13th Annual Welcome Home Luncheon
May 21, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | A-B Tech Mission Conference Center
Join hundreds of social justice advocates and dedicated community members at our premier event to inspire, inform, and raise funds to prevent and end homelessness in Buncombe County.
Thank you! This event has ended. Photos and videos from the event are included below.
Luncheon Photos
“Creating Community”
A new film by Katie Damien of Angry Unicorn Entertainment that emphasizes the importance of relationships in our work.
Luncheon Information
May 21, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
A-B Tech Mission Conference Center
16 Fernihurst Dr., Asheville, NC 28801
Arrival: Please plan to arrive between 11:30 – 11:45 AM to park, check-in, find your seat, and grab lunch. The program will begin at noon. Doors open at 11:30 AM. Vegan and gluten-free options will be available.
Parking: Parking is free at A-B Tech’s parking garage directly next to the conference center. Homeward Bound staff will be available to guide you to the correct door.
About the Program
In the last four years alone, Homeward Bound has grown significantly. We launched our Home is Key Capital Campaign, opened Compass Point Village, and expanded our housing and homeless services programming to meet the needs of our community. None of this progress would have been possible without the individuals, initiatives, businesses, and fellow nonprofits who also call WNC home.
“Solving Homelessness Together”
A conversation between strategy leaders on how we can respond to the state of homelessness in WNC post-storm and at a national level. Speakers include:
Simon Dwight
CEO, Homeward Bound of WNC
Bio
Experienced practitioner and researcher, adeptly bridging the worlds of homelessness solutions and academic insights. CEO of Homeward Bound in Asheville, NC. Former Specialist Adviser to the UK government. Harvard, Cambridge, and Middlesex University alum. As a leader, I’ve brought together diverse teams to drive growth, transform organization’s and impact multi-stakeholder systems. I believe we can solve entrenched social challenges through innovation, partnership, and a death grip on hope. My research focuses on two core passions. First, the role of community and relationships in sustainably ending poverty. Second, how organizational culture is formed and how it can be influenced to create success.
Emily Ball
Homeless Strategy Division Manager, City of Asheville
Bio
Emily Ball is the lead staff for the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care, our community’s collaborative planning body to coordinate homelessness response. Her interest in homelessness began as a 12-year-old serving a meal at a Mealsite with her youth group and has continued ever since. She has 18 years of experience in homelessness work, including 16 years in Asheville developing and overseeing homeless and housing programs at Homeward Bound and facilitating community-level work through the establishment of the new Continuum of Care in 2024. She is based at the City of Asheville, managing the Homeless Strategy Division, which fulfills the City’s responsibilities as the designated Lead Agency for the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care.
Andrew Yavorski
Program Officer Human Services, The Leon Levine Foundation
Bio
Andrew Yavorski is a Program Officer at The Leon Levine Foundation. As a Program Officer, Andrew is responsible for evaluating grant proposals, program research and identifying new grant opportunities. He works primarily in the Human Services mission area, which includes issues related to housing and homelessness. Currently, he also serves as the Vice Chair of the Mecklenburg County Continuum of Care Governing Board. A Charlotte native, Andrew earned his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy & History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington.
Questions about the event? Please reach out to our Donor Relations Specialist, Jaclyn Drake, at jaclyn@homewardboundwnc.org.
Event Sponsors
