Riley Herkness Newsom was awarded his Boy Scout rank of Eagle Scout on November 16, 2009. Riley joined Scouts as a Tiger in 1998 and has been active in Pack 51 and then Troop 51 at First United Methodist Church on Main Street in Salem ever since. Riley started his Eagle project in the spring and completed it in October. He purchased his materials from 84 Lumber in Salem and built 3 benches and a covered swing for Hopetree in Salem. The benches were framed from pressure treated lumber with seats/backs of trex in an ergonomic design. The benches and swing are situated around Hopetree's little lake. Riley built the benches in his basement and then spent a very rainy Saturday installing them. Local horses showed up to watch the hole digging and the scouts lunched in the horse barn that day. The swing was another work day - covered, shingled and facing north toward two of the benches. There was a total of 328.75 man hours donated by 44 friends/scouts to complete the project.
Riley is a senior at Salem High School and hopes to attend VMI next fall. He is the son of Sam and Damon Newsom.
Charlie Lightcap talks to Robyn Zamorski about his artwork at Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea. Photo Miranda Adkins, So Salem
Charlie Lightcap, Roanoke College basketball alum and local artist, will be creating an original work at the Salem Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea through December 20 to benefit the Jimmy V Cancer Research Foundation.
Tickets are on sale for $5 at the counter at the coffee shop, and Lightcap plans on doing one original piece there at the store each month for as long as the store will have him to raffle each for a different charity.
The Rotary Club of Salem, VA, District 7570, Rotary International, completed a project to aid in the eradication of polio through an extensive awareness campaign in conjunction with World Polio Day, October 24.
The Rotary Club of Salem's Red Badge Team, a group of seven new members of the club, was charged as part of its five-month orientation period to originate and complete a club project.
At the first meeting of the Red Badge Team August 27, the group of six new Rotarians and one veteran transferring Rotarian, elected to adopt World Polio Day as its project and to focus on community and area awareness as the mission of its endeavor. The group agreed that any contributions to PolioPlus would be a thankful sidebar of the project.
The project included a polio awareness blitz in the community which included numerous news articles to area newspapers, development of a 30-second Eradicate Polio public service announcement furnished to area commercial televisions stations and the local public TV facility leading up to World Polio Day. On World Polio Day, an area outdoor advertising firm provided three very prominent electronic billboards bringing attention to Rotary and the polio eradication efforts. One member of the team provided the expertise to develop the PSA and bill board image. Other team members negotiated the donated TV time and billboard space.
Displays of three iron lungs used to care for victims of infantile paralysis in the 1950s and 60s were set up at four different sites on two different dates at area shopping centers, a Salem/Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce event and a major rival high school football game.
A third phase of the project was the mailing of World Polio Awareness Day letters to 300 physicians in the Salem area. These letters provided information for the doctors on the role of Rotary International and the local club toward the eradication of polio and concluded with an opportunity for the physicians to donate to PolioPlus.
The Red Badge team requested from the club's board of directors approval to honor club member and District 7570 Polio Chair June Long for her many dedicated years to the eradication of polio. This award was presented to Rotarian Long during an October visit to Area 8, District 7570, by District Governor Ron Napier. The meeting was hosted by the Rotary Club of Salem and included the first mass showing of the PSA. This was covered by representatives of two area newspapers.
The Salem High School Interact Club and the Rotaract Club of Roanoke College were also involved in the project through participation at the iron lung displays. Red Badge members provided educational material to the members of the Rotaract and Interact clubs on the history of polio both locally and internationally and the current efforts to wipe out polio in the four remaining countries.
In addition to the success of the polio awareness campaign, the Red Badge team collected over $1,400 via the project. These funds will be forwarded to Rotary International and designated toward PolioPlus honoring Rotarian Long.
From the monies collected and through the efforts of past district governor Joe Ferguson and club president Aaron Garber, the club has approved the awarding of two Paul Harris Fellows. This is to be done at the conclusion of the Red Badge club orientation period in December.
Submitted by: Bill Orndorff, member of the Rotary Club of Salem, VA.
Girl Scout Troop 5 of Salem Skyline service unit, part of Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council, collected supplies for the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach, North Carolina. In doing so, the troop members have earned their Silver Awards, the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can achieve.
Receiving the award are Elena Macdonald, Erin Widener, and Samantha Yates, all residents of Salem, and Haley Burgess of Roanoke.
The girls began their collection drive for the “Turtle Hospital” by sending out emails to other troops asking them to bring donations to Thinking Day, a day in which girls participate in global-themed activities and programs to honor fellow Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world.
At the Thinking Day event, the troop members set up visual displays about the turtles as well as an activity for girls to enjoy.
