LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Vivian Hodge and her husband Robert went from playing at Charles Young Park as kids to returning decades later as volunteers.
After retiring on Monday, Vivian looks forward to spending more time between Third Street and Midland Avenue, where she made some of the best memories of her childhood.
Giving back to the kids is something she finds just as rewarding as it is necessary. So, this week, they chose to hand out free lunches to the kids and parents in the community.
This is even more important during fall break, when kids may not receive school meals they depend on.
“It’s wonderful because you put in so much time and so much effort to make sure that you're taking care of the children in the community,” said Vivian. “Just to let them know that somebody in the community cares, that is an amazing feeling.”
Caretakers at heart, the Hodge’s impact is felt by parents and kids alike.
“It can be hard for some families to feed their kids and stuff like that. Especially when they are out of school so that is a really good thing for this community,” said Marisha Barrett.
Barrett is the mother of two children, but she brought five little ones with her to fill their stomachs and play hoops.
They and the rest of the people who visit Charles Park this week can eat lunch there and take a to-go meal as well.
“We do it to be a blessing to them, but at the end of the day, they are a blessing to us. We love it,” said Robert.
The Hodges tells me that attendance has been through the roof. At the beginning of the week, they bought all the materials they thought they would need. Now, two days and thousands of dollars later, they’ve had to restock their food multiple times.
All of this is to ensure the future of this community stays on the right track, which is personal to them.
“We are a product of this environment, and so to be able to come back and give back and let the children see that, you know, there is an opening, there is a way out,” she concluded.
