Roanoke Rescue Mission and North Cross School forge new partnership

When students gathered for a morning assembly at North Cross School Thursday, Karl Stewart had them on their feet.

The Volunteer Manager from the Roanoke Rescue Mission provided a rousing start to a new partnership between the two organizations.

North Cross is making a year-long commitment. Different groups of student volunteers will complete 13 days of service between September and April.

The school has a long history of incorporating community service into its curriculum, and the partnership with the Rescue Mission offers students the opportunity to work together.

Dakoda Rose is a North Cross Senior.

"I'm excited. I've never worked at the Rescue Mission," Rose told WDBJ7, "but I'm excited to help somebody else out and give a helping hand to somebody less fortunate."

Fellow Senior Elizabeth Giles agreed.

"I think this will be a way to open eyes for a lot of my classmates," Giles said, "and to make them want to serve more, and make them want to do more in the community."

They'll have plenty to do, whether they're preparing or serving meals, sorting items in the donation center or helping with special events like the annual Drumstick Dash.

Alex Hash is the Community Outreach Coordinator for the school.

"We are very blessed," Hash said in an interview. "And we do feel like it is our responsibility to let our students know that there are others who may be struggling in our community, and it's our responsibility in the American way to give them a helping hand.

"And what I love most is they're going to be able to interact with the folks that we serve," said Rescue Mission CEO Lee Clark, "get to know people and really, I think, make a huge difference."