March 2026 Meeting Recap
- NiSR
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Thank you to all who joined us at our "Spring Cleaning"-themed meeting on March 17. We learned about everything from trash and waste collection to recycling to litter cleanups, plawk socks and more!
And what's Spring cleaning without a yard sale?
Registration is open!
SoRo Neighborhood-wide Yard Sale is Saturday, May 9th.
OUR GUEST SPEAKERS
Tiffany Bradbury, Director of Community Engagement, Roanoke Valley Resource Authority
Tiffany presented an overview of the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority (RVRA), which manages waste after collection from residential and commercial sources. Waste is delivered to transfer stations, loaded onto tractor trailers, and transported to the Smith Gap Landfill in Roanoke County for disposal.
RVRA serves the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County, the City of Salem, and the Town of Vinton, working in coordination with local solid waste teams to ensure safe and efficient handling of waste. The organization prioritizes community and environmental protection and operates under the mission: “to provide environmentally sound disposal in the most cost-effective manner to our members, residents, and commercial haulers.”
The next Household Hazardous Waste Collection event is Saturday, April 18, 2026. Registration is required. NO WALK INS.
More information is available at www.rvra.net. You'll find details on all of the where, what, when and how of Residential Disposal, Recycling, Hazardous Waste Disposal, scheduled events and children's activities.
Fun Fact: RVRA manages over 320,000 tons (more than 700 million pounds) of waste annually.
Sunni Purviance, Founder, Roanoke Plawkers
Sunni shared the history of Roanoke Plawkers. Her initiative began in 2019 when Sunni and friends started picking up litter in their Southeast Roanoke neighborhood. Sunni coined the phrase "plawking" to describe the activity that caught on with more and more neighbors and friends - "picking up litter and walking!"
Sunni has learned important impacts of Roanoke Plawkers over and above cleaner public space. These 45-minute plawks bring participants fresh air and light exercise, community engagement, strong neighborhood relations, and lots of new friends!
Currently, six organized groups, including Neighbors in South Roanoke, participate in regularly scheduled meetups from March through October across the city, often in partnership with community organizations.
Everyone is invited to participate at any and all plawks! All supplies are provided. Lots of photos and documented fun are available on the Roanoke Plawkers Facebook page. Give them a follow!
Fun Fact: To date, approximately 4,000 participants, counting recurring participants, have taken part in over 418 plawks, collected more than 1,400 bags of trash and retrieved 1,215 "plawk socks" from the environment. Yes, socks are everywhere and are documented when found! Pics to prove it on the Facebook page.
Courtney Carter Plaster, Executive Director of Clean Valley Council
Courtney provided an overview of the Clean Valley Council (CVC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1978. CVC focuses on environmental education and stewardship in Roanoke City and surrounding areas. The organization’s staff and volunteers support school programs and community outreach related to recycling, litter prevention, stormwater protection, and environmental stewardship. CVC also supplies materials for local cleanups and participates in community events throughout the year including:
Saturday, April 4 Clean Valley Council Roanoke Mountain Adventures Greenway Cleanup, the kickoff to a month filled with activities and events.
Fun Fact: In the past year, 3,466 volunteers contributed efforts equivalent to $103,806.70 in donated services through events and beautification projects.
UPDATE: OUR 2026 FUNDRAISER
Add your name today to our growing list of supporters! Every donation matters. For our organization to remain financially sound, flexible, resilient, and responsive to new and unplanned opportunities, we must build a strong financial base through donations, unrestricted by grant requirements. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to Neighbors in South Roanoke — your financial support will make a meaningful difference.
PARKING IS FREE AT OUR MEETINGS
Neighbors in South Roanoke's next regular meeting is Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at SpringHill Suites, 301 Reserve Ave. Parking is FREE while you are attending our meetings.
MORE DATES...
3rd Annual Neighborhood-wide Yard Sale: Saturday, May 9. Register your address before May 9!
4th of July Celebration: Volunteer and event details coming.
Monthly Regular Meetings: May 19, September 15, November 17.
Fall Tree Planting Event: Tree-lined streets are safer streets. Help us get enough requests to plan an event for this Fall. Submit your requests today!
