Blue Ridge Literacy in Roanoke has been awarded a $8,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The foundation is accepting applications for youth literacy grants through Thursday. Submit an application online at www.dgliteracy.org.

Here is a press release from Dollar General.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – May 20, 2013— Today, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation announced the award of $8000 to Blue Ridge Literacy in Roanoke to support literacy programs.

“At Dollar General, we are passionate about our mission of Serving Others throughout the communities we serve,” said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO. “It’s exciting to see the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s outreach in action as we partner with organizations to further education and literacy and make a real difference in people’s lives.” Read more »

Can Do Award Shot (L to R): Suzanne Barnette, Dr. Matthew Marry, Eric Johnsen, Dr. Ray Tuck, Nathaniel Tuck, and Dr. Jennifer Rathmann

Tuck Chiropractic Clinic earned several awards by participating in The Can Do! food drive held during the Fork and Cork Festival in Blacksburg April 27. The clinic collected 1,107 cans of food and constructed an Etch-A-Sketch for the competition. Awards won by the staff include  Most Cans Collected, Most Nutritious, People’s Champion and Jury’s Champion.

Here is the press release from Tuck Chiropractic Clinic.

BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA (May 8, 2013) – Doctors and Staff Members from Tuck Chiropractic Clinic participated in The Can Do! on Saturday, April 27, 2013.  Tuck Chiropractic Clinic staff members collected 1107 cans of food and built an Etch A Sketch featuring the Can Do! slogan.  The Tuck Chiropractic Team won the awards for Most Cans Collected, Most Nutritious, People’s Champion, and Jury’s Champion.

Can Do Finish Group Shot (L to R): Eric Johnsen, Suzanne Barnette, Elicia Heilbron, Dr. Ray Tuck, Laura Gilbert, Nathaniel Tuck, Mark Gilbert, Dr. Matthew Marry, Phil Cumbia, Bonnie Tuck, Dr. Jennifer Rathmann, Jack Johnsen, and Dr. Logan Brooke

“We are very grateful to all of our patients and the grocery stores across the New River Valley who generously donated food to our cause.  We are very thankful for these food donations that went directly to Feeding America, Micah’s Backpack, and Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program after the building competition,” stated Dr. Matthew Marry of Tuck Chiropractic Spinal Sports Injury Clinic in Christiansburg and the Team Captain for the competition. Read more »

Member One collected Easter baskets for the Children’s Miracle Network Easter Basket program. More than 130 baskets were collected for families staying at the Carilion Children’s Hospital.

Here is the press release from Member One.

April 05, 2013 – Roanoke, Va. – Member One is proud to announce a successful partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network Easter Basket program. Member One collected 138 Easter baskets that were distributed to families that were confined to a hospital for the holiday. Member One has been a proud supporter of the program that takes place at the Carillion Children’s Hospital since 2010.

Member One Federal Credit Union is a full-service, member-owned financial institution serving the needs of its communities for over 70 years. Member One has over 60,000 members, $580 million in assets, 11 branch locations and a national ATM network.

Wells Fargo awarded a grant to Healing Strides of VA.

Here is the press release from Healing Strides of VA.

Healing Strides of VA is proud to announce that we were awarded a grant from Wells Fargo.

The check was presented to Healing Strides by Chad Spangler of the Wells Fargo Management Team, atop Sugarfoot during a volunteer training day. Several employees from Wells Fargo participated in the volunteer training.  This photo represents a new collaboration between the two organizations, Healing Strides of VA and Wells Fargo.

Photos: From  left to Right: Jane Evans, Shannon  McGuire, Sara Dodd, Laura Hart Brown, Kissandra Walker, Lindsay Aldridge, Chad Spangler (on Sugarfoot) Cary Bush, Anna Collette, Paige Jarvis, Carol Young, Dee’Anna Wright, Ronnie Thompson (on JoJo), and Kaitlyn Fisher.

Photo by Theresa New

John Casali, of the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has helped ensure funding by delivery giant UPS for the college every year since 1996.

A donation from the United Parcel Service Foundation was awarded to Virginia Tech’s GradoDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering for the 17th consecutive year. The $40,000 grant will support students in the Human Factors Engineering Ergonomicsgraduate program. John Casali, of the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is responsible for ensuring funding from UPS every year.

Here is the press release from Virginia Tech.

BLACKSBURG, Va., March 12, 2013 – The United Parcel Service Foundation has for the 17th consecutive year awarded an academic grant to Virginia Tech’s GradoDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the amount of $40,000 for 2013.

Thus far, the Atlanta-based delivery giant has given approximately $800,000 to support doctoral students in the department’s Human Factors Engineering Ergonomicsgraduate program.

“The principal use of the UPS award is to support Ph.D. students who are undertaking practical, applied research in ergonomics and human factors engineering,” said John Casali, the John Grado Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “We recognize that these areas of workplace safety and health have long represented hallmarks of UPS. The UPS grant allows our human factors program to attract and retain graduate students of the highest caliber, and to perform cutting-edge research during their tenure at Virginia Tech.”

