We associate the holidays with giving and receiving. But not all families in Hampton Roads can afford presents for their kids. Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers is happy to play our part by donating $1,001 to the Holiday Toy Drive organized by the Urban League of Hampton Roads Young Professionals.
For the last 11 years, the team at the Urban League has held a Holiday Toy Drive in November to assist families in need in our community. This is a huge help for many families that would otherwise have a bleak holiday season. Some of the recipients of the drive have been the families of battered women, servicemen and servicewomen, and those affected by homelessness.
The Urban League hosted a holiday party on Dec. 3 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center when the families were honored as special guests. At the event, they received their gifts and were treated to dinner along with games, music, activities, and a very special visitor from the North Pole. The event has become a highlight of the holiday calendar for families and volunteers. To date, the league has served over 200 families and 2,000 people.
Virginia Beach Cheesecake Factory Manager Felecia Mayo partnered with the Urban League of Hampton Roads Young Professionals for this big toy drive. WTKR News Channel 3 reported Felecia is a prolific organizer of events and fundraisers in the community to raise money for local food banks.
The Cheesecake Factory donated 9,720 pounds of peanut butter to the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia just weeks before taking part in the holiday toy drive for families in need. Her annual “Spread the Love” campaign is a reason why many kids avoid hunger in Hampton Roads. The poverty she experienced as a child gives her an impetus to help kids. She said:
“A very long time ago, as a child, I was in that situation, and I believe that children can learn more and be able to focus if they’re fed.”
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dating back more than a century. It is dedicated to economic empowerment, social justice, and equality. It was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in New York City. The Urban League collaborates at the national and local levels with policymakers, community leaders, and corporate partners across to “elevate standards of living for African Americans and other historically underserved groups.
“We believe in our mission. We have families that are in need this holiday season, many of them homeless. We want to be able to give them some joy this year. We want to be able to give them: ‘One Night of Peace’,” the Urban League of Hampton Roads Young Professionals stated.
The attorneys and staff at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers help the needy every holiday season and 2019 was no exception.
Last year, we donated $1,000 to the Virginia Beach-based non-profit Blankets for the Homeless in December.
It’s traumatic not to have a roof over your head at any time of the year or to be able to get presents for your kids at any time of the year. It’s particularly difficult over the holidays when temperatures drop and people are huddling up celebrating with their families.
Blankets for the Homeless is a local nonprofit. We also supported the 503 c 3 set up by Mariah Smith in our Facebook ‘likes’ campaign in 2016. Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers has also donated money to the Union Mission homeless shelter in Norfolk.
We also support the needy through local food banks by taking part in the Legal Food Frenzy.
Since its inception, the Legal Food Frenzy has raised enough money to purchase more than 15.6 million pounds of food for needy Virginians.
A study by Feeding America found more than 935,000 Virginians are considered “food insecure’ across the state. Often those lacking food are children, older people, adults with disabilities, and working adults who are unemployed or underemployed and struggle to pay their bills.
The attorneys at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers have strong roots in the 757 area and are dedicated to advocating and enriching the community. Our commentary engagement activities include support for events by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads, the Chef Sholom Temple in Norfolk and Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia.
Every year, we support students who are going to colleges and universities via our Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarships. Please contact our team.