty #familycenteredtreatment #recovery #peersupport #keepingfamiliestogether #healthyfamilies #angermanagement

✨ 📰 ✨ SPARCing Creative Solutions - How co

✨ 📰 ✨
SPARCing Creative Solutions - How collaboration + innovation go hand in hand! 🤜🏾💥🤛🏼

#sparcfoundation #asheville #hendersonville #ignitingconnections #equity #creativesolutions #collaboration #blackhealthandwellness #cultureofinclusion #familycenteredtreatment #newsletter

🎶 SPARCing a little pep in our step on this Fri

🎶 SPARCing a little pep in our step on this Friday afternoon as we look back on last weekend’s 3rd Creative Market!
Aligning with SPARC’s mission to ignite connections and creative solutions for the people we serve, our staff, and our greater community, this year’s event was an energetic success!
Thank you to everyone who attended, to the 20+ artists and educators who participated, and to @mosaicrealtyavl for your financial and on-site support!
And a very special shout out to the fine and fun young men with @mydaddytaughtmethat and @mdtmtjr for all they brought to the day. 👏🏾👏🏻👏🏿👏🏽 Community at its best! We’re already planning for next year! 🎈

#sparcfoundation #asheville #buncombecounty #creativemarket #ignitingconnections #cultureofinclusion #equity #avlart #healthyfamilies #blackhealthandwellness #ashevillenonprofit

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