Trailer stolen from local foundation

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Ricky Johnson was in tears Friday night after losing a second family member to gun violence in just a matter of months.

In September, Ricky lost his relative 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey. She was shot in a crossfire in Gilpin Court according to police.

On Friday, his 22-year-old cousin Deandre Broidy was gunned down on Ruffin Road.

All he wants to do now is to keep trying to fill the community with some good through his organization the Ricky Johnson and Friends foundation.

“If you come to our warehouse we have enough toys right now to bless close to 10,000 children,” Johnson said.

Foundation volunteers are hard at work taking clothes off of hangers to prepare to give to thousands of kids across the city but getting those clothes and other items to kids and families in need is now becoming more difficult. The 6X10 trailer that Ricky’s foundation relies on to haul donations was stolen from the Parkway Shopping Center parking lot just a couple of weeks ago.

“People are calling us literally all the time to pick up donations and right now if we don’t rent a UHAUL Truck we have no way of picking up those donations,” Johnson explained.

Ricky said he went to the police after the trailer was stolen.

“We did everything Richmond Police Department asked us to we went to the DMV we got a copy of the registration we filed an official police report I spoke to the police on the telephone,” he stated.

Until police catch the person who did it, or the trailer gets returned, Ricky’s only hope to keep his foundation going is to get a new trailer. A new trailer costs $3,000 and he needs help buying it. That’s why he’s asking for help from the community to donate money to buy a trailer to continue giving to those in need.

“To whoever did it I had to forgive you the moment that you did it for whatever reason you did it but this is not just a trailer that hauls leaves or something this is a trailer that brings blessings to thousands and thousands of people,” he said.

Donations to help Ricky buy a new trailer can be sent through Cashapp at $RJPARTY4U or money and checks made out to the Ricky Johnson Foundation can be dropped off at the foundation’s warehouse at 6315 Jahnke Road. Payments can be made over the phone by calling 804-774-0099.

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