Manassas City Council candidate taps Miss Virginia to donate 150 meals

A candidate for Manassas City Council teamed up with Miss Virginia to bring hot meals to a city trailer park.

Miss Virginia United States 2020 Katelyn Page joined Helen Zurita, a community activist turned city council candidate, at the East End Mobile Home Park on Route 28 where they donated 150 hot meals to residents.

“Currently I have a list of 400 families who are in need of food. Thanks to the Prince William Food Rescue, and Bombay Cafe in Fairfax, I am able to help meet their needs,” said Zurita.

Zurita says Miss Virginia contacted her and wanted to help.

“Miss Virginia, Katelyn Page, reached out to me and quickly sprung into action with a food drive,” states Zurita.

Two years ago, residents in the mobile home park were facing eviction after the city cited the owners of the park for failing to fix a leaking sanitary sewer that was leaching sewage into the public water system. When Catholic Charities stepped in to but the property after the previous owner refused to repair the system, the trailer park was spared and residents kept their homes.

Zurita also used the food donation event to speak about her candidacy for the Manassas City Council. She works for a hotel and has seen her working hours reduced in the wake of the coronavirus spread.

“I’m probably the poorest candidate,” Zurita said. “I am down to 32 hours a week right now,” Zurita said.

She called attention to the more than 500,000 Virginians who have filed for unemployment in the past six weeks due to the viral outbreak.

“I have to be the voice for the voiceless. There’s too many people out here that are being hurt,” Zurita said.

Zurita has lived in Manassas for over 15 years and has three children. She faces a four-way Democratic Primary Election on May 19 June 23 with two other incumbents, Pamela Sebesky, and Mark Wolfe, and political newcomer Tom Oscina.

There are three open council seats and the mayor’s seat up for grabs in the November General Election.