There have been multiple attempts over the years at bringing together Cherokee County residents to work at solving our collective problems, many that have been outlined in the myFutureNC 2026 profile. Alas, despite some good efforts, plenty of concerns remain.
Here are but a few examples: The median income in our county of 30,373 people is $55,351, well below the state median of $74,055. It takes a staggering 83.7% of that income to afford a home, while the state’s rate is a still high but much lower 66.8%. The child poverty rate is 14%, which is due in part to the fact that single-parent households add up to 13.1%. And 39% of local students are considered chronically absent, well above the rural average of 28%.
The WNC Bridge Foundation would like to help change that. To get started, Zach Levin, CEO of the nonprofit, held a “community conversation” in a crowded but lively room on July 8 at United Community Bank in Andrews to hear directly from local leaders about Cherokee County’s strengths, challenges, opportunities and priorities.
Levin said the foundation, which was formed and funded after the sale of Mission Hospital in Asheville, exists to connect western North Carolina communities to a healthier future and create lasting change through local partnerships. The charitable organization’s efforts are focused on expanding access and equity for vulnerable populations, providing direct support and empowering nonprofits to impact individual and overall wellness throughout the region.
There was a nice variety of professionals in the room to hear from. On hand were the mayors of Andrews and Murphy, two county commissioners, the superintendent and others representing the school system, the community college president, the director of social services, the chief sheriff’s deputy, workforce officials, business and nonprofit leaders, health-care and youth workers, and even a semi-retired newspaper publisher. All expressed optimism about the future while talking about what it’s going to take to get there in the best possible way.
Sue Lynn Ledford, director of Four Square Community Action, made a great point that it’s going to take strong and strategic public-private-nonprofit partnerships to make permanent positive changes, as no single effort has all of the resources needed to effectively combat the challenges facing us. Organizer Pam Hartley of myFutureNC noted that there was a good collaborative spirit and supportive tone as folks tried to identify ways to move shared priorities forward.
The discussion, which barely started and could have easily continued for hours, was just a starting point. This community conversation needs to be a springboard to the next steps so the best ideas can be put into corrective actions. Cherokee County is a wonderful place to live and work, but it can still be even better if we help raise up the people Jesus called “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40).
If you’ve been wondering whether anybody is listening to your concerns, much less working on solutions, the answer is yes, with hopefully much more to come in the months ahead. If you would like to know more, visit wncbridge.org. The myFutureNC 2026 profile can be seen at dashboard.myfuturenc.org/county-data-and-resources.
David Brown is a columnist for the Cherokee Scout. Email him at dbrown1113@msn.com.