The Roanoke Public Libraries constructed a new Melrose Branch Library in 2019 at the Goodwill Jobs Campus, around the corner from its original site. This new branch tripled the square footage of the previous branch and has given more residents access to jobseeker resources, including a mobile interview lab. The branch is also open until 8 PM on weekday evenings so children have a safe space to be in the evenings. Children participate in family programming and receive free meals during this time.

Slated to open in a new space in 2022, the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s EnVision Center connects all community members, not just RRHA residents, to local resources. This new space, across from Lansdowne Park in the old Melrose Branch Library building, will enhance the center’s offerings and opportunities for collaboration. It will feature a computer lab, dedicated meeting spaces, rooms for telehealth consultations, and a youth garden.  In response to resident safety concerns, the City of Roanoke built a lighted walking path between the EnVision Center and the Goodwill Jobs Campus to better connect RRHA residents to both resource hubs.

Nearly one-third of Roanoke City children live in poverty, with many more on the margins, and these rates have likely increased due to the pandemic. We know that families in and near poverty struggle with hunger and with having access to healthy food. Since 2014, the Roanoke Public Libraries and Feeding Southwest Virginia have served over 200,000 meals to children 0-18 at library branches. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Roanoke community shifted to a curbside feeding model and expanded the range of locations at which families could pick up food. The Roanoke City Public Schools delivered food to families at bus stops and offered pickup at schools. Kids Soar began a weekly curbside food bank. The Roanoke Public Libraries and Feeding Southwest Virginia began curbside Feed and Read meal pickup in June 2020. Feeding Southwest Virginia began sharing free produce at children’s farmers markets outside neighborhood libraries starting in the summer of 2020.

In addition to the expansion of food offerings, Roanoke organizations have broadly cross-promoted food distribution opportunities across the community. The Roanoke City Public Schools, for example, shared information about the Roanoke Public Libraries’ Feed and Read program, and the libraries shared information about Kids Soar’s food pantry on the Star City Reads Facebook page. The Virginia Cooperative Extension also created a map of Roanoke food resources at https://roanoke.ext.vt.edu/FoodResources.html so people can find information about free and discounted food in one place. 

An additional notable new feeding program is the Feeding Southwest Virginia Community Solutions Center. In 2018, the Community Solutions Center opened through a partnership between Feeding Southwest Virginia, the city, and the Roanoke Police Department. The center provides meal production training for adults, nutrition classes, and youth meals from its site on Melrose Avenue, the heart of Northwest.