The troop then went out to the community, making informational posters and a scrapbook page, along with decorated collection boxes, which were placed in the Hollins Library. The girls also solicited donations from members of the community such as the pharmacy at Lewis Gale Medical Center, which donated medical supplies.
When all the items were collected and organized, the troop members used some of the troop’s profits from the annual cookie sale to travel to Topsail Beach to deliver the items to the hospital. While there, the girls visited the hospital and met with the volunteers.
In addition to collecting the needed supplies, Troop 5 members also made hand-made greeting cards, bead animals and bracelets for the hospital’s gift shop.
With the Silver Award, the project is just one facet of the comprehensive achievement program. Girl Scout Troop 5 recently completed all requirements for the prestigious award.
The Girl Scout Silver Award represents a girl's accomplishments in Girl Scouting and her community as she grows and works to improve her life and the lives of others. The first four requirements of the Silver Award help girls build skills, explore careers, gain leadership skills, and make a commitment to self-improvement. A girl must be 11 or going into sixth grade to begin work on these initial steps. When the first four requirements are completed, a girl who is 12 years old or going into the seventh grade may undertake the Silver Award project. She must complete her project by age 14 or before the start of tenth grade.
Haley, 14, a ninth grader at Northside High School in Roanoke, is the daughter of Catherine and Paul Burgess of Roanoke. Elena, 14, a ninth grader at Salem High School, is the daughter of Patricia and Neal Macdonald of Salem. Erin, 14, a ninth grader at Glenvar High School in Salem, is the daughter of Gayle and Jerry Widener of Salem. Samantha, 14, also a ninth grader at Glenvar High School, is the daughter of Faye and Terry Yates of Salem.
Their project advisors and troop leaders are Nancy Miller and Gayle Widener, both of Salem.
Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council is a leadership program for girls that develops life skills in business, science, and technology; provides adventures and challenges in sports, the environment, and the great outdoors; and encourages girls to give back to their communities through service projects conducted locally, across the United States, and internationally.
Submitted by Cyndi Young-Preston, Public Relations & Production Manager, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council.
Brownie Girl Scouts of Troop 965 and Daisy Girl Scouts of Troop 1179 in Salem helped out at the Rescue Mission by stamping Christmas cards. Community service starts early and is always lots of fun.
NRV Prison Outreach ("NRVPO") was birthed in 2006 when Prison Fellowship Angel Tree made the decision to not serve the regional, local jails and detention centers so that they could be more effective in state prisons. When NRV Prison Outreach began in 2006, we started out with the New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin. Last year we added the Montgomery County Jail and this year added the new Western Virginia Regional Jail in Salem. In adding Western Virginia Regional we ventured into new territory, Franklin County, Roanoke and Salem and are trying to get the word out about this ministry. Last year there were 291 children who received gifts through this ministry and this year we have 543 children signed up to receive gifts from their incarcerated parent. Each child receives two (2) gifts $15 - $20 each, a fun gift and a clothing gift. If you or your church would like to sponsor a child or children, please contact Sharon at (540) 599-5160 or the church office at (540) 674-4729. Thank you for your support.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means a Kroger trucks loaded with 36 pallets of fresh produce and bottled water is on its way to the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank for the Harvest of Hope, an annual produce frenzy!
More than 100,000 pounds of donated produce and water will arrive at the Food Bank's Roanoke Valley Distribution Center on Tuesday, November 17th. Distribution to hundreds of our partner agency feeding programs will begin promptly at 11:00a.m. to ensure that thousands of hungry individuals have fresh produce this Thanksgiving. Stop by and capture the images that say holiday generosity.
Kroger representatives also have a special check presentation planned that will mean thousands of additional pounds of food for the hungry.
Harvest of Hope couldn't come at a better time. The economy has forced many individuals and families into poverty situations they have never experienced before. The Food Bank's partner agencies report a 20-30% increase in demand for emergency food assistance. Programs like the Harvest of Hope will help meet that increase in need with fresh, nutritional food!
Just read what are partner agencies had to say about last year's Harvest of Hope...
"It means a lot of good food for those hungry people because produce is hard to get. We always look forward to it."
- Dale Mull, Shawsville Ministerial Association
"It's a blessing because we are trying to stop hunger in our city and for the hungry this is something different and exciting because it's something they don't get to buy themselves."
- Violet Dawson, Cornerstone Church, Martinsville, VA
"It's going to help a lot of kids and families. With the economy so bad, we are really happy to get some fresh produce."
