How a kind gesture and a strand of Christmas lights connected a community
CNN
A man hoped to spread some holiday spirit by connecting a strand of Christmas lights from his home to a neighbor's. It brought a whole community together.
So when Matt Riggs, who lives on the block with his wife Kerry, found out his neighbor across the street was struggling with depression in December of 2020, he decided to spread some holiday cheer. Riggs, who had been having a hard time himself during the pandemic, hung his Christmas lights early because he needed some joy. He managed to get one of the strands across the street, over a tree, and connected it to his neighbor's house.
Soon, house by house followed, connecting their lights until the entire block was lit. Riggs tells CNN they all did it again this year, with one neighbor making a metal sign by hand that reads "Love lives here."
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