City volunteers deliver hot Thanksgiving meals

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Tis the season to give back…

A service group got an early start this morning to make sure residents in the Friendly City can sit down to a hot Thanksgiving meal.

Before this army of volunteers carve their Thanksgiving turkeys, they want people in need have one to eat for themselves.

For the past 25 years, the Concerned Citizens of Columbus service group has spent Thanksgiving morning cooking hot meals

“We’re getting meals ready to go out to the elderly,disabled, and just for any person that might need a meal and we’re doing it city and county,” said event coordinator Annie Barry.

Barry says meals come with turkey, cake, and all the trimmings.

“My day would not be complete if I’ve known that I’ve helped someone else, and this is just the start of all our holiday,” said Barry.

This year’s goal is to deliver 1,800 and over 200 people rolled up their sleeves to help.

“I didn’t realize we would have this many volunteers but I’m real real proud they will see what our mission is about and that’s about helping someone else,” said Barry.

Columbus Mayor Robert Smith says he loves seeing so many people giving back

“It’s great for the city of Columbus to see the citizens within the community not only the city of Columbus but the Lowndes County area to sacrifice their time, energy, and effort from a volunteer standpoint,” said Smith.

Smith and Barry says eventually it’ll be up to the young adults to carry this tradition for years to come.

“I’m hoping that they will learn something from this and take this on the to the next generation and in the future here. All different age groups that are here volunteering their time and assisting so they know it means a-lot to the senior citizens within the community,” said Smith.

“We will continue because the younger generation needs to know that we need to continue to care about other people. It needs to be bigger than yourself,” said Barry.

Barry says there is a committee who is working out details to serve meals during Christmas.