New Kent woman fills hearts, baskets with kindness

Nora Allen (left) makes one final inventory count of gift baskets as part of a Fall Frolic held for senior citizens on Nov. 12.

During the holiday season, there are many instances when a person goes beyond the call of duty and gives back to others. For one New Kent resident, she continues to provide others with meals, despite officially being retired.

For the past seven years, Nora Allen has provided meals and her services voluntarily to the elder committee. After spending 40 years in New Kent’s school system, her love for sharing stayed with her after her retirement in 2007.

“It’s just a part of me,” Allen said. “I worked with three generations of children and I always wanted to help. I’ve been blessed and have had blessings come to me, not always in money, but in gifts and other ways.”

Allen admitted an experience with taking care of her mother became a focal point in her continuing journey to give back. The former school employee spent time at a hospice, where one of the nurses recognized her presence brightened up clients.

“I was there for only a few hours a week, and then it became a few hours a day,” Allen said. “I wanted to give back to them.”

Those hours in the hospice prompted Allen to take an 18-week course at Christ Community Church in 2007 to become a caregiver. After completing the course, Allen organized several events for the elderly. In 2008, she orchestrated a spring frolic and a fall festival at Second Elam Baptist Church, two annual luncheons for the elderly, something that she has continued every year since.

But her volunteer efforts were not restrained just by annual events. According to one member, the heart-felt efforts of Allen went beyond description.

“She is always looking out for others,” said Gwendolyn Keeton, who has assisted Allen in some of her volunteer ventures. “She goes beyond what anybody can imagine by putting in phone calls and different types of fundraising events.

“And the thing is she does these things by coming out of her own pocket with her own money,” continued Keeton. “She truly has a giving heart and her actions can’t be expressed beyond words.”

Allen’s recent fundraising projects include receiving donations of clothing items, washing them and handing them out to the homeless on Nov 8. She also constructed gift bags that contained healthy snacks, safety information, and hurricane preparedness items.

“When Hurricane Irene hit here a few years ago, many senior citizens didn’t know what to do,” Allen said. “I wanted to make sure they would never have to encounter that and go through that again.

Another accomplishment Allen completed included creating two complete Thanksgiving dinners and five additional turkeys through donations on Nov. 12. The meals fed approximately 68 people over the holiday.

And as one holiday ends, Allen turns to the Christmas holiday. She is currently in the midst of a blanket drive to keep the homeless and families warm during the holiday season. Through this giving back, she hopes the message of caring is passed along.

“The youth have been getting involved more,” said Allen. “I tell people that if you give, it comes back to you.”

Allen mentioned a recent trip to a local diner where she enjoyed lunch. Upon exiting to pay for the meal, the cashier told her that the meal had been paid for by another patron.

When Allen received words her colleagues decided to recognize her for her loving heart, she, as expected, deflected the praise of her actions to others.

“I want to not only thank Gwendolyn [Keeton], but all others who have donated for these causes,” she concluded. “I want to thank Second Elam Baptist Church and their generosity for allowing me to host these events and drives.”