A record, a disability, or time in recovery does not have to stop you. This is a real, current list of Asheville-area places that help men get back to work, and that remove the things standing in the way. Start below.
Updated June 9, 2026 · Some places moved after Hurricane Helene, so call before you go.
North Carolina's state program that helps adults with a disability train for and find lasting work. If you are in recovery, a substance use disorder counts as a disability here. This is the first place we send you.
Who it's for: Adults with a disability that gets in the way of work, including recovery, mental health, and chronic health conditions. A record does not disqualify you.
Call the Asheville office (toll-free 1-877-832-3832), or ask Lighthouse to help you start: [email protected] or 828-222-3666. No statewide waitlist.
A one-stop on Patton Ave for getting back to work. Free career help, skills classes, an A-B Tech adult-high-school desk, and Justice Navigation built for men coming out of the system. Strong second-chance support under one roof.
Built for exactly where you may be: recently out of treatment or prison and trying to work. They help with the things that trip men up early, rides to interviews and NCWorks, bus passes, work clothes, a phone, even sober-living entry costs.
A network of Asheville employers committed to hiring people others overlook. Enroll and you are guaranteed an informational interview with participating employers, plus help getting past barriers like transportation, childcare, or training. Hundreds of open jobs with real benefits and pay.
Not sure where to begin? Call 2-1-1 (free, any time) and a real person will point you to the right place.
Tap what fits your situation and we'll show the places that help. You can tap more than one.
North Carolina's state program that helps adults with a disability train for and find lasting work. If you are in recovery, a substance use disorder counts as a disability here. This is the first place we send you.
A one-stop on Patton Ave for getting back to work. Free career help, skills classes, an A-B Tech adult-high-school desk, and Justice Navigation built for men coming out of the system. Strong second-chance support under one roof.
The public job-search hub: free resume help, job matching, computers, and training scholarships. Ask about the Federal Bonding program and the reentry track if you have a record.
Short, practical training that changes your paycheck: CDL, CNA, welding, HVAC, trades, plus free GED/HiSET prep. If you have SNAP, your tuition and supplies can be free (see More Than A Job).
If you get SNAP (food stamps), this pays 100% of your A-B Tech training tuition, books, supplies, and testing, so a CDL or CNA becomes free. Includes a career navigator.
Where you get SNAP, Medicaid, and emergency help that keeps you stable enough to work. Single men usually access training through SNAP and More Than A Job here.
A network of Asheville employers committed to hiring people others overlook. Enroll and you are guaranteed an informational interview with participating employers, plus help getting past barriers like transportation, childcare, or training. Hundreds of open jobs with real benefits and pay.
Built for exactly where you may be: recently out of treatment or prison and trying to work. They help with the things that trip men up early, rides to interviews and NCWorks, bus passes, work clothes, a phone, even sober-living entry costs.
A drop-in run by people in recovery themselves. Peer support, and Linkage 2 Care gives you up to a year of mentoring after release from jail or prison. Peer University can even turn your recovery into a paid career.
The county's reentry hub. One stop for record clearance help, employer referrals, education planning, and rides. Pisgah Legal and county services sit in the same building.
A second-chance employer made for returning citizens: a 9-month paid coffee-roasting training with a mentor. They are actively hiring people with records.
Free help with the two biggest legal walls between you and a job: clearing or sealing old charges (expungement) and getting your driver’s license back. If you keep failing background checks or cannot legally drive, start here.
Demand is high right now, call about wait times.
If you served, this is your fast track. Paid training, certifications, tools, work clothing, transportation, and job placement. Open to any veteran regardless of era or discharge.
Housing plus employment for male veterans who are homeless or close to it. The "Steps to Success" model gets most residents into a living-wage job and permanent housing.
For enrolled veterans, the VA offers paid Compensated Work Therapy and Supported Employment, plus job-search help for veterans in residential care.
Free help filing VA claims and getting into VA Vocational Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31) if you have a service-connected disability.
Veteran volunteers who help with VA claims and run a free van to VA medical facilities.
Volunteer-staffed, call to confirm hours.
Hands-on training (culinary and construction) built for people with records, limited work history, and barriers, with case management to remove what is in the way.
Program status was changing as of 2026,confirm by phone before you count on it.
Workforce and reentry programs in the heart of the community: career development, a real-estate apprenticeship, and Operation Gateway peer support for men coming home.
If your goal is to work for yourself, lawn care, a food truck, contracting, they teach business basics and make small loans. No criminal-record exclusions.
The closest program to Lighthouse: a peer-led, 18–24 month home for men in recovery, focused on healing, education, and employment. Last year 54 men there got jobs paying $16/hour or more.
A free, 9-month residential men’s recovery program that includes employment help, GED classes, life skills, on-site medical care, and rides to job centers.
Hard to hold a job without a shower, a phone, secure mail, or an ID. AHOPE provides all of that, plus housing help with no sobriety or employment preconditions.
City buses to get you to work and interviews. $1 a ride, $20 for a monthly pass. Lighthouse staff can ask about bulk passes.
Affordable car repairs and low-cost vehicles for working people, so a broken-down car does not cost you a job.
County rides and paratransit, especially if a disability makes the regular bus hard to use.
Free help rebuilding your credit, handling debt, and doing taxes, important before you apply for housing or a work license.
Emergency help, rent, utilities, gas, that keeps you stable enough to start or keep a job. Ask about gas help to get to interviews.
A staffing agency that places people in light industrial, warehouse, and office jobs, often quickly.
Local staffing for manufacturing, warehouse, and clerical work. Good when you need income soon.
Day labor and temp work, general labor, construction, hospitality, often same-day or next-day starts. Best when you need money this week.
A national staffing agency with an Asheville branch that places people in construction, warehouse, hospitality, and general labor, often with quick starts.
Local employers known to hire people in recovery and with records. Apply like anyone else, and be honest about your story.
Call 828-333-6900
Call 828-681-5300
Call 828-253-1528
Call 828-255-4863
Call 828-252-2771
Call 828-571-0553
Call 828-209-0322
Call 828-575-2150
Call 828-684-2381
Call 828-252-4181
Call 828-251-1122
Call 828-299-3663
Call 828-348-5343
Call 828-252-4510
Call 828-258-3888
Apply at goodwillnwnc.org or 828-298-9023
Sunrise Community for Recovery keeps a fuller list of recovery-friendly employers, ask them at 828-552-3858.
