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Summer, 2018
Greetings!

It's hard to believe the summer is winding down and fall is right around the corner! We can’t wait to welcome new and returning students to A-B Tech. Y ou make it possible for our students to succeed by ensuring the resources they need to attend classes. Because of you over a half million dollars were awarded in scholarships, faculty and staff were able to attend trainings to stay on top of the latest instructional methods and trends in their program areas, and assistance was provided to students with emergency financial needs. Last year you helped over 120 students purchase books and uniforms, pay for gas to get to campus, and pay for certification and licensing test fees through the student emergency fund. Of those students, 52 repaid the money when their financial situation improved. The emergency fund is often what prevents students from dropping out when they experience a crisis. A recipient told us, “I wouldn’t have been able to finish my degree without it. Thank you so much!”

The Foundation team has had a great summer, working on new and old partnerships on campus and in the community. The Foundation Board was welcomed to the Woodfin campus for their June board meeting, and enjoyed a barbecue dinner and fantastic tour of the facilities. A few even took a ride in the police car! Their next stop was Enka for the August meeting, and you can read more about that below. We are also excited to announce a $50,000 challenge gift for the Ivy project and are only $16,000 away from meeting that goal! We would love to talk more with you about helping us meet the goal.

Best,
Amanda
Donate Now!
Learn more about the A-B Tech Foundation and Foundation Board here !


The August A-B Tech Foundation Board Meeting
The A-B Tech Foundation Board has been visiting and getting to know the other A-B Tech locations and campuses. After meeting at the Woodfin Campus for the June meeting, the Board met on August 14th at the Enka Campus. They appreciated hearing from Mark Sundara owner of Asheville Ice, and a tour from Jill Sparks, the Executive Director of the Small Business Center. The Board enjoyed learning about Blue Ridge Food Ventures, The NC BioTech Network, and the A-B Tech Brewing, Distillation and Fermentation Program, all housed at the Enka Campus.
The A-B Tech STEP Program
The A-B Tech Foundation is excited to provide additional funding this year for the A-B Tech Skills Training Employment Program (STEP). STEP is a collaborative partnership between A-B Tech and Buncombe County Health and Human Services to provide recipients of food assistance with access to education and training programs to increase access to sustainable employment and self-sufficiency. STEP is a first in the state partnership geared to provide innovative workforce and education focused solutions to poverty in Buncombe County. This program effectively utilizes the pooled resources of A-B Tech and Buncombe County along with local nonprofits to provide a comprehensive continuum of care that addresses client needs and supports participant graduation.
           
Specifically the STEP program works one-on-one with SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) recipients within Buncombe to offer guidance and financial support in attending and successfully completing A-B Tech courses and programs for one year (with an option to renew for an additional year). Clients have the option of participating in occupational skills courses geared toward employment, HSE (High School Equivalency) and basic skills courses, A-B Tech Job Club program and two year curriculum courses. Since program inception in November 2016 participants have completed over 150 courses throughout continuing education and curriculum. Additionally 85 participants in our program have gained employment at an average wage of $11.37 an hour, which is an over two dollar increase in average program participant wage before A-B Tech began partnering with Buncombe County to deliver services ($8.95). With increased support from the Foundation we look forward to even more success!
Ivy Building Project Update
The A-B Tech Foundation announced that the College has received a $50,000 challenge gift in support of the Ivy Building Renovation Project as a way to honor the work and leadership of former St. Genevieve/Gibbons Hall Headmaster Joseph M. Lalley.

Read the full press release here.
The 2018 Golf Tournament!
A great day of golf for a great cause.

The Mt. Mitchell Golf Club hosted the 15th Annual K. Ray Bailey/A-B Tech Foundation Invitational Golf Classic on July 13, 2018. Proceeds from the tournament go directly to assist A-B Tech students through the Golf Classic Scholarship and other financial assistance.

This year's winners were:

Flight A: 1st Place – Vannoy Construction; 2nd Place – PSNC / HomeTrust Bank

Flight B: 1st Place – GE Aviation; 2nd Place – Appalachian Tool & Machine

Flight C: 1st Place – TD Bank; 2nd Place – Jacob Holm
Flight D: 1st Place – Aloft Asheville Downtown; 2nd Place – Goforth Builders

We greatly appreciate the work of our Golf Planning Committee and the 25+ A-B Tech staff and local volunteers who helped during the event.

Finally, we'd like to say a huge "Thank You" to our 2018 Teams and Sponsors for making this such a successful day. Visit the Office of College Advancement's website for more information on tournament sponsors.
Upcoming Events
Join us on August 26 from 5-8 at the Air Level rooftop space of Aloft Asheville Downtown, 51 Biltmore Ave for A-B Tech night! Enjoy live music and support the A-B Tech Foundation! More information can be found here.
Save the Date for this year's Autumn in Asheville - October 18, 2018. Details to come!
Thanks to our Annual Sponsors!
Welcome to our 2018 A-B Tech Foundation Annual Sponsors. This new initiative allows sponsors to choose the package that works best for them – whether it is tickets to Autumn in Asheville or participation in our annual Golf Tournament…or both! For more information on how you or your company can become an A-B Tech Annual Sponsor, contact Amanda Edwards at 828-398-7176 or amandaedwards@abtech.edu
Support A-B Tech! When you shop at smile.amazon.com Amazon donates!