RICHMOND, Va. — Churches and community groups teamed up to provide free school supplies for children at the Southwood Apartments, just days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in the Richmond neighborhood.
His Favor Outreach partnered with No Limit Global Church to distribute backpacks filled with school supplies, clothes, and food to families on Saturday.
"There are so many people out here who are in need," said Kim Coleman from His Favor Outreach.
The back-to-school drive served as a safety net for children who need extra support as the new school year approaches.
"They just need help. And His Favor allows you that opportunity," Coleman said.
Tracy Ingalls, an outreach leader with No Limit Global Church, explained how the supplies were gathered.
"We got donations from Next Home Advantage Realty for the backpacks and then the church family at No Limit Global donated the school supplies," Ingalls said.
The organizations collected 120 backpacks for the event.
While the giveaway was scheduled before recent events, organizers acknowledged that their efforts took on added significance following ICE agents operating in the community on Wednesday, according to Richmond Police.
"There are legal ways to handle anything and everything," Coleman said. "Sometimes it's detrimental to the kids if you don't know if your parents are coming home, you don't know if your mom is going to be there, you don't know if your dad is going to come home from work."
Coleman worried about how residents would respond to the event after the ICE operation.
"I actually prayed that there would be no fear while we came out because although I did reach out to the community directors, they were like, 'Come on out, the need is here,'" she said. "But again, you don't know how the community is going to respond, because of what they've been dealing with, because of what they've been enduring, because of what they've been put through."
Sylvia Archer, who attended in support of the event, expressed mixed feelings about the ICE presence in Southwood.
"The only thing I can think of is that the government to me was just trying to do its job," Archer said. "And if people are here who are not supposed to be, illegally or whatever, then they need to come in the right way."
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However, Archer wasn't pleased with the outcome of the operation.
"Families are being torn apart, which is something I'm not happy to see," she said. "But this does bring some comfort to the family so I'm glad to see people reaching out to know that there is a better way."
Coleman said her group is focused on connecting with the community directly.
"They need assistance, they need food, they need attention, they need love," Coleman said.
The event also promoted National Night Out, which will have a presence Tuesday night in the neighborhood.
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