one year of ell classes
One year ago this week we re-launched English Language Learner classes with our partners at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Cashiers. Today, a year later, over 100 students have taken part in our classes and some 20-plus volunteers from Good Shepherd and the IFC have provided meals and childcare for every one of those class days.
healthy homes
As part of a joint grant from Highlands-Cashiers Health Foundation and The Nantahala Health Foundation, the IFC is helping at-risk homeowners in Macon and Jackson Counties with repairs that directly improve the overall safety of their homes.
Happy Holidays
As we close the book on 2022, we wanted to take a moment to wish you all a happy and safe holiday season and a new year filled with joy and promise.
Food & Literacy
The International Friendship Center and the Literacy and Learning Center of Highlands are collaborating on a youth cooking project held at the LLC.
¡Viva Carnaval!
We welcomed around 400 of our friends and neighbors to IFC’s first ever Carnval de Colores at the Village Green in Cashiers on Thursday, September 15, 2022.
hitting the skatepark
Come Skate Day was held at the Highlands Skate Park at the Rec. Center on Saturday, August 27. Over 50 skateboards and helmets were distributed to underserved youth from across Western North Carolina.
Groupo de Mujeres at the Bascom
The International Friendship Center Women's group spent a fun afternoon at the Bascom with Frank Vickey, Director of Ceramics at the Bascom, creating their own individually inspired ceramic creations.
Día del Niño a success!
June 4th was IFC’s Día del Niño celebration. With help from our partners at Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Boys and Girls Club, we celebrated the joy and wonder of childhood with our Hispanic communities on the plateau.
ELL Classes in cashiers!
Non-English speakers in Jackson County are getting an education in language and literacy thanks to a partnership between the International Friendship Center and the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Cashiers.
hispanic heritage month
The IFC’s Andrea Smith and Karla Magaña-Almanza are featured in The Highlander in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 23, 2021.
IFC Receives Dahlia festival Award
On Saturday and Sunday, September 11-12, Highlands became the backdrop for beautiful vignettes of dahlias and native plants. During the 11th annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival, hosted by the Highlands Historical Society, members of the public were encouraged to vote for their favorite display. There were 27 displays, and the International Friendship Center’s entry, "From the Mountains of Mexico to Main Street", was selected as Second Runner Up. Our entry was designed by board member Joyce Fleming and was displayed at Town Square on Main Street.
EMPTY BOWLS 2021
Nearly one in five people in Jackson and Macon counties fall beneath the poverty line, and one in four children in Western North Carolina face hunger on a regular basis.
On September 25, please join the International Friendship Center's Highlands Food Pantry and Highlands First Presbyterian Church, as we host the 11th Annual Empty Bowls event to fight hunger in our community. Now more than ever, we need your help to keep our neighbors from having empty bowls on their tables.
Due to Covid-19 precautions and in an effort to keep our volunteers and supporters healthy, Empty Bowls will be a drive-thru event. We are looking forward to safely offering handmade ceramic bowls and delicious soups and dessert donated by our favorite local chefs and restaurants to all attendees.
Another successful covid-19 Vaccine Clinic
Community partners and The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau Covid-19 Vaccination Initiative hosted a 4th Vaccine Clinic on Sunday and together we served more than 140 of our Latino neighbors.
Marty Rosenfield retires as director of the food pantry
The International Friendship Center in Highlands, North Carolina, announces Marty Rosenfield’s retirement as the Director of the Highlands Food Pantry. We are grateful for Marty's unwavering dedication for the past five years, giving many hours of service in order to serve those in our community who have been in need.
IFC and community partners host latino vaccine event
Andrea Smith and David Moore of the International Friendship Center partnered with staff members and volunteers from the IFC Latina Women’s Initiative, the Community Care Clinic, Vecinos Farm Workers Health Program, the Macon County EMS, Cashiers EMS, the Macon County Health Department, the Highlands-Cashiers Health Foundation and others to make the first Latino vaccine event a success.
Combatiendo la inseguridad alimentaria
En Highlands, Carolina del Norte, una organización local está haciendo una gran diferencia y esfuerzo en su comunidad. El International Friendship Center (IFC por su siglas en inglés) es una organización sin fines de lucro que atiende las comunidades de Franklin, Highlands y Cashiers en Carolina del Norte.
Planting Seeds of Love Against Food Insecurity
"Our goal is to assist those who step forward and ask for help, not to question their need and to treat those individuals with respect and dignity," says director of the Highlands Food Pantry, Marty Rosenfield.
the impact of covid on area food banks
Highlands food pantries have seen a rise in demand for their services as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic. This article in Plateau Daily News highlights new strategies for stocking food and methods of distribution now required to adjust to the crisis.
Board member spotlight: Bill Lee
I am Bill Lee and joined the board of the International Friendship Center in 2018…
black lives matter
The International Friendship Center joins in solidarity with activists around the world who demand justice for all Black people who have faced discrimination and violence…