Roanoke College’s Center for Civic Engagement receives grant to continue funding student community service

James Dalpino
·2 min read

ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Roanoke College’s Center for Civic Engagement received a $20,000 grant from the Allstate Foundation and Center for Expanding Leadership (CELO) to support youth-led, youth-driven community service among students.

This funding will support service leader’s fellowships for students who are selected to create hands-on service programs that put students to work on housing, education, environment, and food insecurity initiatives that contribute to the well-being of local communities and families.

“Our focus has always been on giving as many students as possible access to the learning and leadership opportunities that come alongside volunteer service in our local and regional communities,” said Jesse Griffin, Director of the Center for Civic Engagement. “We know they are gaining competencies through these experiences that supplement what they have achieved in the classroom and that they are being well-prepared for lives of service once they graduate. We are deeply appreciative that The Allstate Foundation has allowed us to expand these efforts this academic year.”

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Also, this funding will support service leader fellowships for students picked to coordinate programs and other student volunteers, and housing to ensure all students can take part in these programs without travel costs being a barrier.

“It’s shown me firsthand how much of an impact you can make by serving others even in humble ways,” said Aidan Lacombe ’26, a service leader fellow who organizes student programs with Feeding Southwest Virginia, a food bank that serves 26 counties and nine cities across the region. “People are struggling, and you have a chance to make a difference in their day. It’s important to me to use the opportunities I’ve been provided in my own life to give back to others and work to make our community a better place.”

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