Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, December 23, 1994                   TAG: 9412230144
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

AROUND NEW RIVER

The Red Cross is in the business of collecting blood, not food, said Debbie Ingram, manager for the Montgomery County chapter of the Red Cross.

Ingram received a complaint this week that someone was going door-to-door in Blacksburg sponsoring a contest and asking for food donations in the name of the Red Cross. "The Red Cross does not go door to door asking for food collection," Ingram said. "I just want folks to know that they are not connected with us. They're doing their own collection." Blacksburg police said they had not received any similar complaints as of Thursday morning.

Loan applications

Southwest Development Financing Inc. is accepting loan applications from businesses and organizations that need money to make tourism-related ideas work.

The non-profit organization, which is funded by $1 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Farmers Home Administration, provides loans at below-market interest rates.

Depending on the type of project, the number of jobs created, and other factors, businesses, local government and other groups could be eligible for loans of $50,000 or $90,000, said Jerry Brown, the corporation's director. So far, the corporation has received only two loan applications, but is expecting more, especially by spring when tourism season begins.