A surge in food shortage leaves local churches lending a helping hand

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss (WCBI)- Milk, meats, and vegetables are items that people typically don’t go without. However, the ongoing pandemic has left many relying on special events like food drives.

Now more than ever, families and individuals have found themselves lacking daily nutrition. With fewer work hours people are having a hard time putting food on the table, but seeing that need has pushed some communities to step up and help.

“Our church is concerned about the different issues going on in our community and the different needs that are going on in our community,” said Cornice McGee; a member of Peters Rock Church in Starkville.

“We decided to get together and try to impact and ease some of the hurt and some of the needs in the families,” said McGee.

She says her church family hosted food donations outside their church to help meet the demand.

“We are concerned about the hurting and those that are in need and less fortunate than us: because you have to go over and beyond to show that Jesus didn’t care about people in his inner circle he shared love with everyone,” said McGee.

Hunger doesn’t discriminate against anyone.

“We’ve seen a broad section of people we’ve seen young, old, we’ve seen single parents, we’ve seen families of both husband and wife, people who have been laid off, people who hours have been cut and many of those who are in the food industry,” said pastor Eddie Longstreet of St. Paul M.B. Church in West Point.

Longstreet and his church family have partnered with Mississippi Food Networks and have given over one million dollars of food away to anyone who drives by for the donation.

He says many people that come through the line are grateful for the donation.

“Many people who have never had to come to a food bank or have never had to ask are finding themselves in a critical point in their life where they’re having to depend upon you know the food that’s been given.”

He also knows that people are still having a hard time adjusting to having limited food.

“Parents are having to feed those kids, providing those meals with short hours, being laid off or underemployed and; so it’s causing a lot of stress, a lot of financial burden on families and we wanted to make sure that we did all we could do to make sure that families were fed and kids were fed,” said Longstreet.

Longstreet also believes everyone should stay humble.

“Because except for the saving grace of God those of us who have not had to come to a food bank we never know when it may be our time,” said Longstreet.

McGee and Longstreet both plan to continue helping those in their communities get their daily needs even after the pandemic.