Good Neighbors Fund

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• Contribute to the Good Neighbors Fund online

Previous Good Neighbors Fund stories

• Good Neighbors Fund tally tops 2007 contributions
• Good grocer is given gratitude
• Good neighbor a treasured friend
• Immigrant battles to stay afloat
• The cost of keeping a family together

Total amount raised

The Good Neighbors Fund drive for 2008 began six days later than in 2007 because Thanksgiving fell later in the month of November. That meant less time for donations to come in.

Debbie Denison, executive director of Roanoke Area Ministries, the charity that benefits from The Roanoke Times' annual fundraiser, was expecting to bring in only about $150,000-- nearly $31,000 less than the 2007 total.

But Jo-Anne Woody, the agency's administrative assistant, was more optimistic. She believed the final total would be closer to the record-breaking $180,964 tally for 2007. And it looks like she may be right.

The drive is officially over, but "we're still adding it up," Woody said. As of Dec. 31, the total amount received was $178,482. Last year at that time, donations stood at $162,291.

"I think we're going to go over" last year's total, Denison said. "I'm totally surprised because I didn't expect this. It's wonderful."

Donations to the Good Neighbors Fund will be accepted through the end of March, so the final total should increase.

Even if this year's donations don't match last year's, "we're so close," Woody said. "This was a success. You can't say it wasn't."

As part of the fundraising effort, the newspaper runs stories profiling some of those who have been helped by RAM. Although money donated to the Good Neighbors Fund cannot be earmarked for a particular individual or family, several readers were touched by the specific needs of some of the people who volunteered to be interviewed.

A reader gave Erica Richardson -- who for many years has sacrificed her own needs for those of her children-- two pairs of new shoes. Others called to ask about her cleaning service.

"She was not going to turn them down," Woody said. "Any help is better than none."

"Louise," who asked that her real name not be used for her story, was worried about providing Christmas gifts for the two young grandsons who live with her.

"One family was truly touched by her story," Woody said. They gave Louise and her family a large plastic tote "filled to the brim" with toys, books and clothes-- all wrapped, and all in the children's sizes. To make Christmas complete, they also gave the family a large amount of nonperishable food.

"They made those two boys extremely happy. That's what it should be all about," Woody said.

"I think [the campaign] touched more people than it has in the past," Denison said. Normally, she said, "we deal with the poorest of the poor." But the troubled economy "has affected everyone, and there's no telling what 2009 will be like."

"As bad as things are," Woody said, "people do appreciate what we do."

And the staff at RAM appreciates the donors.

"No matter how much money they send, each person counts," Denison said. "Every donation will help."

Donors through Jan. 8 include:

An anonymous donor in memory of Evelyn C. Brown and Lera C. Curtis

An anonymous donor in memory of Dr. Jimmy Farley

An anonymous donor in memory of Geneva Simmons

An anonymous donor in memory of Jim and Joe

An anonymous donor in memory of Mrs. Hattie D. (Hunter) Smith

An anonymous donor in memory of Bill and Clara Winkler

Betty F. Guilliams in memory of Pete Guilliams; L.M. and Lula Fisher; and siblings and in honor of Pam and Alan Messenger; siblings; and the Rev. Jason Bryant

Leslie Marfleet Terry in memory of John and Helen Marfleet

Bryan A. Parker in honor of Gary, Cheryl and Morgan Parker

Priscilla, Dottie, Jane, George, Suzi and Chuck in loving memory of Katherine S. Wright, their cousin

Charles and Betty Wohlford in honor of their family

Cammi Beason and T.J. Beason in memory of their grandmother, Hazel Wickham

John Wynn Myers Class of Greene Memorial UMC

Roger and Cindy Herald

Tommy Alexander Barnhart in memory of Wilda and Charlie Barnhart

Cheryl Snead in memory of Alleta Deyerle, James and Christine Tabor

Ken and Em Baker in honor of Ed, Mom, Judi, John, Bonnie and families

Briggs Family in memory of Adam Sweet

Faith Fellowship Missionary Band, High Street Baptist Church in memory of Rev. Noel C. Taylor

