Being provided with extra portions of food is an added reason for being thankful for blessings during this season of giving thanks.
Helping Hands Ministry continues its mission of giving by adding additional items to the boxes of food it is distributing this week to its clients in anticipation of Thanksgiving.
Mary Davidson, interim director, said the season of Thanksgiving is not only about the thankfulness of the clients for the help they receive, but it is a time for Helping Hands to express gratitude to the community for its generosity in giving.
“For most people holidays bring visitors and setting extra places at the table,” said Mrs Davidson. Helping Hands is doing its part by providing the extras. She said each box of food will contain staple items, canned food, bread and desserts, enough ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal.
Mrs. Davidson said much of the food being packed in boxes by ministry workers is cans which have been given as a result of collections at schools. During recent weeks Middle Elementary, Upper Elementary, Presbyterian Day School, Kosciusko High and Junior High, Greenlee Elementary and Long Creek Elementary Schools have brought the collections from their canned food drives.
Mrs. Davidson said the donations made by the schools serve a twofold purpose as children are being taught the value of giving.
To date, Mrs. Davidson said 9,000 individuals of all ages have received food through Helping Hands.
Large amounts of food are donated weekly by Wal-Mart, KFC in Kosciusko and Carthage and Pizza Hut.
However, providing food is not the only concern of Helping Hands. For approximately 30 years, the ministry has been helping the needy and impoverished families of Attala County with clothing, household items and other needs. Mrs. Pat Rice, who recently retired, is largely responsible for the help given through the ministry. She worked for a time during the early days of the ministry with its founder Jewel Harden, but most of the 30 years she has served as its director and coordinator. Volunteers work every Tuesday and Thursday sorting and categorizing donated items and filling needs of those seeking assistance.
Through the years several areas of assistance to the needy have been added through Rice’s efforts. A toy drive brings in new toys, and collection boxes are currently in place at Wal-Mart and at Dollar General in Parkway Plaza. They will be distributed at the ministry building prior to Christmas.
The Thrift Shop on North Madison Street provides the biggest source of income with sale of clothing, books and small household items.
Several fund raising events through the years have been coordinated by Mrs. Rice. Two of the most popular are the Mothers Day Luncheon in the spring and Tasters Luncheons in November.
