A student program created to give meals to the homeless in Richmond by using donated portions of students' meal plan swipes has been shut down by VCU Dining Services, which says the program violates the non-transferable meal contract. The meal swipe donation program, "Pledge of a Meal Swipe," was created by Psi Chi, an honors society for psychology students.
The Church of Scientology, best known for its celebrity members, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, is planning to open a church in Carytown. It will be the first established Scientology church in Richmond. The church could open by December and will offer introductory lectures, meetings and a book store, said Sylvia Standard, director of external affairs for the Founding Church of Scientology in Washington, D.
Community members interested in reducing the city's carbon emissions planted 300 seedlings at Broad Rock Park in Southside during Saturday's "cool cities" event. Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, who in August 2006 signed the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement, supported the planting as a way to make Richmond more carbon-neutral.
During spring break, many students look forward to sleeping, partying or vacationing with friends and family. But some VCU students spend their break protecting the environment, building houses for flood victims and helping the homeless. Alternative Spring Break is a student organization that provides community service during the university's one-week vacation every March.
