CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Hope for Learning is preparing for its sixth annual 5K walk, set for June 6 at Midlothian Mines in Chesterfield County.
The event raises money for children at Title I schools in Central Virginia. The nonprofit says demand for its services is higher than ever, even as the school year winds down.
"We've had our typical support system going for the schools, and now it has been compounded by SNAP benefits being cut, food stamps being cut, immigration taking families away," executive director Chuck Caple said. "That's what we had to contend with for the past 12 months. And so now the schools need more from us, and so we're trying to fill in that gap."
Caple says the organization is also seeing fewer in-kind donations, such as canned goods and clothing supplies.
This year, Hope for Learning plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from the walk to Tiffany Terry, a Richmond mother who lost her two children after police say her boyfriend, Levy Nelson, shot and killed them in a domestic violence incident.
Caple says the mission, while difficult, is meaningful.
"We deal with a lot of situations that most folks in the city and the county never even imagined that goes on on a daily basis," Caple said. "When we drop stuff like that off to the schools and the homes, especially the homes, these people are so grateful because we're taking care of everything that they don't have."
Hope for Learning is still seeking volunteers for the June 6 event.
Click here to register for the race or sign up to volunteer.
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
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.
