In honor of National Women’s History Month, Heart of the City Candles partnered with Five Below and Build our City DC on Monday, March 3 to not only give free items away to women and children, but build connections and offer hope.
The event, which took place at Hill Prince in Northeast, D.C. in collaboration with Five Below and Build our City DC, provided items like shoes, clothes, board games, hats, books, and beauty care products.
Desmond Barnes and Derrell Simpson, CEO and COO of Heart of the City Candles, were approached by Five Below about an excess of inventory they needed to give away.
“We did a lot with [Five Below] during the Christmas holiday by having a toy drive with over 1,000 kids,” said Barnes, who also serves as digital newsletter manager with The Washington Informer. “They reached back out to us and said we have plenty of things that we have to find something to do with.”
That’s when the idea came to fruition.
“We said, ‘let’s do a free giveaway and just give them back to people,’” Barnes told The Informer. “Everyone loves something free so we just want to provide the opportunity.”
Simpson, Heart of the City’s chief operating officer, felt it was extremely important to pay homage to women in the District.
“For us it was all about making sure that we honor women and girls and that they knew that they were appreciated for their continuous sacrifices,” said Simpson.
Gerome Curtis with Build our City DC said he hopes events like the one on March 3 strengthen the bond between residents.
“We’re here to empower and give back and make sure it’s known that our community is still a community,” he told The Informer.