PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth ConnectFest is a combined effort from the Portsmouth Economic Development office, Police Department and other services taking place in traditionally-underserved neighborhoods. Wednesday afternoon, city leaders and community organizations came out to Cradock Middle School to connect with each other.
Darrell Redmond represented one of the many community groups present at ConnectFest. Redmond is the leader of Give Back 2 da Block, an outreach group focused on anti-violence activism.
“It's like pretty much like a community pop up to provide you resources, provide you opportunity, provide you guidance, provide you training and also provide you funds,” Redmond said.
Redmond said ConnectFest serves an important need in Portsmouth's more underserved communities.
“It's a festival to connect everybody inside the community that usually doesn't get this same type of love, same type of treatment or same type of resources offered to them," Redmond said. "It actually allows residents to wake up and say, you know what, they do care about me.”
The festival is a new initiative for the city this year with identical events taking place in the London Oaks neighborhood and Prentis Park earlier this year.
With a goal of meeting people where they are, a spokesperson for Portsmouth Police says the events act a step in preventative work.
"It gives them opportunities to resources that would help them, that might deter them from engaging in some activities that aren't going to be helpful for themselves or helpful or productive to the community,” Portsmouth Police Department spokesperson Elexcia Washington said.
More than just access, Redmond said ConnectFest gives residents hope and stronger sense of community.
“It gives them a day to say, you know what, I can come out and I may meet a new neighbo today. I may meet a new friend today. I may meet somebody that, while I'm at work, they can watch my kid and vice versa,” Redmond said.
This was the final event for ConnectFest this year, but city leaders say the festival will return in the spring.