By Brittany Hutson
Fellow, Public Relations
During this season of giving and sharing, NeighborWorks organizations are helping individuals and families with the necessities they need to enjoy the holidays. Below are a few of the many great projects that our network is organizing around the country:
New York
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| Completed food bags |
For over a decade, the Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDC Long Island) has organized a holiday basket drive to support low-to-moderate income families in Nassau and Suffolk counties. In the past, the drive has been a volunteer effort by CDC Long Island staff members, who also contributed money toward creating the baskets. This year, CDC Long Island, with assistance from Freddie Mac and Capital One Foundation, kicked up their outreach and fundraising efforts to support families that were impacted by Hurricane Sandy. As a result, 80 families—a majority of whom are single mothers from the Family Self-Sufficiency Program—will receive a food basket with items including hot chocolate, yams, bread, canned goods, and a gift card to purchase a turkey.
Oklahoma
Since 2009, Little Dixie Community Action Agency and International Paper — a multinational paper company — have partnered to provide “Thanksgiving-themed” food baskets to low-income families in the Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties. This year, 14 families received food baskets with turkey, vegetables, breads, pie, bread stuffing ingredients, and more to prepare a delicious Thanksgiving meal.
Virginia
Residents of Friendship Village Apartments in Virginia Beach, Virginia, got a surprise when Community Housing Partners and music industry executive and owner of N.A.R.S. records, Floyd “Danja” Hills, teamed up to assemble and deliver boxes of food. Hills, along with his N.A.R.S. Records colleague Tommy “King-T” Eaton and members from Advocate’s Gift of Life Ministries (which is led by Danja’s father Right Reverend Dr. Floyd Hills), distributed meals of turkey, stuffing, yams, collard greens, cranberry sauce, and rolls for more than 100 residents. The 109-unit in Friendship Village is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 multi-family property rented to low-income individuals and is owned and managed by Community Housing Partners. Hills, a former resident of Friendship Village, said he was concerned about families trying to make ends meet during these difficult economic times and wanted to make a positive difference in the community he once called home.