Casali made his first UPS grant proposal in 1995, and has since served as the foundation’s coordinator at Virginia Tech. He estimates that more than 40 doctoral degree students have received funding to continue their studies and research because of the support from UPS.

Casali’s relationship with UPS also has resulted in other areas of support. Don Wittke, UPS corporate engineering manager, continues to serve on the Grado department’s advisory board. As with past years, he was again instrumental in assisting with this year’s grant, Casali said, adding that representatives from UPS have served on the board for the past 30 years.

Established in 1951, the UPS Foundation identifies specific areas in nonprofit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety, and environmental sustainability in issuing its grants.

The College of Engineering at Virginia Tech is internationally recognized for its excellence in 14 engineering disciplines and computer science. The college’s 6,000 undergraduates benefit from an innovative curriculum that provides a “hands-on, minds-on” approach to engineering education, complementing classroom instruction with two unique design-and-build facilities and a strong Cooperative Education Program. With more than 50 research centers and numerous laboratories, the college offers its 2,000 graduate students opportunities in advanced fields of study such as biomedical engineering, state-of-the-art microelectronics, and nanotechnology. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation is donating more than $15,200 in thermal imaging cameras to the Salem Fire-EMS Department and Roanoke Fire-EMS. The donation will be made tomorrow at the Firehouse Subs location on Main Street in Salem. Thermal imaging cameras allow EMS crew members to better fight fires by allowing them to detect hot spots and body heat in burning buildings.

Here is the press release from Firehouse Subs.

WHAT
Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation is awarding much needed equipment to Salem Fire-EMS Department and Roanoke Fire-EMS. Read more »

Damage restoration company, Paul Davis Restoration of Roanoke and Lynchburg supports local American Red Cross chapters with donations. Paul Davis donates  personal hygiene items, clothes, time and funds to aid in the disaster relief efforts made by the Red Cross.

Here is the press release from Paul Davis.

Roanoke VA – March was proclaimed as Red Cross Month by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. The Red Cross provides 24-hour support and responds to nearly 70,000 disasters a year providing shelter, food, emotional support and other necessities to those in need around the world. The Red Cross also collects and distributes approximately 40 percent of the U.S. blood supply and trains more than seven million people in first aid, water safety and other life-saving skills.

Paul Davis Restoration of Roanoke and Lynchburg, a leading provider of fire, water and mold damage restoration services for residential and commercial properties proudly supports American Red Cross Month in March. Read more »

Cox Communications has contributed $1,000 to the Don Pullen Scholarship fund which provides student scholarships for the Jefferson Center’s Jazz Institute. The donation was presented to the Jefferson Center before the Campbell Brothers concert last Friday. Donated funds will pay for five students to attend the program.

Here is the press release from Cox Communications.

Roanoke, VA – Prior to the start of the Campbell Brothers concert Friday evening, Cox Communications presented the Jefferson Center with a check in the amount of $1,000 in support of the Don Pullen Scholarship fund.  This donation will provide scholarships for students to attend the Jazz Institute this summer. Read more »

Freedom First Credit Union has launched a new rebranding effort to demonstrate the company’s commitment to communities. The “Where People Bank for Good” initiative includes a new logo and message showing that the bank is investing resources into programs and projects that benefit the community. As part of the new campaign, almost 2,000 envelopes containing various amounts of cash are being randomly sent to area business and street corners to show what the bank does on a small-scale every day.

Here is the press release from Freedom First Credit Union.

Roanoke, VA (February 18, 2012) — Freedom First is pleased to announce its “Where People Bank for Good” initiative—a comprehensive rebranding effort that exemplifies the growing company’s ongoing commitment to investing its resources in programs, projects, and partnerships that benefit the entire community. In addition to a new logo and message, nearly 2,000 blue Freedom First-branded envelopes containing varying amounts of cash will begin appearing randomly at area businesses and street corners throughout the region, changing hands from one person to another in a small-scale demonstration of what the Credit Union does behind the scenes every day. Read more »

Pat Brown at the ABWA luncheon in December 2012.

A donation of Pampering Purses will be donated to the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley during the Feb. 20 meeting of New River Valley Express Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association. The group collected 25 purses along with several items provided  by local businesses.

Here’s the press release from New River Valley Express Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association.

The members of the New River Valley Express Network of the American Businesswomen’s Association (ABWA) like to work on several projects a year to give back to women in the community. During their next networking luncheon on February 20, 2013, a donation of “Pampering Purses” will be presented to Pat Brown, Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley in Radford. Each month, the New River Valley Express Network holds a networking luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn in Blacksburg. “We are very excited to coordinate this project for a second year. Our membership represents a diverse group of business people from a wide span of industries all sharing in the desire to support women, both personally and professionally. Our hope is that the gift of a Pampering Purse will provide a personal and practical gift that lifts the spirit of a woman in need. We strive to positively influence our community and feel this project allows us to reach beyond our areas of business expertise to support other women,” says Melinda Dunford, President for 2012–2013. Read more »