"Ginny" Virginia A. Martin in memory of her mom and dad, Allen and Edna Aliff, and her sister Shirley Aliff Spraker, and in honor of her children David, Donna, Dean and Bill, and grandchildren Mariah, Alex, Jacob and Michael

Jay and Nancy Childress in honor of J.C. and Margaret Childress and Jack and Mickey Helms

Kathleen Lunsford in honor of family; living and deceased

Mr. and Mrs. Shenberger

Donald and Sue Draper in honor of Lewis and Sue Mills

Wayne and Marianne Gandee

Earl and Phyllis Robertson in honor of Anne Somers Bailey

Tom and Deborah McDonald in honor of Jeff Worley, Bill and Tom Battin

Agnes and John Downie in memory of daughter Patricia and family members and in honor of children: Kathleen, Rob, Jay, Bill, Steve

Janice S. Conley in memory of her husband John C. Conley

Wm and Janice Hayden in memory of W.L. and Julie Perdue, W.W. Hayden and Norene

Tom and Betty Lamons in memory of their parents Ernest and Dot Lamons and W.J. "Aggie" and Marion Nuckolls

Lillian L. Brinkmann

Mary Lee Tydings

John and Hoye Duckworth

V. Anne Edenfield in memory of Charles E. Khederian

The Gaskell family in memory of Dr. Ae-Sik Kim

Dee and Creighton Wright in honor of The Brandon Oaks Transportation Department

John and Pat Oberlin

Lloyd and Peg Hannah

Marcus L. and Lynda Brumfield in memory of their parents

Becky Allen in memory of Audrey Horsley

Elbert H., Evelyn J., Karen H. Waldron Charitable Foundation, Inc. in memory of Elbert H. and Evelyn J. Waldron

Wednesday History Club in memory of deceased members

Adelaide Angle in loving memory of Frank Angle, Julia and Richard Leftwich and Whitney Leftwich

Rebecca A. Stinnett in memory of Joe Ellis and Thomas Jones

Leslie and Dan Baldwin in honor of Julia and Sam Martin

John Engleby in honor of all the teams that beat Virginia Tech this football season

Carol Wilson in memory of Doug Wilson and John W. Hodges

Peggy Botteicher in honor of the Wood for Warmth team of Trinity Episcopal Church of Rocky Mount that every Saturday cut and deliver firewood to their neighbors in Franklin County so they will be warm

Katie Thisdell in honor of her family and friends

Don and Lana Kyle

Thomas Mesner and Jeanne Larsen

Frank B Hancock in memory of his mother, Diane Hancock

Patty and Carlos Hart in memory of Janice and Milan Hitt Nancy and Ballard Pinkard

Lois Spigle in memory of Kathleen Martin and Barry Garnett

Arthur and Barbara Barnhart in honor of Ruth Wade for unselfish service to seniors

Susan P. Irwin in memory of Jean Humphries Hurt

Jean Amos in honor of Mrs. Musgrove's kindergarten class, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Witt, Miss Cheek, all of Bedford Primary School

Bobby and Sandra Boone in memory of their parents, Jim and Myrtle Boone and Ernest and Elizabeth Powers

Eloise Sowder in memory of loved ones

Doug and Dot Law in honor of Jean and Gail Holbrook

Leslianne Smith in honor of Ralph and Pam Wiegandt

Suzie and Randy Leslie

Bill and Ann Johnson in memory of those who have passed but live on in their hearts and in honor of family, friends and neighbors

Creditors Collection Service in memory of Julia Millehan

Audrey N. Poage in memory of Josephine P. Willett

Jeff and Lori Emry

Martha and Isabelle R. Donoho in memory of their beloved daughter Kelly Haugabrook

