A volunteer packs a food box from the Children First/CIS Family Resource Center at Emma (FRCE) Food Pantry. On average, the FRCE provides over 1,000 food boxes to over 300 families a year, along with many other services that assist families in need.

The Family Resource Center at Emma (FRCE) is located on the campus of Emma Elementary School in the Emma Community. FRCE improves family’s financial stability by providing emergency assistance through a food pantry to decrease food insecurity; a clothing closet; emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities and medical expenses; and holiday assistance. In addition, we provide case management to those who are requesting assistance on an on-going basis. We work with families individually to bring them out of crisis and to financial stability. These services are available to both English and Latino families living in the Emma Community. For more information on our services for the Latino Community, please visit the Latino Outreach Program page.

Services and qualifications to receive services offered at Children First/CIS Family Resource Center at Emma:

Food Box: To receive a food box, you must have children living in the home and reside in the Emma Community. Recipients need to please bring proof of residency in the form of a bill or current piece of mail with address. To show proof of children living in the home, the recipient can bring a Medicare or Medicaid card or school records. If you are unsure if you live within the Emma Community, please call 252-4810 and we will check your address.

Emergency Financial Assistance: To receive Emergency Financial Services to pay for rent or delinquent utilities you must have children living in the home and reside in the Emma Community. If you are unsure if you live within the Emma Community, please call 252-4810 and we will check your address.

MotherRead Classes: This class is open to anyone in Buncombe County. MotherRead is a program that combines the teaching of literacy skills with child development and family empowerment issues. Parents learn to use the power of language to discover more about themselves, their families, and their communities. This class is offered to both English and Latino participants. Call 252-4810 for more information.

Love & Logic Parenting Classes: This class is open to anyone in Buncombe County. Put the fun back in parenting while teaching your children consequences to their actions. Through videos, workbooks and sharing, participants learn techniques to become more effective parents. This class is offered to both English and Latino participants. Call 252-4810 for more information.

The Community Garden: Our Community Garden is abundant through the warm months, and provides organic fresh vegetables for our food box recipients. If you would like to partake of the garden, come by and put in some volunteer garden time, and take home some fresh veggies! Call 252-4810 for more information.

Directions to the Children First/CIS Family Resource Center at Emma:
37 Brickyard Road, Asheville 28806 on the campus of Emma Elementary

From Patton Avenue, turn north onto Louisiana Avenue (next to Kmart shopping center).
Cross the railroad tracks and turn left at the traffic light onto Emma Road.
Take your first right onto Brickyard Road.
Turn right into the entrance of Emma Elementary School.
In the parking lot, turn left towards the playground and then turn right.
Ahead, you will see two portable buildings on the left. The furthest from the parking lot is the Family Resource Center.
If the Center’s parking lot is full, you may park in the school’s lot.

Residents living in the Emma Community would have to travel out of Emma to receive these services for their unmet needs, which presents a transportation barrier. In fact, the Emma Community does not have your typical amenities such as a library, community center, parks or sidewalks. The FRCE is considered the “hub” of the community. There is a Mission Health Clinic located next to FRCE that includes a Department of Social Services (DSS) worker twice a week. In addition, Buncombe County recently opened a satellite office on Leicester Highway that we can refer clients to for DSS, Juvenile Justice and mental health services.

“The Family Resource Center at Emma helped me out a lot with my heating assistance. I don’t know what I would have done without them. They were ready to help when no one else would.” Emergency Financial Assistance Client

In 2011-2012, the Family Resource Center at Emma Outcomes:

The food pantry provided a total of 684 food boxes to 213 households (389 adults, 329 children)
The clothing closet provided free clothing to 42 families, including 90 children
64 families (72 adults, 143 children) received a total of $6,333 in emergency assistance to prevent disconnection of utilities and eviction
193 children received gifts through the Holiday Assistance program
Intensive case management provided to 18 English-speaking and Latino clients.
Provided two Love & Logic parenting sessions in Spanish for a total of 18 graduates (17 moms and 1 dad)
Nine Latino Mothers completed the Motheread program and reported an increase in their literacy and communication skills in their native language as well as English.
10 middle and high school students were tutored by Warren Wilson College students through the MANOS program
The community garden provided veggies, herbs, and fruit to families while also engaging community volunteers
Strong collaborations with surrounding colleges and interns from Warren Wilson, Western Carolina, Mars Hill, UNCA and Asheville Buncombe Technical College

Children First/CIS partnerships are critical to our success at the FRCE. MANNA Foodbank provides food for our food pantry at low cost. Emma Elementary School provides the facility of our resource center and refers clients to us. We are a partner with the BEACON/Advantage System to document the services we provide to clients that other local non-profit agencies can track where the clients have received other services. International Link operates out of the FRCE weekly to provide services to non-English speaking clients and the Literacy Council works with clients at the FRCE as well.

Additional success is credited to the Children First/CIS volunteers. These volunteers include our Board of Directors but also include community volunteers who come and help with the day-to-day activities of the organizations. Volunteers at the FRCE help with preparing food boxes, sorting the clothing closet, cleaning the FRCE, working in the community garden, helping with annual events such as the annual community wide rummage sale and holiday assistance program.

Children First/Communities In Schools Buncombe County
Family Resource Center at Emma Mailing Address:
50 S. French Broad Ave. Ste. #246
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 259-9717
fax: (828) 281-3308

Family Resource Center Physical Address: See driving directions above
37 Brickyard Road
Asheville, NC 28806
828-252-4810

Lisa Barlow–Family Resource Center at Emma Coordinator
lisab@childrenfirstbc.org
Norma Brown– Latino Outreach Coordinator
normab@childrenfirstbc.org