CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A South Norfolk business owner is working to transform her community's image this holiday season by hosting a Christmas celebration that provides free toys, food, clothing, and holiday festivities to local families.
Paradise Smith, owner of The Myricle Experience Salon, opened an event space called Empowerment Inc. a few doors down from her salon in the Campostella Crossing shopping center in Chesapeake. She is giving back to the community through her first ever Christmas toy drive this weekend.
"They'll be able to come through, they'll pick their toys. We'll also have gently used coats, some new coats as well," Smith said.
Smith said she wants to change negative perceptions about the South Norfolk area, particularly around the Campostella Crossing shopping center.
"I feel like there's like, really a negative connotation, associated with this particular shopping center. And I just want to change that because I want people on the outside to be able to see like no, there's a lot of love, there's a lot of families," Smith said.
The community event will offer free food, clothes and Christmas toys, all from donated items and money Smith has been collecting from neighbors. However, she said the planning process wasn't easy because some partners were skeptical of the location.
"I actually had teamed up with a couple other people but their sponsors pulled out because of one of the main reasons was, how the area is looked at," Smith said.
Local parents like Nyjualae Nichols disagree with that reputation and appreciate Smith's community efforts.
"So just watching her grow and be able to come back and help the community is awesome, especially it being a community that affects me, and is in my area," Nichols said.
Despite planning challenges, Smith said her neighbors and people who also work in Campostella Crossing helped her organize the last-minute event.
"Just how the community came together and pulled together to support everything, it makes me feel really, really good there are also other people out there that want to see change, or also other people out there that see the love and the light that is in this area, and is ready to let the world see it," Smith said.
The Empowerment Inc. Christmas Celebration will be on Sunday December 21 from 1:00 until 4:00pm at 2743 Campostella Road in Chesapeake. All neighbors are welcome to attend.
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