Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office hosts month-long food drive

January 25, 2023

Ansley Perkins,

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s office is always looking for ways to give back to the community.

And in this new year, they have a new project: helping stock up local food pantries.

There are 18 small food pantries scattered around Lowndes County and while having food pantries in the area is a good idea, they don’t do much good if they aren’t stocked.

That’s why the Lowndes County Sheriff’s office is reaching out to the community to help fill the shelves. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office decided to start the year off by giving to the community.

Lt. Rhonda Sanders said on January 9 the staff began a month-long food drive to stock up on local food pantries.

“We need as many as we can get so we are asking the community to help us and feel the passion of other people and helping and feeding people that’s hungry in our community,” said Sanders.

The Food Pantry right across from the sheriff’s office is empty and while the sheriff’s office tries to fill up the pantry twice a week it seems like the food leaves as soon as the pantry is filled.

There are many people that are open to helping others, but they may not know what to give.

One of the main things, make sure it has a long shelf life.

“The community has been very generous but like I said you can’t get too many nonperishable items to put out. We try to take out about twice a week throughout the county so we need as many as we can get,” said Sanders.

And as the price of food continues to go up Sanders said she is seeing more families needing help.

“A lot of people that live here in Columbus think that we don’t have a food shortage problem but we do in the community. We have families who are on fixed incomes who rely on our pantries just to make it for three or 4 days til the end of the month,” said Sanders.

Even if you miss the January 31 deadline for this food drive, you are still welcome to give. The sheriff’s office supplies the pantries year-round.

There are 20 Blessing/Food boxes in Lowndes County and Columbus:

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the back parking lot at 3rd Avenue South and 4th Street South, Columbus, Miss.
Wesley United Methodist Church, 511 Airline Road, Columbus, Miss.
Taylor Made Cake 3451 New Hope Road, Columbus, Miss.
Hitch Lot Farmers Market & Munson & Brothers at the corner of 2nd Avenue North & 3rd Street North, Columbus, Miss.
Sims Scott Park at the pavilion on 18th Street North & 9th Avenue North, Columbus, Miss.
Good Shepherd Church 321 Forest Blvd, Columbus, Miss.
Crawford City Hall, 365 Main Street, Crawford, Miss.
Artesia Community Center, 46 Front Street, Artesia, Miss.
Baptist Student Union, 1321 College Street across from MUW Campus, Columbus, Miss.
Near Canaan Baptist Church and the Sheriff’s Office at the intersection of Airline Road & Bell Avenue, Columbus, Miss.
Caledonia Methodist Church, 811 Main Street behind the church, Caledonia, Miss.
Caledonia Community Clinic, 171 South Street, Caledonia, Miss.
Anderson Grove Community Center, 850 Anderson Grove Rd, Caledonia, Miss.
Boys & Girls Club of Columbus, 1815 14th Avenue North, Columbus, Miss.
1016 15th Street North near Union Academy, Columbus, Miss.
On Black Creek Road near the Intersection of Military Road, Columbus, Miss. is no longer there but will be placed in a different spot soon.
Tenth Street Baptist Church 1118 7th Street South, Columbus, Miss.
Zion Gate Missionary Church 1202 5th Street South, Columbus, Miss.
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 1102 12th Avenue South, Columbus, Miss.
Near Firestation #2 on North MLK Drive, Columbus, Miss.