PAY IT FORWARD: Community comes together to provide clothing for those in need amid pandemic

Two women from two different cities have a mission to care for a community in need.

Niki Mock is a Bethesda resident who has worked for several organizations in Southeast over the past couple of years. India Blocker-Ford is a native Washingtonian and grew up in the Woodland Terrace area of Southeast.

Both women care deeply for the people in neighborhoods impacted the most by crime and poverty. 

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 During the pandemic it has become increasingly hard for families to get help.

Mock decided to turn the COVID-19 negative into a positive by asking her neighbors in Bethesda to clean out their closets and donate gently used items.

She also asked for bikes and used cash donations to purchase refurbished laptops. Those donations were given to residents in the Woodland community.

Blocker-Ford said they couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Our residents care about each other. I’ve been in the community working with other residents to provide a clean safe environment for my neighbors,” she said. “Having partners in other communities too really helps.”

Of course, Easterns Automotive Group and the Pay it Foward Crew love the work and support these two ladies are doing for their community.  

Joel Bassam gave the organizations $2-thousand to get more bikes and laptops.