Car Dealer Commits to Help Grove Residents

By Desiree Parker Thursday, December 01, 2011

In the Grove community in James City County, this year’s Summer of Love event touched one business owner enough that he decided to keep the love going through the holidays.

Art Hudgins, owner of Hudgins Holiday Cadillac on Second Street, attended the Summer of Love community day and offered shuttles for folks to get back and forth to the event. This was his first time in the area, and he was surprised to learn that there are so many families in need there – so he decided to try to do something about it.

“When I saw what was going on in Grove – I just had no idea it was happening in our own backyard,” Hudgins said.

He decided to continue a relationship with the community, which resulted in a new partnership in time for Christmas. “We have our 100th anniversary going on, and we decided we wanted to celebrate by doing some good in the community,” Hudgins said. His business will donate a portion of all sales from the month of November, which ended yesterday, to the Grove Christian Outreach Center (GCOC) to help kids have a happy holiday.

“More than 400 kids there don’t have Christmas, really,” he said. “I hope this will give them a better Christmas than they ever had.”

GCOC Assistant Director Deena Walls said, “We are beyond blessed by Art Hudgins and his willingness to love the Grove community in such an impactful way.

“When I thanked him for helping all he could say was ‘we want to make a difference’ and together through reaching out to one family at a time that is exactly what he is doing making a difference and deeply impacting lives!”

Last year, GCOC gave 422 children shoeboxes full of small gifts for Christmas. This was the highest number of kids they’ve ever served with their shoebox program. It depleted their reserves, said Walls, and the folks at GCOC were anxious about restocking supplies until community folks helped replenish supplies.

The shoeboxes will be distributed Dec. 10, and Walls said proceeds from Hudgins’ promotion will go towards any additional holiday items needed and also towards restocking the Blessing Room. The Outreach Center stocks the Blessing Room with goods and toys for kids so parents can “shop” for gifts for their families; last year the Center gave out 1500 items.

Currently, the Blessing Room is short on items for boys ages 15 to 18.

When WYDaily talked to him at the end of November, Hudgins said the month wasn’t quite where he’d hoped it would be, but he expected it would end up as an “okay” month. “We’ll sell as many as we can,” he said. “We need to make a difference.”

Walls said the Summer of Love was a blessing for Grove, and many people and organizations have been involved during the holiday season, including the Williamsburg Community Chapel, a local Eagle Scout troop, Swan Cleaners and Seasons of Williamsburg. “Lives are changed when the seed of hope is planted,” Walls said.

GCOC is still accepting holiday donations and can always use items for the Blessing Room or help around the Center. To donate or volunteer, visit the GCOC website.