Roanoke Rescue Mission receives $1,500 grant

The Roanoke Rescue Mission, which provided 331,486 meals to the homeless last year, has received a $1,500 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation.

The mission, a nonprofit organization serving as a Christian crisis intervention center for Southwest Virginia, receives no government funding and is supported by community donations.

Meals at the Rescue Mission currently average 14 cents per plate.

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The Seasoned Saints of Perfecting Unity Church are sponsoring a dinner and fashion show from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday.

"Styles of the '70s" is the theme for the event that will be held at Grandin Court Baptist Church, 2660 Brambleton Ave. S.W., in Roanoke.

The Seasoned Saints will use proceeds to continue providing food boxes to needy community residents 55 and older.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for children 14 and younger, and can be purchased at the door.

Evangelist Nicole Page and Elder Milton Hardy will provide music for the evening.

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A poolside event at the Hunting Hills Country Club on Sept. 21 will benefit The Advancement Foundation.

Television and radio personalities will emcee the inaugural Bids & BBQ Bash, sponsored by Member One Federal Credit Union, from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

The event will feature a silent auction, activities for kids, live music, food and adult beverages with masters of ceremonies Becky Freemal of Fox 21/27 and Robynn Jaymes with Star Country 94.9.

Tickets are $20 for adults; children 10 and younger can attend for free with an adult ticket. Tickets are available online at theadvancementfoundation.org.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and hear exciting testimonials from members of the City Swim Barracudas, who made their debut this summer, boasting 150 members ages 5 to 60 - an example of the foundation's action-oriented programming.

The goal is to raise $10,000 for The Advancement Foundation's efforts to expand outreach through a new community development project that funds business enterprise, nonprofit incubation and community wellness efforts.

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A Foundation for Roanoke Valley grant will provide English classes at Virginia Western Community College to more non-native residents.

The Katherine Nelson Fishburn Foundation Fund has given $1,000 to the Virginia Western Educational Foundation to reduce tuition costs for area students taking the English as a Second Language class, which has helped students from more than 35 countries learn language skills.

"Non-native residents are an integral part of the Roanoke community, but some have difficulty prospering because of a lack of language skills," said Elizabeth Wilmer, vice president of academic and student affairs at VWCC.

"The Foundation for Roanoke Valley understands this challenge and is helping Virginia Western make ESL classes affordable to those who need them the most," she added in a news release.

The ESL class is offered as a non-credit course at a fixed rate of $85 per semester to reduce the cost to students, many of whom would normally pay the out-of-state tuition rate of $654.38 for a two-hour credit course. Funding to offset the cost of student tuition is provided by student fees and private sources.

The class teaches students basic conversational English, basic grammar and writing skills, and social and cultural literacy skills. It also prepares them for employment or for becoming a future Virginia Western student.

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