ROANOKE, Va. – A mural with special meaning now adorns part of Roanoke's Rescue Mission.
The new art piece is a memorial to Wanda Emory. who spent time in the women and children's center for shelter and friendship.
Many felt this painting honored her sweet spirit and the hope she continues to inspire, nearly a year after her death.
"The important thing is the encouragement it's going to give others who are struggling against homelessness, mental illness -- addiction, even. To know, even in her last days there was hope for Wanda," said Lee Clark, CEO of Roanoke Rescue Mission.
Those who helped her find a stable home before she died said she was one of a kind and deserved to be remembered with the portrait.
"She taught me what unconditional love meant," said Catina Wright, a close friend of Wanda.
The Rescue Mission thanked the artist Eddie Yeary and Wright.