NRV Home Builders group donates Christmas baskets

critzer baskets
Posing with some of the 30 Christmas baskets donated to students at Critzer Elementary School by the New River Valley Home Builders Association are (from left): Anthony Viers, Principal; Billie Quesenberry, NRVHBA; Lori Nolen, volunteer; Connie Armentrout, Critzer; School Superintendent Rob Graham and Rachel Parker, Assistant Principal. (Mike Williams/Patriot Publishing)

By MIKE WILLIAMS

Patriot Publishing

Thanks to members of the New River Valley Home Builders Association, this Christmas will be a bit brighter for sixty students and their families at two area schools.

Representatives of the association this week delivered gift baskets to Critzer Elementary in Pulaski and Belle Heth Elementary in Radford.

The baskets, according to Billie Quesenberry, Events and Marketing Coordinator for the association, contained a variety of items meant to be enjoyed over the holiday by students at both schools along with their families.

“The holidays can be tough for many families,” said Quesenberry. “The baskets are intended to help brighten the holidays of the students and their families.”

Thirty baskets were delivered to students at each of the schools.

Each basket held items such as a blanket, a book, a game that can be played by the entire family, popcorn and hot chocolate.

All the items in the sixty baskets were donated by members of the New River Valley Home Builders Association or by people donating on behalf of the organization.

“We all came together at our holiday dinner and put the baskets together,” Quesenberry said, adding the association’s members conduct community service projects throughout the year.

“This Holiday Basket Give Back Program is our chance to give back at Christmas,” Quesenberry said.

“We’re so happy to be a part of this,” said Lori Nolen, a volunteer assisting Quesenberry with delivering the baskets to Critzer.

According to Critzer’s Connie Armentrout, the 30 students at the school receiving the baskets had already been selected.

“We’re going to try and get the baskets out to all of them today or tomorrow,” Armentrout said.

On hand to accept the basket donation for the school were School Superintendent Rob Graham, Critzer Principal Anthony Viers, Assistant Principal Rachel Parker and Armentrout.

“We appreciate the New River Valley Home Builders Association for helping to provide for our students. We appreciate any and all resources that can go toward our students and their families – our school community – especially when times are a little bit harder going into the holidays,” said Parker.

The New River Valley Home Builders Association is a professional trade organization serving as a voice for the residential and commercial building industry in the valley.