Spirit of Giving in Houlka, Okolona, Amory

The spirit of giving and sharing also was alive and well across Northeast Mississippi.

Houlka Helping Hands filled the town’s community center with a traditional Thanksgiving meal for more than 500 elderly, needy and shut ins and for inmates at the Chickasaw County Jail and area law enforcement who had to work.

The annual event was a chance for old friends to catch up while helping others in the community.

Meanwhile, in Okolona, what has become a community tradition reached its 25th year.

Excel Commons on Main Street opened its doors to the needy and others who were alone on this special day. The group served more than 200 meals of turkey, dressing and all the fixings.

And an idea that began with a mission trip to New York City on Thanksgiving 1999 now is thriving at Amory’s First Baptist Church.

The mission group worked with a New York Church to feed the homeless and others on Thanksgiving. Mission members returned home to Amory and suggested doing the same thing. Amory’s first Thanksgiving meal started small in 2000.

This year, well over 500 meals were served. Many were delivered to the sick and shut ins. Dozens went to area law enforcement who were working.

For organizers, it’s about sharing with old and new friends.

“It’s really a joy. The thing I like about it is every year I always learn to know somebody I didn’t know. I just love to serve people, to make people feel better,” said Clara Lee, who has coordinated the cooking and volunteers the last two years.

Volunteers came from throughout the county to help with the annual event.