\n By JoAnne Poindexter<\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nFriday, July 13, 2007\n<\/p>\n \nIf she were in another business, Robyn Dobyns would be a one-woman wrecking crew.\n<\/p>\n \nShe battles insurance companies, hospitals, doctors’ offices and the \nShe finds clothes, food, furniture and anything else someone tells \nIn the eight years that she has served as the only director — and \nThere are bingo games, step aerobics classes, a new brain fitness \nThe center has become a vital part of Botetourt County, especially \nDobyns "has helped so many; she’s a real champion for the whole \nDobyns doesn’t focus on any particular segment of the population, \n"I do everything," Dobyns said without appearing to boast.\n<\/p>\n \nShe weeds around the Bedford Street center; mops and cleans the \nShe has even found a television antenna for one family and sent volunteer J.D. Day to pick it up.\n<\/p>\n \nDobyns recruited Day through a friend at church about four years ago.\n<\/p>\n \nSince then, he has replaced house doors, and finished bathrooms and bedroom walls for clients, among other jobs.\n<\/p>\n \n"If we can do it, we will get it done. If we can’t, she tries to find a way," Day said of Dobyns.\n<\/p>\n \nDay described Dobyns as "energetic and very stern in what she wants \nDobyns, a guitarist and professional singer, also has worked with almost every social service agency in the Roanoke Valley.\n<\/p>\n \nBut she and others say the center is in dire need of funds to meet \nDobyns said the center needs more volunteers and more local government and business partnerships.\n<\/p>\n \nSeveral center projects originated with funding through the center’s \nStill, Dobyns must raise about $42,000 a year through grants and \nOne of the biggest problems for lower-income Botetourt residents, \nAnnie Linkenhoker, an 82-year-old Buchanan resident with degenerative arthritis, called Dobyns a "miracle worker."\n<\/p>\n \nWhen the wheels didn’t fit her new wheelchair, said Linkenhoker, \nLinkenhoker, who hasn’t been out of her home since November, said she also depends on the center for clothing and some food.\n<\/p>\n \nDobyns’ attitude has been "don’t hesitate to call me to see what I might have," said Mullis.\n<\/p>\n \n"She is very, very serious and very, very consistent," Mullis added.\n<\/p>\n \n"I hurt for these people who are hurting and don’t have resources, \nShe’s passionate about assisting others but borders on being livid when she sees people being taken advantage of.\n<\/p>\n \n"People go silent because they don’t know how to negotiate through the maze," Dobyns said.\n<\/p>\n \nBy the time she is contacted, she said, "you kind of know there’s \n The Roanoke Times\n<\/p>\n \nhttp:\/\/www.roanoke.com\/neighbors\/wb\/wb\/xp-124073<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By JoAnne Poindexter Friday, July 13, 2007 If she were in another business, Robyn Dobyns would be a one-woman wrecking crew. She battles insurance companies, hospitals, doctors’ offices and the Social Security Administration on behalf of residents of Botetourt County. She finds clothes, food, furniture and anything else someone tells her they need. She handles… More \u00bbResource head truly does it all<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wikipediapreview_detectlinks":true,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","neve_meta_reading_time":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourbigclan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSocial Security Administration on behalf of residents of Botetourt
\nCounty.\n<\/p>\n
\nher they need. She handles crises — paying utilities and buying
\nmedicines — and coordinates the food pantry for the Buchanan Area
\nMinisterial Association, a group of 14 churches.\n<\/p>\n
\nemployee — of the Botetourt Resource Center, Dobyns has built a
\nreputable center, said those who work with her. The center was formerly
\nknown as the Buchanan Resource Center.\n<\/p>\n
\nprogram to improve memory, a free wood program and "the ongoing
\nrecycling of household goods, clothes and appliances," according to
\ninformation Dobyns passes out.\n<\/p>\n
\nin the Buchanan area, which has a large older population, said Mary Lou
\nMullis, the county’s director of social services.\n<\/p>\n
\ncounty," said Mullis, who serves on the advisory board for the resource
\ncenter.\n<\/p>\n
\nthough the majority of the center’s clientele seem to be older
\nresidents with limited income and citizens with mental health issues.\n<\/p>\n
\ninterior of the building; fields phone calls; picks up day-old food
\nfrom the Daleville Kroger store to deliver to residents; and writes
\ngrants, seeking funding for programs at the center.\n<\/p>\n
\npeople to do. She doesn’t mind helping out but they have to help
\nthemselves."\n<\/p>\n
\nthe needs of those who come for assistance and recreational activities.\n<\/p>\n
\nconnections with the Roanoke Council of Community Services and United
\nWay. The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors gives the center about
\n$3,000 a year, which Dobyns said equals about a month’s operating
\nexpenses. And the town of Buchanan leases the building to the center
\nfor free.\n<\/p>\n
\ndonations for operations, maintenance and even her salary. She gets no
\nbenefits.\n<\/p>\n
\nsaid Dobyns, is transportation to places where they can get assistance.\n<\/p>\n
\nDobyns got on the phone to solve the dilemma and drove to Salem to pick
\nup the replacements.\n<\/p>\n
\nespecially in this highly technological age," said Dobyns, 54.\n<\/p>\n
\nbeen a mistake or something. I know that at that point, I need to be
\ntheir advocate."\n<\/p>\n
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