Lee County Church To Feed Thousands Of People Thanksgiving Week

VERONA, MISS. (WCBI) – A Lee County church is trying to make sure no one goes hungry on Thanksgiving week.

Robbie Gillespie is making room for turkey, sweet potatoes and other staples of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Gillespie is director of client services for “Grace and Mercy Ministries” an outreach of The Anchor Church. The Verona church is planning to feed a lot of hungry people next week.

On Monday, the church’s “Servant’s Heart Food Pantry” will be busy.

“We’re going to be handing out food boxes, first come , first serve, three hundred families, thirty, to sixty pound boxes of food, come, bring ID, fill out a piece of paper, go through the line, will give food away that day,” Gillespie said.

And on Thanksgiving morning, volunteers will make plate lunches. People can come by and pick them up, or the meals can be delivered.

“Just so you know, we’re safe about it, if you call and want food, we will come up, knock on the door, leave the box there, we don’t have to see you, but we are mindful of what’s going on,” he said.

While some cities and towns have called off traditional Thanksgiving week services and feeding programs, Gillespie says this year the need is simply too great to cancel the outreaches.

“It’s not that we’re not scared of covid, we know it’s real, but we know there’s people hurting and need help, we want to be here, and our motto is to offer help, hope and healing, and we’re not going to let something shut us down when we can feed and help people because we know people are in need,” Gillespie said.

Gillespie points out there are many churches throughout the area who are helping with the outreaches.

For information on the food box distribution Monday, or the Thanksgiving Day meal, call the Anchor Church at 662 732 5055