ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City Public Schools is hosting a grand opening of its Community Empowerment Center at Booker T. Washington, providing essential services not only for students but for the whole family.
The Community Empowerment Center is exclusively available to families with students enrolled in Roanoke City Public Schools, which serves approximately 14,000 students from diverse backgrounds.
“Our goal is to strengthen our student outcomes by supporting our families,” said Director of Community Engagement Corey Allder for Roanoke City Public Schools.
While the center is hosting its grand opening today at 11 a.m., it has been providing services since July and has already assisted 300 families with a range of services, including school enrollment assistance, free supplies, and health services. Located in Gainsboro near the YMCA in what was previously Lucy Addison High School, the facility serves as a centralized hub for RCPS families.
The Community Empowerment Center offers multiple services designed to support RCPS families:
- School enrollment assistance
- Immunization and physical examination services through the Virginia Department of Health
- Dental services through New Horizons Healthcare
- Free school supplies and backpacks
- Free clothing and winter coats
- Personal hygiene items
- Business attire for job interviews
There are also all types of services to help the whole family, such as housing assistance, employment resources, and career development. There are also workshops on issues including parenting, bullying, and financial literacy.
“The fact that we can connect folks with housing resources, connect folks with employment resources, and all things that connect to that strengthening families in order to strengthen students, that approach. We are so proud to have that here in Roanoke City Public Schools,” said Allder.
Region 5 Adult Education is also providing an extension office for its adult education classes.
Families can access services by scheduling appointments or walking in during operating hours. The center’s integrated approach ensures that families can receive multiple services in one location, streamlining the support process and making resources more accessible to the community.
“We have families that talk about moving here from out of town or even from other countries, and they say thank you so much for offering us this support, whether it’s multilingual or whether it is school supplies and resources or those immunizations and physicals, really makes us feel like we’re hitting the target with our families,” said Allder.