LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — With the holidays around the corner, nonprofits are working hard to make sure every child has a gift under their tree this year.
Mobile Hope volunteers handed out nearly 5,000 gifts across Loudoun and Fairfax County during the last month. Founder Donna Fortier said despite COVID, the community stepped up to meet the need.
"I think because there’s been so much taken away from the kids this year, so much of schooling is that socialization and seeing your friends, seeing everything that’s happening. That has not been part of their world for the past nine months so we really wanted to make this something that brought a smile to their face," said Fortier.
"It was more important than ever this year for us to really show these kids what they mean to us, what they mean to our community because there are so many kids and families that have lost so much this year," said Allyson Ruscitella with Mobile Hope.
Despite the large need this year, Fortier said the community stepped up help during the pandemic. "This year we doubled up on the amount of toys because it was really needed. These kids needed something that was good," said Fortier.
Ahead of the holidays, volunteers with Mobile Hope organized a Christmas drive through event where they handed out thousands of gifts to area students.
"Seeing their faces, leaning out the window, there were several times throughout the day that I was moved to tears," said Ruscitella.
Since the pandemic started, volunteers with Mobile Hope have been helping to provide extra meals throughout the community. "We have served about 157,000 family members just with our food outreach. We have gone from eight stops per month before COVID to almost 20 stops per week now that we are in COVID," said Fortier.
"One of the things that has remained the same is the community support," said
Mobile Hope is a nonprofit headquartered in Loudoun that supports precariously housed, homeless and at-risk youth, helping them to become self-sufficient.
To learn more or help volunteer with Mobile Hope, click here.
