During the season of gratitude and giving, Roanoke College students, faculty and staff are sharing the holiday spirit beyond campus through donation drives and long-standing community partnerships that support neighbors across the Roanoke Valley.
A one-day food drive held on Reading Day before finals week brought together student groups, campus offices and community partners to address food insecurity among students and local families. The six-hour effort was organized by Weston Powell ’27, a criminal justice major and student community leader with Residence Life & Housing.
“We’re just trying to build community,” Powell said.
The drive was supported by residence hall leaders, Campus Safety, Roanoke Promise and Pass on Hunger, with sponsorships from Sheetz, the New Hope Ruritan Club and Cave Spring Dental Arts. Students were encouraged to donate canned and packaged food, meal swipes or time to help assemble care packages with snacks and hygiene items. Raffle prizes were offered throughout the day to encourage participation.
Students donated about $1,600 in food and meal swipes, in addition to items contributed by community sponsors.
Donations benefited the RC Pantry, which is open year-round to assist students in need, and Feeding Southwest Virginia, a regional food bank based in Salem.
“Our sponsors were really onboard, which we were very fortunate to have,” Powell said. “It’s all going to stay local. This was a fun way for students to get involved and help people in the area who could really use it.”
Community service continued during Roanoke College’s Community Day, when dozens of students wrote handwritten notes of gratitude and encouragement for residents of Brandon Oaks retirement community and children served by the West End Center for Youth. Messages ranged from words of thanks to affirmations encouraging young recipients to believe in themselves and persevere.
Roanoke College has long partnered with both organizations through service-learning opportunities that connect classroom learning with real-world needs. The card-writing effort was part of a broader Community Day focused on character education, supported by the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University.
“We hope the notes were something encouraging and warm for people to receive, especially at the holidays,” said Heather Johnson, senior director of strategic partnerships and a Community Day organizer. “It was one small way of offering kindness and creating moments of connection with our wider community.”
The season of giving also included participation in the West End Center for Youth’s annual angel gift drive. This year, Roanoke faculty, staff and retirees purchased gifts for 143 children, with each child receiving at least one new outfit.
“This is one of our absolute favorite holiday projects,” said Lindsey Nair ’98, associate vice president for strategic marketing and communications, who organized the drive. “There’s something special about knowing you’re helping make the season a little brighter for another family.”
The partnership has been in place for many years, with gift drop-offs temporarily turning Nair’s office into a holiday workshop before being collected by the West End Center. Together, the efforts highlight Roanoke College’s ongoing commitment to service and community engagement during the holiday season.
-The Salem Times-Register
