It’s our first Richmond Family Magazine Christmas…
When we launched the magazine, I knew we’d be helping area families with all of our great articles and resources – like the calendar, book reviews, and menu ideas. But I also knew that we would make a special effort to form partnerships that would help so many that aren’t as fortunate as most of us who are reading this publication.
This holiday season, we have chosen two organizations that strive to provide homes to children who have none.
I was invited to tour the Hilliard House, located on Nine Mile Road in eastern Henrico County, and I was immediately struck by the staff’s devotion to the house and its residents. This is a shelter for women and children who have been forced from their homes due to domestic
Violence, job loss, or other circumstances. The women are given counseling, are trained to enter the workforce, and are expected to share in the responsibilities of maintaining the house. The children go to school or a childcare facility, and are given access to doctors and special needs services, if necessary. Residents attend seminars on topics such as financial reorganization, health and nutrition, and vocational planning. Facilities such as the Hilliard House could not exist without contributions from the public, so we are proud to spread the word about their upcoming holiday fundraiser, Deck the Halls.
Check out our calendar to learn more about this fun, family event out on the farm, and please be sure to introduce yourself and lend me a hand when you see me fumbling out there over my fresh wreath.
I will be donning my apron to get ready for our second event, a Jingle Bell Benefit at Richmond Piano, benefitting Children’s Home Society. In addition to getting the word out, we are in charge of refreshments, which may or may not turn out to be a good idea.
Either way, we are so pleased to assist CHS, a private, non-profit agency that has sought to find permanent homes for children for over a hundred years. Through it all, they have never turned away a birth mother or child in need. You can read more about CHS in Reaching Out on page 20. And again, be sure to introduce yourself and tell me how much you love my homemade treats, even if you do spy a Ukrop’s box in the corner.
I look forward to teaching my kids that Christmas is about far more than toys and stockings. It is about giving back and making sure that every child has a home to wake up in on Christmas morning.
Happy Holidays from all of us at Richmond Family Magazine!
