During their monthly meeting the Gainsboro Southwest Neighborhood Organization under the leadership of its president Constance Crutchfield donated a check to the YoungDocs Roanoke program. The $2,000 donation was made in honor of Alice and Margaret Roberts founding members of the organization and their father Dr. James H. Roberts who was co-founder of Burrell Memorial Hospital.
The Roberts family has been a part of the Gainsboro community for over 100 years and was very involved and concerned with the growth and well-being of the community.
Dr. James H. Roberts was a graduate of Howard’s School of Medicine in 1910. Dr. Roberts opened his medical practice in Roanoke around 1912. He was instrumental in founding Burrell Memorial Hospital in 1915 with four of his colleagues. His daughters Alice and Margaret Roberts were very dedicated to the preservation of the Gainsboro neighborhood. They both helped in preserving the Oliver Hill home on Gilmer Avenue. They were leading historians on the Gainsboro History Wall project on Wells Avenue in Roanoke. Like their father, Dr. Roberts both Alice and Margaret, were dedicated to healthcare as well.
Young Doctors Roanoke is a chapter of Young Doctors Washington DC. In this program doctors and other medical professionals train young African American men to be the healthcare providers for their communities.
