Working in Southwest Virginia—Helping those in need

There are two thousand eight hundred seniors in need throughout the Roanoke Valley that will not go hungry this winter.

The annual Soup for Seniors Drive held in February is over a decade old. The Local Office on Aging in partnership with AARP Virginia this year collected over 45,000 items including soups of all kinds, crackers, peanut butter, canned tuna and chicken, vegetables, fruit, cereal and other non-perishables to distribute.

This drive has become a valley-wide collaborative event with churches, businesses large and small, community service groups, high school alumni groups, neighborhoods, retired teachers, and even school children, public, private and home-schooled, contributing food, time, money, and other resources to the success of the drive. The Church of St. Peters and St. Paul offered a venue to process the food as it came in. Freedom First Credit Union, the Bank of Fincastle, and Vistar Eye Centers served as drop off sites for people to donate. Security Scale Service donated the use of a scale for the week and Food Lion grocery stores donated the use of their shopping carts to facilitate the movement of the food at the Church. 

Volunteers were recruited to collect from drop off sites, schools, and churches. At the Church, volunteers counted and weighed the food, checked expiration dates, sorted, stocked, and then bagged food items that were delivered to those who had been vetted as having a need, by still other volunteers.

Jim Dau, AARP Virginia State Director, Carol Downs newly appointed State AARP President, Brian Jacks, and Philisa Johnson, both Associate AARP State Directors volunteered.  The Roanoke Area AARP Leadership team and members of local AARP chapters including the SW Roanoke Chapter #4652 and the Eureka Chapter #0514 also joined in on the efforts.

E P Journiette Photographer

A repeat volunteer, Dee Copenhaver said, “This is something I wouldn’t miss for the world.” Another who was a first-time volunteer, Mary Cannaday said, “I didn’t know this could be so much fun. I will definitely be back next year!” This was said after she had worked with the project multiple days. The Local Office on Aging and AARP VA thank all who contributed to the success of the 2019 Soup for Seniors Drive.