I’m supporting this great effort organized by Jill Lieberman and Blake Butler of Adapt Public Relations in Asheville. They’ve gotten six restaurants/businesses to donate proceeds from the sale of a designated dish/drink to three local nonprofits from now until the end of the year. The nonprofits that will benefit are Haywood Street Congregation, ABCCM and Western Carolina Rescue Ministry.

The participating restaurants/businesses are: Wicked Weed Brewing, Curaté, Creperie Bouchon, Scully’s, 5 Walnut, and Izzy’s Coffee. Here’s the full release:

The spirit of giving is everywhere this time of year. People are a little kinder, a little more generous, and a little more willing to help a stranger. With this in mind, six downtown Asheville businesses are joining together for “12 Days of Giving,” a program to give back to non-profit organizations that help feed, clothe and shelter the homeless in downtown Asheville.

The holidays are a time of year when many non-profits need resources, and though people want to help, they’re not always sure where to start. One of the goals for the 12 Days of Giving is to make it easy to give back. It doesn’t get much simpler than ordering a favorite item from one of the participating downtown establishments and knowing part of the proceeds will help local people in need. The six participating businesses include Wicked Weed Brewing, Curaté, Creperie Bouchon, Scully’s, 5 Walnut, and Izzy’s Coffee. Each business has designated one menu item for the “12 Days.” Every time this item is purchased between December 18th and December 31st, 10% of the proceeds will be donated to one of three downtown charities: Haywood Street Congregation, ABCCM, and Western Carolina Rescue Ministry.

Said Laura Kirby, Executive Director of Haywood Street Congregation, “We’re overwhelmed by the generosity of our local restaurants that are working to address hunger and homelessness in creative ways. It’s a reminder of the power of community; that good things follow when each person offers their gifts, their talents, their appetizers . . . whatever they have to contribute.”

The selected menu items include:

• Creperie Bouchon – Raclette, the new “social cheese plate”

• Curaté – “Berenjenas la Taberna,” fried eggplant drizzled in wild mountain honey and garnished with rosemary

• Izzy’s Coffee Den – 16 oz. Chocolate & Caramel Latte

• 5 Walnut Wine Bar – Sunburst Farms Smoked Trout Dip

• Scully’s Bar & Grille – Scully’s signature wings

• Wicked Weed Brewing – “Milk & Cookies” Stout

“Wicked Weed Brewing is honored and excited to be involved with the 12 Days of Giving,” said owner Rick Guthy. “Our mission includes giving back to Asheville and the local brewing community, but most importantly, to those in need of the basic necessities of life – food, shelter, and clothing. The latter will ALWAYS be the primary focus of our philanthropic giving.”

This is the first year of 12 Days of Giving, but the hope is it will become an annual program that continues to grow to include more participating businesses. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to give back even more to those in need in the Asheville community by showing the powerful impact that hundreds of small, meaningful actions can have when used collectively.