Community Involvement

JB Media is based in Asheville, in the mountains of western North Carolina. As a company and as individuals, we’re actively involved in giving back to the community we call home.

Company Support for Local Causes

JB Media team volunteering at for MLK Day

United Way of Asheville

On MLK Day in 2019, our team volunteered with United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County’s Day of Caring. We cleaned and sanitized the classrooms at Asheville Primary School so teachers, students, and staff could return after the holiday to sparkling clean spaces! 

JB Media team volunteering with Asheville Greenworks

Asheville GreenWorks

In an effort coordinated by Asheville GreenWorks, we picked up litter in the nearby Southside neighborhood, beginning at the Dr. Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center.

JB Media team volunteering with Riverlink

RiverLink

Every year, our company chooses a community service project to do as a team. Starting in 2016, through RiverLink, we adopted Smith Mill Creek, a tributary of the French Broad River that runs through West Asheville. Last spring, team members waded into the creek, hauling out plastic debris, tires, and even a shopping cart that was half buried in the creekbed (we learned about teamwork on that one!) We’re committed to cleaning this stream at least once each year.

JB Media team volunteering with Riverlink

MANNA FoodBank

The JB Media team split up for two days of volunteering at MANNA FoodBank in 2018. One group helped label cans of food and the other sorted cucumbers and eggplants. With the 15.7+ million pounds of food they distribute each year, we know we only made a dent—but we are so thankful for the opportunity! (Don’t let the Cold Mountain boxes deceive you, inside are just a few of the 5,040 cans of sweet peas we helped label and box.)

JB Media team volunteering with Riverlink

Other Nonprofits

We’ve supported numerous nonprofits as agency clients and as Institute students. We offer sliding scale rates to select local nonprofits so that we can help them take their great work further. We also donate a portion of our profits every year to local nonprofits. In recent years, we have supported Green Opportunities, Just Economics, Literacy Council of Buncombe County, Our VOICE, and Veterans Healing Farm.

Leadership Asheville and Leadership North Carolina

Four of our team members have completed Leadership Asheville, an intensive nine-month program that develops leadership skills and promotes collaborative problem solving. The program brings together citizens from a cross section of our community, representing business, government, nonprofit and education. JB Media has sponsored several team members to complete the program. Leadership Asheville alumni on our team include Justin Belleme, Sarah Benoit, Adrianne Gordon, and Kathleen McCafferty. Justin has gone on to complete the statewide program, Leadership North Carolina.

Strengthening Asheville’s Business Community

JB Media plays a leading role in strengthening Asheville’s business community—improving residents’ quality of life as we grow our local economy. We’re active in programs that help entrepreneurs get their start, small businesses scale up, and big initiatives take roots. Some highlights of our involvement include:

  • We help individuals gain essential marketing skills through the JB Media Institute.
  • We’re active participants in networking and business development initiatives including 1 Million Cups and Mountain BizWorks
  • Justin Belleme was awarded the Asheville Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2014.
  • We sponsored the Western North Carolina Women’s Business Conference several times.

Our Team Loves Volunteering

Individuals on the JB Media team regularly serve our community by volunteering with local nonprofits. Current and past examples include:
  • Greeting and de-stressing passengers as they await their flights at Asheville Regional Airport with Puplicity Specialist and registered pet therapy dog Lucy Shapiro.
  • Running the photobooth at the Girls on the Run 5k to bring some more to joy to an already fun and empowering day
  • Greeting Planned Parenthood patients and welcoming them to the health center
  • Tutoring non-native English speakers
  • Participating in a legislative response team to counter the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood
  • Supporting at-risk teen boys during their transformation into adulthood
  • Creating the e-newsletter for an independent, nonprofit radio station

Groups We Volunteer With

Our team members volunteer with all of the following organizations in our community:

  • Asheville Chamber of Commerce
  • Asheville Creative Arts
  • Asheville GreenWorks
  • Asheville Humane Society
  • Asheville Score
  • B Local Asheville + WNC
  • Camp Girl Boss
  • Community Roots
  • Democracy NC
  • FernLeaf Community Charter School
  • Fur Kidz Sake
  • Girls on the Run of WNC
  • Journeymen
  • Leadership Asheville
  • Literacy Council of Buncombe County
  • MANNA FoodBank
  • NC Stage Company
  • Our VOICE
  • Pet Partners
  • Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
  • RiverLink
  • Vance Elementary School
  • Veterans Healing Farm
  • WordCamp Asheville
My work tends to focus around the local entrepreneurship community, working with organizations where I really believe in the founders and want to help them achieve their vision.
Justin

As a small business owner who became a successful entrepreneur through the help, support, and generosity of others, I feel it is incredibly important to support others who want to build and grow a small business or organization. It is important to share experiences and ideas as a community because many times entrepreneurs initially work alone, especially in the beginning. It is key to have people around you who provide insight, truth, differing opinions, and a sounding board so you can make the best decisions possible and move forward in a way that is viable and sustainable.
Sarah B.