Henrico family honors late mother’s legacy with free Thanksgiving dinner

RICHMOND, Va. — Inspired by their late mother’s generosity, the Scott Family Charity is inviting the public to a free Thanksgiving dinner on November 26.

Wanda Scott-Johnson said in September her 40 family members decided to give back to the community instead of having their holiday meal at home.

The family is hosting dinner from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Military Retiree Club at 2220 Sledd Street. Scott-Johnson said the family chose the Northside location to make the dinner accessible to as many people in need as possible.

“There’s a lot of people who are hurting and facing hard times. People who don’t have family members to even have a warm dinner to sit down and make memories with, right? And that’s something we take for granted,” Scott-Johnson said.

In addition to the classic meal, the family will hand out cold weather essentials like coats, gloves, and blankets which were donated by employees and customers of Truist Bank. Ashland restaurant Around the Table is helping cook the food while the club is offering their space for free.

Scott-Johnson said her mother, Leila B. Scott, would have led the effort if she was still alive today.

“She passed in 2023. She would be all over this. Do this. Do this. Do this. We got to do this. We got to do that. That's the kind of person she was so it's a legacy that we are honoring, you know, and God has been good to us,” she said.

The family, who owns a longtime trucking business, hopes to continue the giving during Christmas and will also participate in the Ashland/Hanover Olde Time Holiday Parade.

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.