Chesapeake's Unity in the Community

By David Macaulay
Virginian-Pilot correspondent
? August 3, 2013

CHESAPEAKE

The Holly Cove community off Airline Boulevard was the focus of the city's latest Unity in the Community neighborhood event, which combined public education with cornhole, bingo, basketball and hot dogs, in an effort to keep kids occupied and out of trouble.

Hundreds of local children showed up for the event, held last Saturday at Southwestern Park close to the townhome community. Those who came had an opportunity to meet local police officers, firefighters and drug- and pregnancy-awareness organizations.

There was also a book giveaway intended to foster literacy.

"It's an opportunity for the city and the city departments and outside agencies to collaborate with the civic leagues in different communities to provide information on services and activities," organizer Cathy Christian said of the Unity in the Community events.

"It's a time for the communities to come together, get a sense of the community and learn more about each other."

Christian said when families are short of resources, kids are more likely to be left home alone.

"That's when crime, drug abuse and pregnancies occur," she said.

The Unity in the Community programs provide activities and information on resources for parents and children in a number of communities.

Similar events have been held in the Camelot community of Deep Creek and at Duneden in Western Branch. Unity in the Community will arrive at Cascade Boulevard Park in South Norfolk on Sept. 14, and the Commonwealth Attorney's Office will sponsor a basketball game in South Norfolk on Aug. 15.

Commonwealth's Attorney Nancy Parr, who was at Saturday's event, said officials should get involved in the community.

"I don't want my first contact to be with citizens when they have become a victim or a witness to a crime," Parr said.

At the Holly Cove event, police and firefighters played games such as cornhole and giant checkers with local kids.

Eric Hayes, a community resource officer with Chesapeake Police Department, said it is important to keep kids occupied.

"Out here we don't have a community center for them to go to, so there's nothing to do in the summer time if they aren't going to school. Things like this give them something to go out to and enjoy," he said.

Pastor Melvin Parker of the Community Church of Western Branch, which provided the food for the event, said: "It's good to see our police department out here to form a better relationship with the community."

David Macaulay, maccaz17@hotmail.com

Source: http://hamptonroads.com/2013/08/chesapeakes-unity-community

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