Young students in Linda Crafton’s class for 3- to 5-year-olds at FRIENDS Association for Children hold onto their new stuffed animals during a Christmas Vehicle Parade on Dec. 21 in Gilpin Court. The huggable toys were gifts given to the youngsters by the nonprofit organization that operates two child development centers. FRIENDS got its start in 1871 as an orphanage in Jackson Ward and has expanded its mission and services in the last 150 years.
