Southeast Roanoke got a festive surprise this Halloween season, thanks to a dedicated group of students from John P. Fishwick Middle School. As WSLS stated: “Drivers in Southeast Roanoke received an unexpected Halloween treat when Oompa Loompas, witches, and the Seven Dwarfs appeared to pick up litter along local streets.” This spirited initiative was organized by none other than Fishwick’s Kids in the Community, Southeast Roanoke's official Junior Plawkers!

The community service-oriented club, led by faculty advisors Elisabeth Hughes (6th grade English), Carrie Walton (7th grade science), and Marilyn Clouser (8th grade English), meets weekly to "plawk" — pick up litter while walking throughout the neighborhood. During the week of Halloween, the students took their commitment to the next level by donning Halloween costumes while working to keep their community beautiful. 

Kids in the Community not only tackles neighborhood litter but also engages in various other service projects, such as making cards for veterans, collecting socks, and collecting food for Thanksgiving meals. The students love the opportunity to make a difference and share positivity wherever they go, proving themselves a source of inspiration for their school and the broader Roanoke community.

"They live here and this is their community, and they have a sense of ownership in their community," Ms. Hughes said. "It drives their pride and they feel confidence with their own self-satisfaction and pride in helping others."

In 2021, Kids in the Community received the City of Roanoke's Neighborhood Youth Volunteer Award. 

Check out this news coverage:

• WSLS: Southeast Roanoke gets Halloween cleanup from Fishwick Middle School ‘Junior Plawkers’
• WDBJ: “Kids in the Community” spreads positivity throughout Southeast Roanoke to celebrate Halloween
• Roanoke Times: 'Kids in the Community' have a Halloween-themed 'plawking' event