The Hinton Foundation ’turkey and toys’ event helps 100 families have a happy holiday
Last week volunteers withThe Hinton Foundation, a local nonprofit that supports current and college-bound marginalized undergraduate students, did their part to ensure families had something to eat and something under the tree this holiday season. On Thursday, Dec. 24, the foundation, founded by Christopher Hinton in 2017, hosted their fourth annual Turkey and Toy Drive that helped 100 families.
Hinton said while the focus of the foundation is to empower the next generation of world changers, they also understand the importance of empowering the community as a whole.
“First, our vision was to empower students through scholarship dollars and stuff like that and as we grew, we started to redefine that mission,”Hinton continued. “Education is important, of course, but how do we take the blessings that we have and leverage those to empower the community as a whole to do great things?”
Here in Winston-Salem there are several communities that are considered “food deserts,” an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food. Hinton said that’s why they started holding the Turkey Drive and thanks to donations from the community, they were able to add toys.
“As you know, Winston-Salem is a food desert in certain places, so that’s why we have this event, to make sure families have a holiday feast and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from,” Hinton said.
Along with the turkey and toys, families also received several other items including vegetables, milk and other kitchen staples. Sponsors and partners for The Hinton Foundation’s Turkey and Toy Drive include North Point Academy, TLC Learning Academy, Oak Summit Academy, Max Kinder College, Church Childcare, and the local chapters of Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta.
When asked how it feels to be able to give back to those in need, Hinton said, “It feels amazing, it really does my heart good because it’s not necessarily about what we get out of it.
“I’m not trying to solicit more sponsors or donors or anything like that … we want to see the smile on the kids’ faces when we’re giving them a gift. Seeing the smiles on the parents’ faces when they have that sense of relief,” Hinton said.
“Being able to lighten the load, even if it’s just a little while, does our hearts good as a foundation.”
For more information on The Hinton Foundation, visit https://www.thehintonfoundation.
