assumptions - illuminations

photographs - stories

June 13-15, 2025 - Downtown Asheville

A three day event and collaboration from Asheville Poverty Initiative and UnLabel Me, presented by Sugar Hollow Solar. UnLabel Poverty features portraits of patrons, volunteers, and community members with accompanying stories through panels, discussions, and poverty walks.

To learn more about our Realities of Poverty Education Program click here.

Free - All Welcome

UnLabel Poverty is presented by:

Experience Details:

Activities include: Photography installation & video stories, downtown poverty walks & panel discussions; stories, poetry, and music shared by Asheville poverty initiative community members. All Free, all welcome!

June 13th Friday - 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm

4:00 pm Realities of Poverty Walk (sign up HERE)
- 1-mile, 90-min. walk through downtown Asheville. Led by our Poverty Educators with first-hand experience with homelessness or poverty, the walks highlight systemic obstacles and available resources. We will proceed with the walk, rain or shine. Please wear good walking shoes and bring water.
5:00 pm UnLabel Poverty Exhibit opens to the public
6:00 to 9:00 pm Opening Celebration - Performances, stories, small plates, refreshments, and more!

June 14th Saturday - 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

11:00 am UnLabel Poverty Exhibit opens to the public
12:00 pm Poverty Education? What it is and why we need it. (sign up HERE)
1:00 pm Realities of Poverty Walk (sign up HERE)
- 1-mile, 90-min. walk through downtown Asheville. Led by our Poverty Educators with first-hand experience with homelessness or poverty, the walks highlight systemic obstacles and available resources. We will proceed with the walk, rain or shine. Please wear good walking shoes and bring water.
3:00 pm Listening to Lived Experience: A conversation on what it's like to be poor in Asheville. (sign up HERE)

June 15th Sunday - 11:00 am to 2:30 pm

11:00 am UnLabel Poverty Exhibit opens to the public
11:00 am Realities of Poverty Walk (sign up HERE)
- 1-mile, 90-min. walk through downtown Asheville. Led by our Poverty Educators with first-hand experience with homelessness or poverty, the walks highlight systemic obstacles and available resources. We will proceed with the walk, rain or shine. Please wear good walking shoes and bring water.
1:00 pm Change-Making: Local policy responses to poverty (sign up HERE)

All events are FREE and open to the public! We have limited space for the panels and walks so please be sure to sign up in advance.

All Realities of Poverty Walks will last 1.5 hours with 30 min buffer.

All panels will last 1 hour with 30 min buffer.

Want to know more about who is speaking at the event?

Click here

Community Cures Poverty

“12 Baskets' impact can be measured in pounds of food and meals served, but to me the heart is all the small stories of connection. Jensen helps someone get their phone working, they are able to text their sister who was worried about them. A circle of people play guitar and drums in the garden, and a person listening who just arrived in Asheville and doesn't know where they fit, suddenly feels welcome. Strangers sitting at a table bond over their love of peanut butter cookies and then one offers the other a needed ride to an appointment. Happens everyday.”

- Jen Murphy, long time cafe patron and volunteer