The Givens Philanthropy Team recently had the pleasure of visiting 12 Baskets Café, a program of Asheville Poverty Initiative (API), to see firsthand the incredible impact this organization is making in our community. The visit was especially meaningful as it brought together longtime Givens Estates resident volunteers Bill Lowery and Alice Petersen, whose nearly decade long commitment to 12 Baskets Café continues to exemplify the spirit of generosity and community connection at Givens.
Joining Bill and Alice were Joey Abel, Givens Community Impact Director, and JoAnn Lindfors, Philanthropy Communications and Stewardship Associate, who toured the facility and met the dedicated API team members working daily to ensure dignity, inclusion, and abundance for all who walk through the doors.
From the moment the group arrived, the sense of welcome was unmistakable. The space also includes a food pantry where individuals can freely take what they need, reinforcing the café’s commitment to trust and mutual respect. As Alice Petersen reflected, “There is a tremendous sense of trust and freedom within this establishment, where patrons are respected and treated with dignity.”
Throughout the café, individuals, some longtime patrons and others visiting for the first time, were greeted warmly with conversation, smiles, and even hugs. The atmosphere felt less like a traditional meal service and more like a gathering of neighbors. Aaron Ortego, Café Program Coordinator, alongside each volunteer and team member, helped ensure the meal service ran smoothly while fostering the welcoming, relational spirit that defines 12 Baskets Café.
For nearly every Friday over the past nine years, Bill Lowery and Alice Petersen have volunteered at 12 Baskets Café. Their service is closely connected to a unique and impactful partnership between Givens and API. Working alongside Kacia Stuart, a member of the Givens Dining team, Bill and Alice help package unused meals from Givens Estates dining services. Kacia assists with preparing and loading the food, and Bill and Alice then deliver it directly to the café, where it becomes part of the free meals offered to the community.
Before this initiative began, unused food from Givens dining services had to be destroyed and composted, an expensive process. Nearly ten years ago, Bill Lowery saw an opportunity to turn excess into abundance. He wrote a proposal to Givens management suggesting that unused meals be donated instead. After eight months of careful review, the proposal was approved, and a new chapter of community partnership began.
Bill is quick to credit Kacia Stuart for her steadfast support over the years. “She has been helping us for as long as I can remember,” he shared, expressing deep gratitude for her role in making the deliveries possible week after week.
12 Baskets Café is open to everyone and provides free meals seven days a week. The program is rooted in the belief that everyone has something to offer, and everyone has needs. Its guiding vision is to build a beloved community that celebrates mutuality, abundance, and equity. Through shared meals and meaningful connection, 12 Baskets Café dismantles stereotypes, reduces fear, and empowers hope by encouraging relationships across socio economic differences.
Asheville Poverty Initiative has been a steadfast presence in the community for over a decade, building community and promoting economic justice from its center at the corner of State Street and Haywood Road. Through programs like 12 Baskets Café and Realities of Poverty, API prioritizes inclusivity, dignity, and education while addressing hunger, housing, and poverty.
“Come for the food, stay for the community” is more than a tagline. It is a lived experience at 12 Baskets Café, where everyone is invited to sit at the table, meet someone new, and support one another.
Givens is incredibly proud of residents like Bill Lowery and Alice Petersen, individuals who embody what it means to build community and empower the lives of those around them. We are equally proud to work alongside dedicated team members and community partners who support organizations like Asheville Poverty Initiative and help strengthen our shared commitment to compassion, connection, and service.
To learn more about this meaningful partnership, readers are invited to view the accompanying Asheville Poverty Initiative “Westival” fundraiser story by clicking here:
https://givensphilanthropy.org/givens-celebrates-partnership-with-asheville-poverty-initiative-at-westival-fundraiser/