One Village was founded on the belief that art shouldn't be a luxury, but belong to everyone.

 

With that conviction, Mon Bethelwood started Arise and Shine Arts in Hendersonville NC, bringing accessible art classes for children and teens to the community there. After moving back to Asheville, she was forced to put that dream on hold when life took her in a different direction.

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Then, Hurricane Helene hit.

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Armed with only a camp stove, a few pounds of ground beef, and burger fixings, Mon set up in West Asheville and started cooking. Within a week, One Love Kitchen was born. Within two, it was a full operation of 20+ volunteers - mainly local artists - cooking on the side of the road, serving hundreds of hungry neighbors and essential workers for a month after Helene.

 

One Love Kitchen made sure anyone who needed a hot meal and a place to belong could find one. In doing so, it showed what's possible when people from all walks of life pull up a chair together.

 

As the former Community Health Director at the YMCA of WNC, Mon knew firsthand that holistic, multi-program Community Health Models work. After witnessing the power of One Love Kitchen, she found herself wondering: What if there was a Community Health Model that focused on the healing power of community gatherings and multi-level models of support? Where people come to heal through the power of connection and care?

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From that vision, One Village WNC and its's sister non-profit, One Village Collective, were born.

 

Loneliness is a growing public health crisis, and community is how we heal it. Our mission is to build inclusive spaces that invite neighbors to gather, create, learn, and connect, so that everyone has a village to belong to.