Donations can be made in honor of George to:

RAM
824 Campbell Ave., SW
Roanoke, VA 24016

We are all deeply shocked and devastated by the horrific death of our dear friend and volunteer George Rogers on August 17, 2008. George was an inspiration to so many in the Roanoke Valley and at RAM. At 89, he had more spunk and commitment to service than many people half his age. He came to RAM every Wednesday and worked in our administrative office by helping process financial aid requests. In the past he worked in the kitchen and at RAM special events, fundraisers and whatever needed doing.

Losing a dear friend is never easy and it’s especially difficult when the person was the victim of a violent crime. There are so many unanswered questions and so much anger toward those who took George’s life. Instead of allowing that one horrible day to define who George Rogers was, we are focusing on his life and the many gifts he shared with the world and the legacy he leaves behind. Many people have made donations in George’s memory and we have established an ongoing fund in memory of George that will set aside financial aid for the elderly members of our community who find themselves struggling with common necessities. The fund would help pay for prescriptions, rent, heating costs, etc.

George made it his business to serve the community. If we had an excess of produce or perishable food items George would deliver it to the Northwest Child Development Center and other places. He would often take excess bread to the neighborhoods and distribute it to the people he knew needed it most. George had so much compassion for people and made mention many times of not being able to stand the thought of someone going hungry or being in serious need of something.
We are comforted and delighted that George’s girlfriend of 16 years, Marla Burch has begun volunteering in the office in George’s slot and that Dana Dudley has started working in our kitchen on Wednesdays. Dana is a member of George’s church and was working in the church kitchen during the memorial service for George. A speaker piped in audio of the service and Dana heard the pastor encourage people to step up to the plate and take over where George left off at the RAM House and in the community. She came to RAM a couple of days later and signed up to volunteer.

We can’t help but be inspired by Marla, Dana and others who refuse to let something evil overshadow the greater good, but instead continue to let an attitude of love carry on the memory of someone we hold so dear. George, we miss you.

The doors to the RAM emergency financial aid office open at 9am and it’s not long before the waiting area is full of the sounds of children. It stands to reason that if a parent is having trouble paying for the necessities such as electricity, prescriptions or rent then books probably aren’t high on the list of priorities. The book donation will allow a child to have books of their own. Reading is crucial to a child’s development and helps with comprehension skills, school performance and encourages imagination. It’s better than spending hours in front of a television and plus, it’s fun!

If you’d like to begin collecting children’s books for RAM, contact Allison Martin to receive a collection poster.