Jamie Wigginton
I was born in Richmond, attended Mills Godwin High School, and graduated from Mary Washington College where I met my husband, George Wigginton. We were married in 1990, the same year I became an elementary school teacher in Henrico County. Although I loved teaching, my career was short-lived, as I stayed home to raise two sons, Chip and Hunter. To make ends meet, I stayed busy painting and created a multitude of items while the boys were sleeping or in school, and I took custom orders at local arts and craft shows. We were members of a local Baptist Church, where I served on many committees and served as a Sunday School and Bible School teacher.
In 2010, we discovered HOPE, and I became a weekly volunteer at Hope Thrift which I found very fulfilling. In 2013, while working the register, I met an impressionist landscape painter, and together we co-founded a non-profit, Art for the Journey. For the last ten years we have been delivering art classes to incarcerated women, veterans with PTSD, people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s, underserved children, women in recovery, and many more. I feel very strongly that God orchestrated our meeting at Hope Thrift, as the impact of that brief encounter has impacted thousands of lives. It has also given me the opportunity to love and support people who are living in difficult circumstances.
During this time my husband and I have gained two wonderful daughter-in-laws and two granddaughters who are now six and two. Hope Church has been a vital part of our spiritual journey over the past fourteen years, not only through worship but through meaningful volunteer opportunities, community outreach, and small groups. I enjoy taking part in a women’s Bible study, oil painting, fostering friendships, and playing tennis in my free time.