HAMPTON, Va. - Instead of relaxing on vacation, Kim Malone-Jones spent the weekend before her birthday unloading boxes and handing out food.
Coronavirus concerns canceled her 50th birthday celebration, so along with her family, she turned a negative into a positive.
"She decided to use the money that they were going to spend on their vacation to help others [and] help the community," said Kim's mother, Gloria.
With help from her sister in North Carolina, Kim's family rented a 26-foot U-Haul truck, filled it with fresh vegetables and meats and then distributed the meals to the local community.
"During this pandemic, you know, a lot of people are having difficult times and we've been blessed. This is just my way of trying to reach out and help people that are less fortunate than us," she said alongside her husband Rufus.
The group of volunteers gathered in the parking lot of the old Kmart in Hampton and helped people from a safe social distance. They loaded up people's back seats and trunks, so they didn't need to get out of their vehicles.
"We're going to keep serving until it's all gone," said Maria Bell. Bell is familiar with giving back because she feeds her local neighborhoods in Goldsboro, North Carolina through Anointed Zone Ministries.
Malone-Jones said she was grateful to be able to give back and have the support from her family and friends.
"During this time we need to still stick together. You know, people passing away from the coronavirus, we still have killings on the street but we still, in the end, need to look out for one another and spread love," she said. "That's the only way we're going to get through this."
