The donation will be divided evenly among Bounty & Soul, Food Connection, and Eliada Homes. Each organization is set to receive $50,000 to support their ongoing community services focused on food security, education, and health and wellness—the core pillars of the firm’s foundation.
The announcement comes as the firm prepares for a major relocation of its Asheville office in early December to the entire top floor of the historic 1 Oak Plaza in downtown Asheville. This move is seen as a key signal of the firm's growth and its deeper, long-term commitment to the WNC region.
Building on Resilience and Recovery
The $150,000 gift specifically targets organizations that were vital in the community’s recovery efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Helene last year, building on more than $200,000 in previous giving related to the storm.
Amy Bibby, partner and Asheville market leader for Forvis Mazars, highlighted the community’s spirit. "Asheville has shown incredible resilience, perseverance, and optimism over the past year. The devastation left in Helene’s wake shook us all, but the response has been so inspiring," Bibby said. "Forvis Mazars is proud to support three of the nonprofit organizations that work daily to meet the evolving needs of our community."
The Impact of the Donation
The funding will provide a crucial boost to the recipients:
Bounty & Soul, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting health and wellness through fresh food access and education, plans to use the investment to expand capacity. Founder and Executive Director Ali Casparian noted that the funds will "directly support our purchase of a new 6,000-square-foot facility," which will enhance their ability to store, distribute, and deliver fresh, nutritious food to families facing rising food insecurity.
Food Connection works to relieve hunger and reduce food waste by connecting surplus, freshly prepared meals from local businesses to those in need. Since its inception in 2014, the organization has directed over 850,000 meals to neighbors and kept an estimated 350 tons of fresh food out of the Buncombe County landfill.
Eliada Homes, with over 120 years of service, offers a "cradle-to-career" continuum of services, including Therapeutic Foster Care, Residential Treatment, early childhood education, and the Students Training for Advancement Program (ESTA) for youth aging out of foster care.
The firm's upcoming move to 1 Oak Plaza symbolizes its transition from a regional player to a global powerhouse, with over 40,000 employees and 1,800 partners worldwide. Forvis Mazars maintains that its ongoing community support is integral to its identity as it continues its growth in the heart of downtown Asheville.
WNCTimes