Priscilla Richardson

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When local folks have a fire, lose a job, fall on hard times, don't have enough to eat or cannot pay their heating bill, they come to the Botetourt Resource Center for help. Depending on their need, they get groceries, furniture, help in finding medical care or a way through the welfare maze, plus so many other things.

And just because the center sits at 33 Bedford St. in Buchanan, just up from Lowe Street, doesn't make it the Buchanan center. The center's only employee, director Robyn Dobyns, reaches out to our entire county.

For many seniors, Dobyns takes the place of friends and family. She cites the case of an 85-year-old lady with an incorrect bill from Carilion. "She contacted me about a $900 bill she received from Carilion billing for an X-ray performed on her throat. I knew something wasn't right about the bill because she has Medicare and Anthem supplemental insurance," Dobyns wrote in a e-mail. "I found out that even though she had gone to an ear, nose and throat doctor, the coding on the bill showed it was a dental X-ray. It wasn't.

"It took several calls to the doctor's office to be able to talk to someone about her code. They insisted it wasn't their mistake and must be the mistake of billing. I called Carilion billing back and they insisted that it was the doctor's office who set the code for billing. Neither party would agree to call each other." At that point, "I told Carilion that this lady was not going to pay the bill. And that someone needed to show some professional kindness to this 85-year-old woman and call the doctor. The woman I was speaking to at Carilion offered to make the call."

Then came a call from the doctor's office: Mistake corrected. Happy ending? Not quite. Two weeks later, the senior got the same bill again. So it was back to the phone and more hours of wrangling to get the bill stopped.

Dobyns cites this as just one example of when she needs to be an advocate for "seniors who don't have either the strength or expertise to fight these fights."

Sometimes children are in need. So when Botetourt Kiwanis asked Dobyns to come up with the names of six children who needed back-to-school supplies, she got in touch with three families. She arranged for them to go shopping with Kiwanis member Tim Alderman. Kiwanis spent $150 on each child. That paid for more than pencils and notebooks. "I got calls from the families thanking me for this wonderful gift," Dobyns remembered.

You may be surprised -- I was -- to learn that no money for the center comes from United Way or the Council of Community Services, although the council provides in-kind services. The town of Buchanan donates the center's building. The budget of $43,200 comes from grants, fundraisers, donations and the faith community. So when word came down recently that the center itself needs more help, Botetourt churches got busy. Many have been and will be holding benefits to raise money. Also a group of folks from Buchanan who attend churches all within a few steps of one another decided to do a progressive dinner and silent auction to help the center.

The food part starts at 6 p.m. March 14 with appetizers and punch at the Episcopal church on Main Street. Jan Litton and Gloria Carter are planning dips plus a raw veggie tray. You then can cross the street to the Methodist church, where Catherine Watts will offer a selection of salads. From there you'll cross to the Baptist church for your main course. Sharon Coleman and her crew will be serving an Italian dish. At that point you can waddle over to the Presbyterian church for dessert, where Patricia Kidd and Joyce Newcomb will serve pound cake with toppings. All this for $10 a person.

At no charge you can attend the silent auction any time from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Presbyterian church. Cindy Harper and Kay Broughman have been collecting items from town merchants, plus service certificates.

Go if you can!

Purchase tickets for $10 per person any time up until Wednesday. See Wanda Smith or Tina Mundy at the Buchanan Town Hall or one of the organizers.