Midlothian man hosts community cookouts for the unhoused

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. — A Midlothian man is hoping to make a difference in his community by firing up his grill to provide hot meals for the unhoused.

Travis Snead says he had organized a few dinners at homeless shelters prior to a few weeks ago, but when he drove past the Rosie’s on Midlothian Turnpike near the Richmond line, he says he felt inclined to do more.

He stopped and met 37-year-old Aaron Johnson, who does not currently have permanent housing, and asked how he could help.

Johnson and Snead coordinated an in and out tailgate style cookout setup that fed more than 50 people.

The two are hoping to make these community cookouts a regular event for those in need.

"Don't judge a book by its cover," said Johnson. "It fills our hearts, you know what I mean, and it just lets everybody here know, it's still people that are, you know, willing to be a human being."

"It's not up to me to ask or judge or say, you know, whether or not you deserve the basic human rights," Snead noted. "Like we're all in this together."

If you’d like to help Snead out with these community cookouts, he says you can email him at travis.snead1@gmail.com.

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