Volunteers serve up holiday cheer to neighbors in need with Christmas dinners and Walmart gift cards at Independent Community Church at 605 S. 16th St. in Richmond on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. (Photo credit: Mike Kinney)
On Macdonald Ave. Tuesday, hundreds of “boxes of hope” containing Christmas dinners were handed out to community members in need. Meanwhile on Bissell Ave., families got books along with their frozen turkeys and pies. And over on S. 16th St., donated Christmas dinners came with gift cards.
Such events came at a critical time for community members facing mounting economic hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic.
For years, the Richmond community has fostered a reputation for banding together to support neighbors experiencing difficult times. The city’s residents, businesses, government agencies, schools, nonprofits and religious organizations collaborate annually on charitable giveaways. Efforts amid an unrelenting pandemic, however, have come with a heightened sense of urgency and are being carried out with a particular focus on safe distribution. Leave it to the city of Pride and Purpose to pull it off.