Friday, January 08, 2010
Groups embrace giving spirit
Have you heard?
JoAnne Poindexter
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With the holiday season over, many clubs and organizations are reviewing their charitable work for 2009 and initiating new activities.
Volunteers gave time through their jobs, churches, civic groups and individually to many causes.
For example, Roanoke employees of KPMG, which operates as an international network of member firms offering audit, tax and advisory services, wanted to brighten the holidays for a few youngsters.
Instead of holding an office party, employees turned their Wachovia Tower office into a toy workshop Dec. 4 and assembled 24 packages of teddy bears and books for young patients at Carilion Clinic Children's Hospital.
The volunteers stuffed and dressed the bears and selected a book to be packaged with each one. They inserted a birth certificate for the bear and a personal note to the recipient.
"I think it's fair to say employees thought the day of volunteering was perhaps the most rewarding volunteer event we've organized. People felt good about taking some time to assemble these packages, knowing they would go to a sick or needy child. It was a big boost for office camaraderie," Jim McGann, director of communications, said in an e-mail.
Wendy's restaurants are giving customers an opportunity to help local food banks and get a free junior Frosty.
Customers can buy a $1 Frosty key tag through Feb. 14 to get a free junior Frosty with any purchase on subsequent visits.
Wendy's will donate 50 percent of the net proceeds of key tag sales to the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank in Salem and the rest will go to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network.
Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank provides food for more than 350 partner programs in a 26-county and 10-city region.
The Roanoke Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority has awarded scholarships to 10 students from the Roanoke Valley.
The Roanoke Alumnae Chapter strives to give at least $10,000 in scholarships annually. The major source for funding the scholarships is the sorority's annual Jabberwock show. Jabberwock 2010 will be April 23. To participate or to get more information, call 580-9202.
Scholarships were presented to eight 2009 William Fleming High School graduates and one graduate each from William Byrd and Northside high schools.
The winners and the colleges they are attending are Stephon Anderson, son of Ronnie and Stephanie Anderson, Chowan University; Jared Hamm, son of Jerome and Lisa Hamm, Virginia Tech; Eboni Harrington, daughter of Danyell Mayo, Norfolk State University; Darion Harrison, son of Rhonda Harrison, Averett University; Jasmine Jackson, daughter of Jeno and Yvette Jackson, Radford University; Megan Jackson, daughter of Robin Jackson, Winston-Salem State University; Michelle Jones, daughter of Derek and Linda Jones, Old Dominion University; Sydney Sparrow, daughter of Robert and Alfreda Sparrow, James Madison University; Leah Taylor, daughter of Lenora Taylor, North Carolina A&T University; and Kimsa Tran, daughter of Son Tran, Virginia Western Community College.
Harrington is a Northside alumna and Jones graduated from William Byrd.
