Volunteer with Head Start!

 Hey Guys! Looking for something fun to do? Volunteer with Head Start!

Head Start is a local government funded pre-K program for underprivileged children in the greater Roanoke area! Head Start provides a safe and stimulating environment for kids ages 3-5. The center is open Monday through Friday 8:30- 1:00 and volunteers are welcome anytime. Constructed in a classroom setting, a typical day includes: arts and crafts, circle time, center time, and recess (of course). The kids have a lot of personality and are a pleasure to play with! These are some recent pictures from our Halloween events; Trick or Treat at City Hall and Healthy Halloween at Head Start!

For more information about volunteering at Head Start feel free to email me at anewman@mail.roanoke.edu or for more service opportunities in Salem related to education and hunger stop into the RC Serve center. We are located in the back room of the Chaplin's office. We have numerous volunteer opportunities and we are sure to find the right one for you! Make sure to check out our other blogs for more information!

Samaritan Inn!

Hey everyone!
My name is Charla Henley and I am posting on behalf of the Samaritan Inn, which is an awesome place in downtown Roanoke run by Georgia and Wayne Meadows.  Samaritan Inn is a non-profit organization that offers a day shelter for the homeless and low income families of downtown Roanoke from the hot weather in the summer, cold weather in the winter, and everything in between.  While Wayne offers a bit of a sermon/preaching, Georgia runs a continental breakfast and a hot lunch Tuesday through Sunday each week.  Georgia also runs a thrift store next store to the Samaritan Inn, where she sells many different used items at very low costs, and a Clothes Closet every Thursday morning, where she gives socks, undergarments, toiletries, jackets, etc, to those who are in need of these items but may not have the means by which to purchase them.

Kaylani Miller hanging out with Wayne! 

So where do you come in? Good question! Georgia needs help with all that she's got going on over there! To take a bit of work out of her hands, I coordinate volunteers to help prep and serve lunch and cleanup thereafter three days out of the week.  On Thursdays, we head over to Samaritan at 12:15 pm and return around 2:00 pm, so if you're looking for something to do during your lunch block and you don't have a 1:10, Samaritan is where you need to be! On Saturdays and Sundays, we head to Samaritan at 11:15 am and return around 2:00 pm.  On Saturdays and Sundays, we get the pleasure of hearing Wayne preach before the meal is served.  If you're interested in helping out at any of these times, please send me an email (cehenley@mail.roanoke.edu) so I can fit you into the schedule!

Kaylani Miller and Samantha Reis serving on Saturday, November 10! 

Ellen Green and Joanna Peders making sandwiches to serve on Sunday, November 11!

Don't have the time to go to Samaritan? Not a problem! You can still help out the cause! Since the majority of the people who frequent Samaritan Inn are homeless, they carry all of their belongings on their person at all times.  For this reason, Georgia is forever in need of bags (backpacks, duffle bags, suitcases, etc.) to give away to these people in need.  If you happen to have some bags that you don't use, please consider donating them to this cause.  I will be hosting a campus-wide collection November 26th until the 30th so if you can bring some bags back from Thanksgiving break and drop them off at the Chaplain's Office, that would be amazing!!

As I said, there's plenty to do at the Samaritan Inn so if you'd like to help with the homeless of downtown Roanoke in any way please email me and I can certainly find something for you to help with!! 

I look forward to volunteering with you! <3 

~Charla Henley

Micah's Backpack

Hey everybody!

Micah's Backpack has been a successful endeavor so far this year. The program is currently serving two elementary schools right here in Salem (Salem Elementary & G.W. Carver). For those of you who unaware of what Micah's Backpack is all about; it's quite simple with a clear purpose. Micah's Backpack puts together bagged lunches that are delivered to these schools for kids who would go hungry on the weekends otherwise. The lunches are packed on Wednesday afternoons at 3:30 PM and delivered bright & early Thursday morning at 7:15 AM. So far each school has requested 20 lunches per week. The program communicates with a representative from both schools. The kid's parents pick up the lunches on Friday at some point or the kids themselves bring them home in their backpacks (hence the name). This is the 1st year that the program is up & running at Roanoke College. I am confident it will be the 1st of many successful years to come. Anyone interested in volunteering or helping out is encouraged to display their interest, help is always welcomed. I can be reached by my cell (781-223-2239) or at my e-mail (jaweaver@mail.roanoke.edu). Micah's Backpack is made possible by food donations, food drives, money donations & other ways as well. The impact it has on these kid;s lives is profound. Let's keep it going!

Alex W.