Salem High School teachers in honor of their administration and secretarial staff

Mr. and Mrs. John R. Mahanna

Carrol Hall in memory of her husband, Jack W. Hall

John Barry

Foundation for Roanoke Valley

Judith A. McCartney in memory of Fred R. and Anne T. McCartney

Larry and Sally Nichols in honor of Woody Lockard

Lynn and Suzanne Avis in honor of friends and loved ones

Joyce Wood Crouse in memory of parents Charlie and Dorothy Wood on their 58th wedding anniversary and New Year 2009--in heaven together

Tom and Doris Berdeen

Frances and Curtis Davis in memory of their parents and in honor of their children

Experienced Adults at Bonsack United Methodist Church in honor of their church staff

Jean Krippendorf in memory of Mr. and Mrs. A.D. Lucas

Shirley A. Thomas in memory of her parents, Sara Lee and Vernon Allen and in honor of her husband, Frank

Dorcas Lofland in memory of sister, Frances Lofland Wright

Cheryl and Dick Lawson

Fran and John Eden

Frank and Josie Hyre in memory of Sue Kummer

Nancy Holbrook in memory of her granddaughter Hannah Grace Lucas

Larry and Janice Davidson

Emily H. McCown in memory of Clarke and Alleen Hale, Mac and Frances McCown

The Blessings at Work Foundation, Inc.

J.T. and Betty Huddleston in memory of their parents, Carter and Rebecca Huddleston and John and Grace Worley

Bill and Ann Hackworth in honor of Bert and Clarine Spetzler

Walt and Dianne Jones in memory of parents

Diane Lawson in honor of The Grandin Ct. Elementary School Family

Rick and Lisa Lovegrove in memory of Grace Lovegrove and in honor of Spencer Lovegrove

Patricia Clark

Jean Garman Lawhorn and family in memory of Levi and Myrtle Garman, Reggie Garman

Teresa and Mickey Harmon in memory of Dennis E. Harmon, it's like "You Never Left"

Doris Finn and family in honor of staff of Our Lady of the Valley-- Sullivan Center

Mr. and Mrs. J. Bruce Hagadorn

James and Frances Johnston in honor of Linda Hash, Ann Sparger, Donna Vaughn and Ann, Ed, Judy, Edward, Anne Elizabeth, Steve, Laura and Eric

Betty F. Brown in memory of Alfred Brown

Nancy H. Greer in honor of Dr. George Anderson

Katherine Pullens in memory of Minnie Harper

Lois Imogene Faucette in memory of her husband James S. Faucette

Bobby and Joyce Martin in honor of sons and families

Bobby and Joyce Martin in memory of Virginia G. Garnand

Elaine Bocock in memory of Clyde Bocock and in honor of Pastor Scotty Carpenter and members of Oakland Baptist Church

Pete and Bea Price in honor of Kyle Carter, their great-grandson

Christine Huddleston in memory of John F. "Jack" Huddleston

Paula L. Bumgarner in honor of Nick and Jenny Taubman's return to Roanoke

Christopher Robinson

Mr. and Mrs. William Kenney, Sr.

Green Valley Birthday Club

James and Noel Cosby

Read and Feed Salon

Paula P. Thompson

Joseph Binder in honor of Col. William S. Brand Jr.

Third grade classes at West Salem Elementary

Nancy Atkinson in memory of parents Mr. and Mrs. H.D. Shelton and brothers "Bo" Shelton and Frank Shelton

M.L. Strauss

The staff of Calvary Baptist Church

Julia Belvin in memory of parents, Edna and Julian Martin

The staff of Carilion Clinic Family Medicine in honor of Henry R. Ivey, M.D., Randall R. Rhea, M.D., E. Mark Watts, M.D., Timothy M. Beirne, M.D., Richard G. Miller, M.D., J. Peyton Taliaferro, M.D., M. Colette Carver, M.D., Elizabeth S. Gillmore, M.D.