ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, August 9, 1996 TAG: 9608090035
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES TOLLIVER JR. STAFF WRITER
A NEW GROUP, Rebuilding the Black Community, hopes Saturday's cleanup and health fair will bring hope and draw new members.
One of the Roanoke Valley's newest organizations, Rebuilding the Black Community, will sponsor a street cleanup Saturday in Northwest Roanoke.
The cleanup will begin at 8 a.m. at 11th Street and continue west on Melrose Avenue.
``I think this will be a very positive project, and it'll uplift the community,'' said Anthony Reed, president of RBC.
In addition to the cleanup, the group's estimated 70 members will sponsor a health fair.
``A lot of the elderly people in the community don't have the opportunity to get out and see doctors,'' said Brian Davis, coordinator of the health fair and owner of the EnStyle hair salon on Melrose. ``It's also important because the kids get to see prominent black doctors in our community.''
The fair will be held at RBC's headquarters at 2310 Melrose from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will feature black doctors and nurses from the valley.
RBC members hope residents of the black community will turn out in support of Saturday's project.
``We've sent fliers to churches, put posters up, and we've spread the word,'' Davis said. ``We hope that people will come out and, hopefully, become members.''
Reed said the organization will receive free trash bags from the city.
This marks the group's second project since its ``Fun Day'' celebration in June.
Other projects are in the works. RBC plans to have free tutoring for elementary school pupils and begin a modified ``Rites of Passage'' program in which members would work with male youths and men 15 and older in a highly structured six-month program. Participants would be required to do such activities as read a book a month and adopt a senior citizen to assist. The goal is to help develop responsible adults.
RBC is a nonprofit organization formed after 1995's Million Man March in Washington, D.C.
``We want people in the community to know we are serious about rebuilding the community,'' Davis said. ``But before you can rebuild a community, first you have to clean it.''
For more information, call the RBC office at 982-8597.
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