Roane State Community College

Photo: Good Neighbors Shoppe presents a check to the Roane State Foundation for $10,000 to support student scholarships and aid. Pictured left to right: Claire Donnelly with GNS; Susan Williams, RSCC Loudon County Center Director; Roane State Foundation Board of Directors member Sean Hensley; and Scott Niermann, Executive Director of Roane State Foundation.

August 30, 2022

A Loudon County resale store has once again provided a grant to help award scholarships to Loudon County adults, age 20 and older, who are enrolled in Roane State. The grant for $10,000 will be used to fund the equivalent of 10 scholarships at $1,000 each in the current academic year, or $500 per semester.

“In recent academic years, a significant need has been assistance to economically disadvantaged, non-traditional adult students that do not have the funds to pay for parts of their college education not covered by state and federal grants,” according to grant documents from the community college.

"Our goal is to give back to the community by providing grant funds for scholarships as well as for schools and various organizations dealing with hunger, child abuse, domestic violence, veterans issues and more,” said Claire Donnelly, Scholarship Chair for the Good Neighbors Shoppe.

The all-volunteer, non-profit retail store, located at 420 Leeper Parkway in Lenoir City, has been in existence for 20 years and has donated more than $5,000,000 to Loudon County agencies during that time.

“This year, the Board of Directors has plans to donate another $700,000,” Donnelly added.

Roane State Foundation officials say helping economically disadvantaged adults is a need in Loudon County, one of the state’s fastest-growing counties.