I am writing in response to the article titled “Opinion: Editorial: Give Locally” (Connection, November 20-26, 2019).

In NOVA, and especially in the area where I live, the disparity between household incomes can be staggering. It becomes especially salient during Christmas time, when you see people posting pictures of the piles and piles of Christmas presents stacked underneath their tree, and boasting of their “haul” on Christmas morning, when there are families just a few blocks away struggling to even buy their children one or two gifts. So many people are so far removed from their neighbors and their communities that they don’t realize or refuse to acknowledge the issue. It is incredibly sad to me that there are so many underprivileged students in an area filled with so much wealth, as well as the elitism of certain areas in our community. I hope that our community can come together and provide for those who are in need this holiday season, take some of the burden off of these struggling families, and facilitate a more inclusive and interconnected community for the years to come.

Molly Van Trees

Centreville