2026 Change! for our Community

Your 2026 CHANGE! FOR our Community recipients

We’ve selected the 2026 recipients of Change! for our Community. We had 47 organizations apply for 2026, our highest total of applicants ever! Organizations are encouraged to apply annually, and a committee made up of co-op board and staff members selects the recipients for the following year in the month of December. This program gives shoppers the opportunity to ‘round up’ their change and donate to incredible organizations doing great work in our community. Congrats to the organizations chosen for 2026:

January 2026
Lick Run Community Development Corporation
Funds will support the planting of additional fruit and nut trees in the community for the purposes of creating a genetic bank in order to propagate more trees for future food forest plantings.

February
Roanoke Asylum-Seekers Support Network, RASN
Funds raised will be used to assist asylum-seekers living in the Roanoke Valley with rent, utilities, and legal fees.

March
Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP)
Fund raised will support LEAP’s three Community Gardens: Mountain View, Morningside, and Hurt Park.

April
Children’s Trust
Funds will be used to support a comprehensive child abuse prevention program that teaches children and youth in Roanoke City how to recognized unsafe situations, understand personal boundaries, and speak up if they every feel uncomfortable.

May
America Foundation for Suicide Prevention - Virginia Chapter
Funds raised will support the Salem-Roanoke Out of the Darkness Community Walk, an annual event that brings together hundreds of residents across the Roanoke Valley to raise awareness for suicide prevention, honor lives lost, and support those affected by mental health struggles.

June
Grandin Theatre Foundation
Funds raised will go to support The Grandin Theatre Film Lab, an after-school program serving youth throughout the Roanoke Region, where youth learn cinematic arts from professionals in film studies.

July
West End Center for Youth
Funds raised will directly support West End Center’s after-school and summer programs, serving 150 children from Roanoke’s underserved neighborhoods.

August
Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley
Funds raised will be committed to one home build project in 2026. Habitat Roanoke Valley typically builds 9 homes each year.

September
The Bridge Institute
Money raised will go directly into sustaining and growing The Bridge Institute’s programming in Roanoke City Schools to prevent and address conflict with restorative justice principles, scholarships, conflict resolution for people in reentry from prison, and more.

October
Saint Francis Service Dogs
Funds raised will go toward purchasing equipment for their Puppy Raisers program, a program that pairs inmates with puppies to learn obedience, socialization, confidence, and beginning task work.

November
Roanoke Foodshed Network
Money raised will directly support the marketing and storytelling budget for the Roanoke Region Food and Farm Trail.

December
Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center
Money raised will be used to purchase much needed food and medical supplies to help SWVA Wildlife Center treat the nearly 2,800 animals admitted each year.

Since October 2013, Change! has raised over $356k for local and national organizations that support our community and our Ends!