Christmas wishes // Quintus Ferguson IV, 18 months, gazes with wide-eyed wonder as he poses with Soul Santa at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. The museum in Jackson Ward has sponsored the legendary Soul Santa’s trips from the North Pole for more than a decade.

Amanda Gamble, 2, pretends to sell leaves to her year-old brother,

Monica and Barry Gamble, try out a ring swing on the new “Tot Lot” last Friday at the city’s newest playground for children. Location: 2001 3rd Ave. in North Side’s Highland Park. The city Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities developed the playground.

Stumping for schools // James E. “J.J.” Minor III, president of the Richmond Branch NAACP, leads a rally in front of George Mason Elementary School on Church Hill showing support for the Richmond School Board’s $224.7 million plan to build five new schools and renovate two others during the next seven years. Rally participants called on Mayor Levar M. Stoney and the Richmond City Council to fund the plan “for the children.” He said, “The community at large understands the importance and urgency in supporting this much-needed improvement and redevelopment” of school buildings. “If we don’t stand up for our students now, this facilities plan will join the other plans since 2002 collecting dust on the shelves.” He noted that 86 percent of Richmond’s voters backed school modernization in a November referendum.

Bringing in the loaves // Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, right, pastor of Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church, and church member James Moses await a box filled with bread to make its way down a conveyor belt and into the church’s old social center on Monday morning. The two were helping to stock the food pantry at the Leigh Street church in the Carver neighborhood. The food delivery was from FeedMore, the hunger alleviation organization that serves Central Virginia. The church distributes free bags of groceries to all who stop by from 3 to 4 p.m. every Monday, except the next two — Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Vibrant poinsettia for the season