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West Marion Inc

@westmarioninc

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West Marion Inc in Western North Carolina

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Join us Friday for a First Site Visit to @westmarioninc’s Resilience Hub! Director Paula Swepson is a Keynote Speaker at McDowell Chamber of Commerce Annual Legislative Gathering (11am-1pm) and we will convene at the building directly following (148 East Hudgins Street, Marion, NC).

The West Marion Resilience Hub will partner with the City of Marion to breathe new life into the historic Hudgins High/Mountain View School, a treasured African-American institution, transforming it into a 66,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art mixed-use community center. This project not only honors the legacy of our ancestors but also reimagines this iconic building as a beacon of resilience and progress. The center will serve as a vital resource, offering essential services such as behavioral health support, healthcare, childcare, and workforce development. By addressing critical issues like public health, food insecurity, and transportation barriers, the hub will foster both environmental sustainability and socio-economic growth. Importantly, the hub will also function as an emergency shelter during climate-related disasters, providing a safe haven equipped with trauma-informed medical services and mutual aid support. This transformation honors the past while paving the way for a brighter, more resilient future for all.

Learn more and get involved: https://www.westmarion.org/donate

#blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #wncnews #nc #northcarolina #wnc #appalachia taken in Marion, North Carolina by @westmarioninc

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2 years ago

The West Marion Resilience Hub will be a model for climate resilient infrastructure, featuring green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, it will reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by providing accessible multi-modal transportation opportunities for our community, it will incorporate renewable and efficient energy systems into the building design, it will support indoor and outdoor air quality via air monitoring systems, and it will train a new workforce of grassroots leaders in disaster preparedness and function as an emergency shelter during climate-related disasters, such as fires, floods, mudslides, and extreme hot and cold temperatures. This shelter will provide a safe haven for community members where they can access housing, water, food, trauma-informed medical services, and mutual aid support to better withstand the impacts of climate shocks and recover more quickly. Ultimately, the transformation of this building honors our past while paving the way for a brighter, more resilient future for all.

https://www.westmarion.org/donate by @westmarioninc

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a year ago

Best Documentary win tonight for @climatechangeand, Paula Swepson and @westmarioninc! Plus Judge’s Choice win! And Best Directing win for @daynareggero! Thank you @mcdowellarts and Micropolitan Film Festival Thank you to all who shared their stories! Learn more about the resilience hub : westmarion.org/donate 💚 taken in Marion, North Carolina by @westmarioninc

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a month ago

Best Documentary win in Appalachia tonight for my latest @climatelisteningproject film effort with Paula Swepson and @westmarioninc! Plus Judge’s Choice win! And Best Directing win! Thank you @mcdowellarts and Micropolitan Film Festival Thank you to all who shared their stories after Hurricane Helene and to Zachary Kanzler and Tanya Davis! Learn more about their work for a resilience hub : westmarion.org/donate 💚 by @westmarioninc

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a month ago

Thank you Southern Shorts Awards for honoring new @climatelisteningproject film @climatechangeand with @westmarioninc 💚 by @westmarioninc

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a month ago

Thank you @mcdowellarts! by @westmarioninc

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a month ago

Special trip to Atlanta to honor Paula Swepson, Dawna Goode, Angela Forney and @westmarioninc at Southern Shorts Awards with a Best Documentary win for our film about their important work listening and caring for their community - Celebrating 10th Anniversary of the West Marion Community Forum and 10th Anniversary of the Southern Shorts Awards 💚 WestMarion.org/donate taken in Atlanta, GA by @westmarioninc

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2 months ago

New film @climatechangeand wins Best Environmental Documentary at the Los Angeles Women Independent Women Film Awards and is in the running to win at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills! 💚

The mission of the festival is designed to help create a platform for talented female artists to be recognized for their projects and more importantly, get them the industry exposure to help sustain their craft for many years to come. by @westmarioninc

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2 months ago

We invite the community to join us for our Juneteenth Celebration Weekend. Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we celebrate freedom, honor our shared history, and continue building a stronger, healthier, and more equitable future for McDowell County.

Happy Juneteenth and Happy June from West Marion Inc.!

Paula Swepson Avery, Executive Director

Juneteenth Pageant - Thursday, June 18th, 6:00pm, First United Methodist Church (please note the new location)
Family Fun Day at Lake James - Friday, June 19th, 10am-3pm, Paddy’s Creek
Juneteenth Freedom Festival - Saturday, June 20th, 4pm-8pm, West Marion Community Park
Community Worship Service - Sunday, June 21st, 11am-3pm, West Marion Community Park
Racial Equity Book Club and Big Foot Books & Brews host Author Melvin Bray - Tuesday, June 23rd, 5:30pm, Marion Train Depot
MANNA Community Market - Thursday, June 25th, 3:30pm, Addie’s Chapel United Methodist Church by @westmarioninc

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4 months ago

New film with @westmarioninc “Climate Change and…” wins Award of Merit for Motivational / Inspirational Documentary Short in Best Shorts Awards! See preview and learn more : https://www.westmarion.org/donate 💚 by @westmarioninc

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4 months ago

There are two ways to participate in the upcoming Juneteenth Community Art Gallery (in collaboration with @westmarioninc ) 💚💛❤️

1) Bring in your original art that fits the theme of the show "What does Freedom Mean to You?" All ages are welcome to participate, this portion of the gallery is intended to highlight work by Black & Brown artists.

2) Stop in and create a collage with the canvases and materials we have available in the gallery and then add your art to the collaborative wall of work celebrating Juneteenth

3) Find our booth at the 5th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival on Saturday June 20th from 4-8pm

* Then join us for the artist reception on Thursday June 12th from 4-6pm taken in McDowell Arts Council Association by @westmarioninc

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4 months ago

New series 2 of 3: Protect this Place, for The Revelator Magazine, with love to the friends and wildlife and places I’ve listened to around the world. Episode 2 featuring @grandiva64 and @westmarioninc from new film @climatechangeand — in Southern Appalachia a biodiversity hotspot where communities are still recovering from Hurricane Helene and coming together to build a Resilience Hub.

💚 https://therevelator.org/protect-southern-appalachia/

The Revelator is a news and ideas initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity taken in Marion, North Carolina by @westmarioninc

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5 months ago