WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — It’s almost 2021, but pandemic struggles won't go away at the stroke of midnight.
Foodbank officials across Hampton Roads worry about where their funding will come from next year. The community can play a big part in fighting hunger without ever leaving the house.
“It’s easy as a click of a button, you order a t-shirt and there you’ve helped someone in need,” said Williamsburg resident Katie Gaylord.
Gaylord was looking for a safe way to help people on the Peninsula when the pandemic hit. She envisioned a T-shirt that could create both joy and dollars.
She put a simple message on the front of the shirts: "Virginia is for Kindness."
“Unlike the COVID, this kindness is contagious in a different way,” Gaylord said.
Four friends helped her get the ball rolling. Their first fundraiser raised $7,240 for the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.
“Every dollar that goes to the foodbank equates to four meals, which is amazing,” said Custom Ink Staff Leah Lubeski.
The women didn’t stop there. They raised $3,000 for the Williamsburg House of Mercy and even donated to NoKidHungry in North Carolina.
Lubeski works for the apparel company, Custom Ink, which makes the shirts.
“It’s just exciting to see it move from one state to another,” Lubeski said.
Now they are working on round four of shirts, with more foodbank aid.
“Long-sleeved for the wintertime, more of a festive shirt,” said Laura Emery, who helps fundraise.
But it’s not taking off as they hoped, and food insecurity across Hamptons Roads worsens every day.
“We have been buying more food than we’ve ever bought in the history of this Foodbank,” said Virginia Peninsula Foodbank CEO Karen Joyner.
Joyner said some funds run out at the end of the year. The shirt sales created thousands of meals in the spring.
“It was the equivalent of 28,800 meals that we were able to distribute in the community,” Joyner said.
With the community’s help, the group hopes to feed thousands more.
“There is this bright light at the end of the tunnel,” Gaylord said. “That light is service. Serving our neighbors, serving the community.”
The long-sleeve campaign has only a few days left. The group hopes to sell 150 shirts this time around. If you’re looking to snag a kindness shirt for yourself, check out this link.