On May 14, the community, including several Biltmore Park residents, came together to celebrate All Souls Counseling Center (ASCC) at its fourth-annual springtime fundraiser, Hope Is in Bloom. Held at the Crest Center against the sweeping backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the luncheon welcomed funders, friends, staff, board members, civic leaders and nonprofit partners for an afternoon of connection, fine food and a shared commitment to expanding mental health care access across Western North Carolina.

Executive Director Meredith Switzer, M.Ed., opened with heartfelt gratitude to presenting sponsor First Bank, whose generous support and dedication to the ASCC mission made the event possible. Pisgah Investments Foundation was recognized for underwriting the keynote speaker and extending invitations to nonprofit collaborators, ensuring that the spirit of partnership was woven into the event at every the table.

A moving highlight came early in the program when Mayor Esther Manheimer delivered a City of Asheville Proclamation officially designating May 14, 2026, as All Souls Counseling Center Day, a fitting tribute during National Mental Health Awareness Month. She recognized ASCC as a leading nonprofit provider and indispensable community partner in delivering affordable, high-quality mental health care. For more than 25 years, All Souls has met a critical need, offering sliding-scale services to adults who might otherwise go without care.

The afternoon reached its emotional height with the keynote address by Kevin C. Snyder, Ph.D., who spoke with candor and courage about his lifelong navigation of depression, anxiety and an eating disorder — challenges that began in childhood and followed him into adulthood. Rather than defining him, those experiences became the foundation of his professional calling and his passionate advocacy for dismantling the stigma that still keeps so many from seeking help.

Snyder wove his personal story into the broader work of All Souls, offering a powerful reminder that mental health care is not a luxury; it is essential to recovery, resilience and the full expression of a life well lived. When barriers fall and honest conversations begin, he told the room, hope doesn’t just survive — it blooms.

The event served as both celebration and rallying cry, affirming that the work of All Souls Counseling Center remains as vital and necessary as ever in the mountains of Western North Carolina.