The Big Read Roanoke Valley Receives $5,000

Check out the article by Kevin Kittredge at www.roanoke.com!

Plans for the first Big Read Roanoke Valley were launched in June, 2009, by the board of the Friends of the Roanoke County Public Library. Two members of the Friends’ board serve as coordinators for the project, and the Friends underwrite a large portion of the expenses. Other public libraries as well as college libraries in Salem, Botetourt County and Roanoke, two newspapers and a business magazine also help fund the initiative.


The goals of The Big Read Roanoke Valley are to encourage people to make reading a part of their daily lives and to foster a stronger sense of community. As part of The Big Read in Virginia, Roanoke Valley residents will read Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying. Activities based on the book are open to the public and will take place throughout the Valley In March, 2010.

For a calendar of events, please visit www.bigreadroanokevalley.org.

Foundation for Roanoke Valley Scholarship Applications Available

Foundation for Roanoke Valley is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2010 academic year.  By completing one scholarship application, applicants can be considered for multiple scholarships.  Students about to complete their senior year of high school, students already enrolled in a trade school, college or university, and non-traditional students who have waited a number of years before starting their post-secondary education are eligible to apply.

To access the scholarship guidelines and application, please visit the Foundation's website.  Guidelines and applications will be available through the guidance offices of local high schools and some college financial aid offices.

Completed applications should be mailed to Foundation for Roanoke Valley, Attention: Michelle Eberly, P.O. Box 1159, Roanoke, VA  24006.  All completed applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2010, at the Foundation's office.  This is not a postmarked deadline.  Applications with all necessary attachments received after the submission deadline will not be considered, and incomplete applications will not be accepted.  Some scholarships require applicants to complete the FAFSA (Federal Application for Free Student Aid) and submit a Student Aid Report (SAR).  For more information on the FAFSA, please visit www.fafsa.gov.

Foundation for Roanoke Valley administers over 200 endowment funds totaling $43 million and works diligently to help local individuals and families establish permanent charitable legacies which will touch the community now and for generations to come.  Foundation for Roanoke Valley is one of the largest providers of educational scholarships in this region, annually awarding hundreds of thousands to hundreds of deserving students.

Foundation Awards $10,700 to Franklin County Perinatal Education Center, Inc.

Franklin County Perinatal Education Center, Inc. recently received a $10,700 grant from the Unrestricted Pool of Funds.  FCPEC is in the process of remodeling a 7,500 square foot, two-story building that will house four additional local nonprofit organizations.  Among the many items donated to FCPEC were three heating units.  This grant will pay for the installation costs of each.

 

Here are few before and after photos of the building renovations.

To learn more about Franklin County Perinatal Education Center, Inc. visit www.fcpec.org or contact Amy Pendleton, Executive Director, at 540.489.1800.

Stepping Stone Mission of Franklin County Receives $5,000 Grant

The Stepping Stone Mission of Franklin County recently received $5,000 from the Unrestricted Pool of Funds to support its daily operational expenses.

Stepping Stone Mission was founded in 2006 on the vision of serving individuals in need of food and shelter.  Founder and President Joanne Patterson envisioned a place where the hungry could go for a hot meal each and every day, even on holidays. This vision became what is now known locally as "the soup kitchen." It is the only of its kind in the Rocky Mount area and has grown to serve over 1200 meals monthly.  The soup kitchen operates 365 days a year, and in 2009, Stepping Stone served 13,251 hot meals to 1,243 individuals. 

For more information about Stepping Stone Mission of Franklin County, visit http://www.steppingstonemission.org/index.php or contact Joanne Patterson, Founder/President, at 540.483.9018.