Asheville Yoga Center Fundraises for Homeless High School Students

Yoga studio dedicates classes & 10% of proceeds on Dec. 28 to Asheville City Schools

The solution to poverty begins with providing quality education to all children, no matter what their socioeconomic situation. To support this effort, Asheville Yoga Center is collecting donations for Asheville City Schools to help foster the successful education of homeless and underprivileged students in our community.

Donation boxes will be stationed in the AYC Studio and Boutique all month long, and proceeds from AYC’s yoga classes will be donated directly to Asheville City Schools. On Friday, December 15, AYC Founder Stephanie Keach will dedicate her Hot Power Ashtanga Mix class to the month-long fundraiser, and on Thursday, December 28, 10% of all drop-in and community class sales will be donated to ACS. Along with class donations, AYC will contribute $250 to help ensure homeless students have access to the quality education they deserve.

“We realize the positive impact that the teachers and staff at Asheville City Schools have on our community, and we are glad that we can support their efforts,” says Melissa Pennscott, general manager of AYC.

Right now, there are more than 133 homeless students in the Asheville community alone. By the end of the school year, that number could escalate to nearly 200, according to Kate Perrotta, Homeless Liaison for Asheville City Schools. The solution to poverty, she says, is education, which is why Asheville City Schools works diligently to help reduce barriers to education and provide stable learning environments for all students in the Asheville Community.

“Asheville City Schools staff provide wraparound support services to our students who experience homelessness,” Perrotta says. “These students lack very basic needs. Our goal is to help students graduate and hopefully end the cycle of poverty. We want these students to be visible in our schools and community … if we know their circumstances, we can help! We work collaboratively with our community to address barriers to education and access to needed resources.”

For more information on Asheville City Schools, go to ashevillecityschools.net.