A day of service in Hampton Roads

A day after his inaugural ball in Norfolk, Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell will be working in Hampton Roads as part of a day of service.

McDonnell, joined by his wife and two daughters, will visit military families at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Norfolk and then help prepare care packages for the deployed, a news release said. In the afternoon, he will volunteer at the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia, helping to prepare meals, and then conclude his day with a youth outreach event at the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Virginia with Bruce Smith, an NFL Hall of Famer, and Mark Moseley, a former Washington Redskin.

Last week, McDonnell announced his inauguration theme, "A Commonwealth of Opportunity." He planned to spend the eight days leading up to his Jan. 16 inauguration volunteering at food banks in four cities, including Norfolk, meeting with military families in Hampton Roads, speaking with Boys and Girls Club members in Virginia Beach and visiting with inmates at a Richmond-area jail.

“In these difficult times I believe it is more important than ever to highlight the daily acts of kindness and charity that Virginians are freely performing in every city and county,” he said in the news release.

As part of a partnership with the Federation of Virginia Food Banks and the Salvation Army, anyone attending inaugural events, such as balls or the parade, have been encouraged to bring canned goods and coats.

- Lauren King

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