RICHMOND, Va. — The Trauma Healing Response Network hosted a back-to-school event on Saturday at Richmond's Hickory Hill Community Center, providing backpacks, school supplies and haircuts to local children.
"We just came to love on this community like we do and like we've been doing," said Lorraine Wright of the Trauma Healing Response Network.
The event featured fun, games and dancing while addressing practical needs for students preparing to return to school. With help from the Department of Justice Services, the organization distributed 1,000 donated backpacks to children in attendance.
"We have to make sure that these kids have these book bags and supplies," Wright said.
Beyond school supplies, the event offered free haircuts to help students look their best for the new school year.
"We need to make sure they look presentable and they feel good about themselves because all of that comes into play when we talk about how folks respond to one another and engage with one another out there in these streets," Wright said.
WATCH: Hair Palace hosts back-to-school giveaway with free haircuts
The Trauma Healing Response Network operates as a collective of organizations working at the grassroots level to meet the needs of vulnerable community members without the bureaucratic barriers that often accompany resource distribution.
"We're making sure we're getting to the family, we're getting them resources, sometimes it means respite or a safe place to stay, sometimes it means emergency housing, sometimes it means emergency relief funds that have no requirement other than you must be impacted and that's really big," Wright said.
According to Wright, the Hickory Hill Community Center is one of several "safe zones" established within the past year by city leaders in Richmond's 6th, 7th and 8th districts.
The event represented more than just a back-to-school giveaway, but rather an ongoing commitment to community building and peace.
"We're out here building peace," Wright said. "We're here to build community, repair harm and make resources accessible."
Wright emphasized that the event reflects the organization's year-round presence in the community.
"This is more than another back-to-school event. This is us reconnecting because we've been connected all year long. We're showing out here what's important to us and that's community," Wright said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
Every day CBS 6 is giving a voice to the stories happening in your community. If you have a story idea, email our team at NewsTips@wtvr.com or click here to submit a tip.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
