Making Seasons Bright! – JFS Thanks Richmond Christmas Mother and Lights of Love Participants

This holiday season, the spirit of generosity and community shone brightly as a portion of JFS’ gift from the Christmas Mother was multiplied in partnership with RABA to give 28 kids, (11 in Fairfield Court, 10 in Mosby Court and 7 kids in Foster Care) a bike and a helmet for the holidays!  JFS and RABA have partnered for 4 years to bring bikes to kids in Fairfield Court and this year added Mosby Court and kids in Foster Care through JFS Connecting Hearts.  Thank you, Christmas Mother!

Here’s how it happened:

• Lots of volunteers from Richmond Area Bicyclists Association (RABA) got hundreds of bikes and assembled them. Special Thanks tour wonderful partners at RABA and JFS Board Member, Dr. David Galpern, David agreed to house 28 teen size bicycles and helmets in some overflow space at his offices on Parham Rd. during the month of December so they could be delivered to Fairfield and Mosby Court for the holidays.  The apartments in Fairfield and Mosby don’t have a lot of storage space, so the bikes have to be stored somewhere else until right before Christmas.
• RABA volunteers delivered the bikes to David’s Office on a very cold Sat. December 7
• Fairfield Court and Mosby Court Staff and JFS Staff and volunteers delivered bikes and helmets to the sites so the Moms and kids could get them.

The joy on the children’s faces when they received their bikes was priceless, a reminder of the powerful impact of community and generosity. The effort brought smiles to many families and made their holiday season brighter. JFS Connecting Hearts Staff also picked up 5 bikes and 7 helmets and used some funds from the portion of the Christmas Mother funds budgeted for gifts for kids in foster care to buy 2 additional bikes (in sizes that we didn’t have) to deliver to seven kids in foster homes in Central Virginia.

In addition to the bike distribution, JFS’ Lights of Love program shone brighter than ever, adding to the holiday cheer. Thank you to the JCC and its members for their incredible generosity and support. Your kindness helped bring joy to 199 individuals, ranging from ages 3 to 98 years old. We are truly grateful for your continued compassion and partnership. Thanks to the support of the community, personal gifts were delivered to homebound elders, adults with disabilities, low-income families, children in foster care, and new neighbors from Ukraine.

 The spirit of collaboration and generosity made the season brighter for those who needed it most. The children’s excitement upon receiving their bikes and the gifts delivered through Lights of Love brought joy to many families in need. The combined efforts of everyone involved have made a lasting impact on the community, and we are truly grateful for your continued generosity, compassion and partnership.

JFS’ mission is Transforming Lives and Strengthening our Community.  We are grateful to partner with the Christmas Mother to transform the lives of these kids and families this holiday season!  Thank you!