Before COVID-19 forced life to come to a halt, Chimere Miles used to sit in her office and chat with moms from the neighborhood. Miles lent an open ear to any parent that needed to decompress and unwind. 

“When the pandemic hit we were worried about how we will engage with our families,” said Miles, an Engaging Richmond team member at the VCU Center on Society and Health who works with Peter Paul in Richmond.

Early on, Peter Paul made the decision to go fully virtual. With the Peter Paul families in mind, Miles created a special, virtual hang-out for parents and caregivers, available no matter the individual’s zip code.

“I didn’t want it to be structured because the whole day is structured,” said Miles. “So for an hour, if I could give parents a space where they can be like ‘I’m stressed out, I don’t know what to do, but I don’t want to share that with my kids’ and have other parents say ‘I feel the same way’ to help you validate those feelings and help you work through them.” 

“The parent hangout groups that Chimere started during the pandemic are vital for community members and parents,” said Phoenecia Hill, Community Engagement Coordinator at the Center.  “It gives them a space to relax, vent, and bond with one another. Staying connected is key especially during this time when many can face feelings of depression from being socially isolated and not having in-person human connections.”

Miles said they had residents from all over the city of Richmond sign up, a barrier broken from their previous, in-person meetings which could only serve the East End community because of limited resources. 

“It helped build connections to other community members throughout the city,” said Miles. “No one felt judged by coming, it was a no-judgment zone. Every parent or caregiver is an expert on the child they care for. Everyone that came had something to offer and share with the group.” 

“I have experienced the parent hangouts firsthand and have gotten so much out of connecting with other residents and making meaningful connections with those in my community,” said Hill “I hope that Chimere continues these hangouts even after the pandemic subsides because it has helped so many.” 

Chimere is also involved with other events at Peter Paul that are helping bring the community together during this tough time, such as a Dinner and Discussion with Chef Keonne Lomax, in which families walk through fun and easy recipes on Zoom. You can learn more about their programs at www.peterpaulrva.org/programs.