Featured Photos: 1. (Above) BCS Teacher of the Year Bill Honey accepts an award from Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Member Development Tommy Dennison. 2. The 'Chamber Family Get-Down by the River' event was held at Asheville's 'Salvage Station' Venue. 3. BCS' Shannon Boyd accepts an award from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce for her work with the Family Resource Center.
By: Benjamin Rickert
BCS Communications Dept.
On Wednesday, Oct. 20, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce (AACC) recognized local humanitarians who went above and beyond to assist community members during the pandemic.
The honorees included local heroes like medical personnel, business owners, and community organizers who persevered to help those in need. Among them were Shannon Boyd, BCS Family Resource Center (FRC) director and social worker, and Bill Honey, BCS Teacher of the Year from W.D. Williams Elementary School.
“You’ve got to jump in and do what you can,” said Honey following the recognition. “Seeing smiles on the kids’ faces every day, and knowing that you actually have made a difference is what it is all about.”
On stage, Honey was recognized for his extraordinary efforts to provide academic support to families and students outside of school, organize events to connect his community, and help every student feel valued and loved. Honey’s vision to help students succeed in all circumstances is a shared value among all Buncombe educators, and he was chosen by his peers as the
BCS Teacher of the Year in September, 2021.
“It was incredible to be up there alongside the doctors and ER workers of COVID representing Buncombe County Schools,” Honey added.
When in-person learning was suspended by the governor in March of 2020, Boyd
launched the FRC with assistance from support staff, teacher assistants, and social workers. Initially staged in the Nesbitt Discovery Academy cafeteria, the center organized the collection and delivery of critical supplies to
thousands of area families. Early in the pandemic, the FRC also assisted BCS Nutrition with student meal delivery efforts, delivering
over 44,000 meals by June of 2020. The FRC
still operates today from the campus of Enka Middle School.
When asked about her award, Boyd responded with a story.
“The other day we helped a family load up a truck so they could move to permanent housing. They were just so happy, and we all stood there and watched them drive away with everything they needed for their new home, and our hearts were so full,” she recalled. “That’s what we want to continue to do.”
Boyd and Honey each received a framed award that read, “In recognition of compassionate service to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” signed by AACC President and CEO Kit Cramer. The event took place during the Chamber Family Get-Down by the River, hosted outdoors at the Salvage Station venue.