Mission Hospital awards $20,000 to local food security partners

Asheville, N.C. — Mission Hospital celebrated the success of its 2025 Food Drive with a check presentation today, recognizing two local nonprofit organizations with $10,000 donations each in support of food security across Western North Carolina.

The donations were awarded to Meals on Wheels of Buncombe County and Bounty & Soul, two organizations nominated by Mission Hospital teams as part of a friendly, hospital-wide competition.

“This year we added some friendly competition among hospital departments to create an engaging, accessible way for colleagues to come together around a shared purpose — especially during the holidays,” said Annie Carpenter, AVP of Community Engagement at Mission Health. “Through collaboration, creativity, and compassion, Mission Hospital colleagues continue to make a meaningful difference for neighbors facing food insecurity throughout the region.”

Representatives from both nonprofits joined Mission colleagues for the presentation and expressed deep gratitude for the support.

"Bounty & Soul is deeply grateful to Mission Health for recognizing the critical connection between food, nutrition, and health, especially as so many of our neighbors continue to struggle to meet basic needs,” said Ali Casparian, Founder and Executive Director of Bounty & Soul. “This support will help provide nutritious, farm-fresh food through home delivery to community members who are particularly vulnerable due to health conditions, mobility challenges, or transportation barriers. We’re proud to partner in this work, supporting community health while also investing in local farmers and strengthening the regional food system."

The Mission Hospital Food Drive was part of HCA Healthcare’s enterprise-wide November food drive initiative, but Mission leaders added a unique, competitive element to encourage participation and engagement. Hospital units rallied together to donate food and volunteer time, with four teams ultimately recognized for their efforts. Two winning teams earned the opportunity to direct $10,000 donations to charities of their choice.

The Mission Hospital Case Management team was recognized for having the highest number of new volunteers participate in the drive, and they chose to donate their $10,000 to Bounty & Soul. The combined Mission Hospital Procedural and Respiratory teams collected the greatest total weight of donated food, resulting in a $10,000 gift to Meals on Wheels of Buncombe County. Funding for the donations came from Mission Health’s annual charitable giving fund.

In addition to the $20,000 awarded through the competition, Mission Health colleagues collected more than 11,000 pounds of food across Western North Carolina during the food drive. Funds were also distributed to six additional local food pantries as part of the broader enterprise initiative.

Over the course of the year, Mission Health provided a total of $97,600 to 14 community agencies supporting food security, including: Haywood Street Congregation; Food Connection; 12 Baskets; Bounty & Soul; Meals on Wheels of Buncombe County; MANNA FoodBank; Macon County CareNet; Loving Food Resources; Fishes & Loaves; Highlands Emergency Council; Foothills Food Hub; Meals on Wheels Transylvania; Bread of Life; and Transylvania Christian Ministries.