A local mortgage company lends a helping hand as another school year gets ready to kick off in Roanoke City.

ALCOVA Mortgage raised over $20,000 for Roanoke City Schools to help give kids the supplies they need to feel ready to go back to school.

Here's a look at some of the stories we'll be following today as they make headlines in Southwest Virginia.

ROANOKE, Va. As students get ready to go back to school, one Roanoke company is hoping youll donate supplies to the second annual Park it on the Market event. On Aug. 7 and Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., ALCOVA Mortgage is teaming up with Downtown Roanoke Inc. to park a bus in the City Market. The goal is to fill it with school supplies for Roanoke City students. If you would like to donate, you dont have to wait until Friday to do so. You can drop off school supply donations at ALCOVA Mortgage Branches in Roanoke, The Kirk Family YMCA, the YMCA Express at Gainsboro or Kids Square.

ROANOKE, Va. - A brand new event aims to help Roanoke city school children. A school bus was parked in downtown Roanoke with the goal to fill the entire bus with donated school supplies for local students in need. Roanoke City Schools will give the supplies to students at an event called Back-to-School Extravaganza. The following school supplies are most needed: notebook paper, pens, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, pencil boxes, rulers, glue sticks, backpacks, copy paper and markers. The event coincides with Virginia's tax-free weekend to encourage shoppers to buy supplies to fill the bus.