- Jeff Curtis, Lonestar, Clifton Forge, VA
"My agency serves clients living with HIV and AIDS and to be able to bless them during the Thanksgiving season is wonderful. When your living with HIV and AIDS it's about getting good nutrition and that's why our sincere thanks goes to Kroger and the Food Bank for this produce."
-Dale Anthony, Dale's House, Roanoke, VA
"This means fresh vegetables for Thanksgiving. I have seen some clients of mine cry when they get this. You can't get that fresh produce normally so it means a lot to a lot of people and it means a lot to me to see my hungry clients smile and to see them happy."
- Tammy Francisco, Grace assembly of God, Catawba, VA
About the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank
The Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank was founded in 1981 and is an affiliate member of Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest). The Food Bank's ultimate mission is to eliminate hunger in the region. The primary function of the Food Bank is to secure large quantities of food for the hungry. More than 13-million pounds of food is channeled through a network of more than 340 partner feeding programs (in a 26-county and 10-city region) that provide food or meals to those in need annually. Visit www.swvafoodbank.org for more information.
Walmart employees joined the Southwestern Second Harvest Food Bank in celebrating the Walmart corporation's donation. Photo Miranda Adkins, So Salem
Late in the workday on Wednesday, November 11, the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank on Electric Road in Salem learned that it was about to be the recipient of a very large gift from Walmart: a large truckload of canned food and fresh apples - and they also received the large refridgerated truck worth $85,000 that hauled the food from Madison, Wisconsin!
The truck arrived on Thursday morning, November 12 to a very grateful staff of employees and volunteers. Some folks from local Walmarts were also on hand to see the big delivery.
"It's part of the nationwide giving campaign," said Scott Kirby, market entertainment merchandiser for Roanoke Valley Walmarts. The holiday giving initiative is called "Walmart Gives Back," and it will provide $32 million in monetary and in-kind donations to charitable organizations across the country. Thirty-five trucks total were donated last week.
"We know that if we're supporting the community then they are supporting Walmart," Kirby said. "It's a great relationship."
The need for food banks has risen in the last two years, as the Second Harvest Food bank can attest to. In comparing this September to September 2008, food distribution went up 41%, while their incoming supply only increased 17%. That doesn't mean that they necessarily ran out of food, but they did deplete their stores.
"Which is a horrendous increase, I know, but we were blessed to have more food to deal with the increase," said Pam Irvin, president and CEO of Second Harvest. Increases in the retail donor program have helped, as has an increase in the USDA commodities because of the farm bill that passed, she said.
And while the economic downturn has been ugly, at least one good thing has happened as a result:
As holiday parties are being cancelled or are becoming fundraisers to collect money for nonprofits and charitable organizations, the stigma hungry people have endured is now changing as fast as the face of the hungry is moving up the economic "food chain."
"People relate to and understand that the average American can have trouble putting food on their table," Irvin said. While she's received letters from previous donors who can no longer make hefty or some even any contribution, she's grateful that the general public is becoming "more sensitive to the needs of others and respond, even though they or their companys' means are shrinking."
The Junior League held its annual Stocked Market over the weekend. Our paparazzi photo crew was there -- and so were lots of people from Salem. Here are the ones who stepped onto the red carpet:
The Glenvar Coalition, Glenvar High and Middle Schools' student, parent, and community prevention council, began planning their year at their meeting on Thursday night, Nov. 12.
Tomorrow at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17, the teens of the Glenvar Coalition, Glenvar High and Middles Schools' student, parent, and community prevention council, will present fifth-grade parents with ideas on how to get involved with their children to prevent risky behaviors.
The high school students will begin planning the sixth annual YADAPP conference for middle schoolers 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19. High schoolers from all over Southwest Virginia come together to provide a program for middle school students that emphasizes making the right choices and avoiding risky behaviors. This year's conference will be held March 27, 2010. College students, in turn, plan one for high school students statewide that is held over the summer. Glenvar High students who attended the 25th annual conference at Longwood in July 2009 were Samantha Hannabass, Tucker Hudson, and Kendall Jarvis.
This year's combined PTA meeting for Glenvar High and Glenvar Middle will be held at 7 p.m. February 22. The coalition will also present a talent show open to middle school students again this year, with the performance date of February 5.
Community members as well as students and parents are welcome to be a part of the Glenvar Coalition. Their next meeting is 11:30 a.m. Dec. 16 at the Glenvar Middle School forum. Contact Tabitha Cain at tabithaandrew@verizon.net for more information.
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About this blog
Welcome to The Notebook, the community gathering place for news and tidbits from So Salem, by community journalist Miranda Adkins (that's Miranda on the left). You'll be able to find the most up-to-date news, events and stories in Salem, Glenvar and western Roanoke County here at this blog.
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