Hey guys,

There's a lot to love about the holiday season, as we share in this week's newsletter exclusive with our guide to celebrations across WNC, but this year, I'm also leaning into being home for the holidays. 🤶🏻 That means adapting traditions, like making my family's classic cut-out cookies without the extra hands of my sisters and niece, and starting new ones, like trying new recipes. 

Top of that new recipe list: Making a roast. 🍖 Honestly, larger cuts of meat tend to intimidate me, but our friends at the New York Butcher Shoppe shared a guide for preparing the perfect holiday roast, and I actually feel prepared. So while I might be making Christmas dinner for two in a couple weeks, at least the flavors of the holiday will still be as delectable as ever. 

Till next week,

• Food for Thought  🍗 Our favorite chef duo—Meherwan Irani and Elliott Moss of Buxton Hall Barbecue—have new ventures to try. Check out Little Louies inside Buxton Hall for sub sandwiches and wings. The newest member of the Chai Pani Restaurant Group Family, Nani's Rotisserie Chicken, is just up the road from Chai Pani in the Grove Arcade. They're serving sustainably raised chicken with sides like braised winter greens.
• Better Investments 💰 Earth Equity Advisors recently announced the launch of Earth Equity ALIGN, one of the first entirely sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) robo-advisors. ALIGN creates custom SRI portfolios designed to reflect investors' values with a combination of nearly 500 SRI stocks that have been hand-selected by Earth Equity. Learn more. 
• Big Biz 💊 The Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development recently announced that Henderson County will be home to a new manufacturing facility for Jabil Healthcare, the largest global manufacturing solutions provider in the healthcare industry. The company expects to invest $38 million into the new 180,000-sq.-ft. facility, which is set to begin operations in 2022 and create 150 new jobs by 2025. 
• Outsiders 🥾 Last week the 9 companies participating in the second annual Waypoint Accelerator program, which launched Dec. 3 and continues through March 2021, were announced. This cohort's companies include Asheville Adventure Company (outdoor tours), Plantd Climbing (goods and training tools for climbing), and Block by Block Industries, which employs individuals with barriers to employment in manufacturing sewn goods for the outdoor industry. Learn more. 

JOBS

• Harmony Aesthetic Technology Solutions is looking for a Lead Audio & Video Technician. 📺
• A-B Tech is looking for an ✏️ Administrative Assistant for the Writing Center.
• Sona Pharmacy 👩🏻‍⚕️ is looking for a Customer Service Associate.

• NC State Employees' Credit Union 🏦 is looking for a Financial Services Representative.

• Asheville Humane Society is looking for a Behavior Department Assistant. 🦮

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The Lenoir-Rhyne Equity and Diversity Institute, which focuses on equitable strategies for business, education, and technology, has added classes for Feb. and March 2021. 🤝 Sign up here. 
• Through the Bullard Family Foundation, MANNA FoodBank, and other partners, Asheville-area families in need will be able to pick up a holiday family food box and meet WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil, aka Thaddeus Ballard, this Sat. Dec. 12 at the Arthur R. Edington Center. 🍽
• A portion of all online store proceeds from the Hop this week will go toward Asheville Strong and their matched $100k fundraising goal. 🍦 Check out goodies like their famous ice cream Yule log and holiday flavors like peppermint stick for a good cause.

• Asheville Tea Company recently released new holiday tea boxes, including Cozy Cocktails, Let It Snow, Blue Christmas, and Spice Up Your Holidays. ☕️

• Heart of Brevard has announced the overall winner of its Downtown Holiday Windows Competition: DD Bullwinkel’s. ❄️ Other honorees include Broad Street Wines and Highland Books, but judging for the “People’s Choice” award will continue until Dec. 27. Learn more. 

• ABCCM receives an average of 10-15 calls a day for heating assistance and has prevented the shut off of heat for 60 households in the past 90 days. 🔥  They are seeking donations and sponsors for families with children and individuals.

• Gaia Herbs was awarded the Gold medal in the Wellness Products category for Inc.’s Inaugural Best in Business List, which recognizes small- and medium-sized businesses that made the greatest positive impact on their communities, industries, the environment, or society. 🌿

🎁  Gifting Season | The Show & Tell Online Holiday Pop Up Shop is live now through Jan. 10, featuring locally made gifts and new craft kits and curated boxes.

👋🏽  Bye, 2020 | Celebrate the victories of 2020 with Mountain BizWorks at their Virtual End of Year Celebration on Tue. Dec. 15 from 5–6:30 p.m. 

🤑 Tax Talk | Accountants from Johnson Price Sprinkle will offer their year-end tax presentation, Tax Talk 2020, in UNCA's free public virtual event on Fri. Dec. 11 at 10 a.m.

🌍  Earth Month | This month, the WNC Nature Center is hosting a virtual Party for the Planet, which encourages families to pledge to protect the planet in 2021 through conservation efforts.

📕  Literary Awards | The WNC Historical Association will announce the winner of the 2020 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award on Wed. Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. 

🙏🏼 Local Documentary | Theirs Is the Kingdom, a feature length doc which examines the intersection of poverty and portraiture through the fresco inside Haywood Street Congregation, is available through Dec. 13. 
 
🎞 Christmas Movie | Catch Love Actually this Sun. Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. outside at Rabbit Rabbit.