HAMPTON, Va. — More than 50 backpacks filled with essential winter supplies are set to be handed out to unhoused residents in Hampton this Wednesday, thanks to a local church’s annual outreach effort.
Congregants at True Word Ministry Church gathered Sunday morning to pack 54 backpacks with nonperishable food, blankets, hats, gloves, reflective vests, toiletries, and more.
The initiative, spearheaded by Pastor Wesley Wooten and his wife, Lady Audrey Wooten, is now in its 17th year.
“We set a goal for 50, but managed 54 this year. And this is something that we do every year. We donate back to the community," Pastor Wooten said.
Lady Audrey Wooten said the work is driven by the growing needs of the community.
“There’s so many people who are without homes. It’s wintertime now. They’re cold, possibly hungry. We want to do the best we can to ensure that they’re warm, fed, and safe,” she said.
According to the Greater Virginia Peninsula Homelessness Consortium, the number of homeless people counted in shelters across the region has risen by 12% since 2016.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines homelessness as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, which includes people staying in shelters or public places.
Inside each backpack are items selected with care and with input from those who receive them.
“We just try to think of what a person would need on a daily basis: blankets, hats, gloves, a reflector vest, socks, canned goods, toiletries, first-aid packets, a poncho for the rainy weather, more food, and washcloths. Typically, we include water, and this year, we made sure canned goods don’t require a can opener," Lady Audrey said.
The distribution is planned for Wednesday, December 3, at Calvary Reformed Presbyterian Church on Whealton Road in Hampton.
For the Wootens, the outreach is a core expression of their faith. “In Luke 6:38, it says, ‘Give, and it shall be given.’ We want to live out that message,” Pastor Wooten said, adding, “We just try to be a blessing, a simple blessing, and give back what God has given us.”
Lady Audrey echoed that sentiment.
“It’s only by the grace of God that it’s not me, so I want to do whatever I can to help someone else,” she said.
As volunteers loaded up the final bags, Pastor Wooten reflected on the ministry’s mission.
“We do this for the love of God and for the love of people. It’s our honor to serve and share blessings," he said.
The church plans to continue the annual act of giving as part of its commitment to serving some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
