Roses to the Walmart Foundation, whose Fighting Hunger Together initiative recently awarded a local hunger-relief organization a significant grant to help it continue and expand its efforts to provide ample nutrition to the children of our community

The foundation awarded TABLE Inc. $30,000 to help the organization purchase food and grow its operations.

TABLE tackles hunger by filling in an important gap. About 25 percent of elementary school children in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro district receive free or reduced school breakfasts and lunches. That gives those kids good food during school. But they are at risk for hunger or poor-quality food during weekends, summer break and other times when school meals aren't available. TABLE provides healthy, fresh and non-perishable food to children to take home during those times. The Walmart Foundation grant will help TABLE increase by 50 percent the number of local children it serves, from 100 to 150.

Roses to Eyes Ears Nose and Paws (EENP), a Carrboro-based nonprofit that trains dogs to be live-in assistants for people with a range of conditions.

At a graduation ceremony at the Century Center, EENP officially presented 16-year-old Kayley Thorpe with a golden retriever named Mack. The dog completed a year and a half of training, and the pair worked intensively for two weeks. .

The training pays off. Kayley has Tourette syndrome, which leaves her vulnerable to long-lasting spasms severe enough to disable her. Mack has been trained to help her by gently leaning against her or pressing himself against her legs or body, applying pressure that can halt the attack.

EENP graduated its first two dogs last summer and has seven now in training, including a pair of terriers from the Orange County Animal Shelter that are being trained to assist people with diabetes. It's a terrific program, and we hope it grows.

Roses, while we're on the subject of dogs, to Invisible Fence of Raleigh, which donated five pet oxygen masks to the Chapel Hill and Carrboro fire departments.

The masks feature a specially designed nose cone shaped to fit over a dog's snout. The equipment helps first responders administer oxygen to a pet stricken by smoke inhalation. In a fire, of course, getting the people out first is the immediate priority. But estimates are that between 40,000 and 150,000 pets die in each year in fires, most succumbing to smoke inhalation.The new equipment may help local firefighters save a pet or two that might otherwise not get out. For a family struggling with the aftermath of a fire that may have damaged or destroyed their home and belongings, the love and companionship of the family dog can be a great comfort.