Roanoke authorities supporting children and the homeless, first ever event of its type

Roanoke, Virginia – Christmas is all about giving and receiving gifts and spending time with loved ones. From adults to children, everyone enjoys the Christmas period because of the festive atmosphere and decorations that are common during this time of year. Children are also especially thrilled about decorating a Christmas tree and singing Christmas songs, but the holiday picture is complete with children’s excitement about Santa Clause’s arrival. Perfect holiday ambience

The number of homeless people and people in need has risen in the past few years, and the Christmas celebration is the last thing on these people’s minds. The Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office announced this week that it will join efforts to change that with the help of local residents. In recent weeks, numerous donation events were held, and many more are set to take place in the upcoming period through Christmas.

The Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office decided to organize a holiday toy drive called the Make-A-Wish Holiday Drive. The Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office is organizing the event for the first time ever, and officials are confident that this year’s event is going to be the start of a long tradition. The Sheriff Office encourages everyone to donate toys, bikes, and shoes for children, but also coats and warm clothes for those experiencing homelessness.

The registration was opened earlier this week, and nearly 40 families applied to receive gifts on the opening day. According to the Community Engagement Officer, Tameka Paige, the gifts will be distributed on Christmas Eve at the Melrose Library.

The fact that so many families applied for items on the very first day of registration clearly shows that many local residents are unable to celebrate Christmas like most of us. That’s why the sheriff’s office is asking the community to continue donating and make more children happy during the holidays. Paige confirmed that more applications will be accepted only if more donations are made this week.

“As we all know, the holidays can be really hard for people, emotionally, financially, so we just thought this would be some way to help give back to others,” said Paige.