Volunteers distribute free summer meals to Gulfport youth

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Community groups in Gulfport are giving out free food for kids this summer.

A non-profit organization called “Extend a Hand, Help a Friend” is working with Morning Star Baptist Church to feed children in the community. Every week, volunteers help pass out 250 hot lunches a day to families with kids aged 18 and under.

The giveaways are Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. at the Family Enrichment Center and Morning Star Baptist Church.

Some families stop by to pick up food, while volunteers also deliver to those without transportation.

Organizer Jeffery Hulum said it’s a way to help families that are feeling the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is a way we can step in and fulfill the gap and make sure every kid has a meal. It makes me personally feel super excited that no kid had to go home and go to sleep hungry,” he said.

Volunteers also help give away up to 400 gallons of milk every Tuesday. The giveaway locations are as follows:

The Family Enrichment Center

5001 Old Pass Road

Gulfport, MS 39501

Morning Star Baptist Church

2050 Thornton Avenue

Gulfport, MS 39501

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