Gulfport community leaders provide food for senior citizens

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Community leaders came together on Saturday to offer a helping hand to those in need. They put on a food distribution event, just for senior citizens. The event brought out hundreds of senior citizens, and cars began lining up as early as 6:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Those like Doris Washington were eager to get a box full of food, and she said times are hard for some seniors.

“Most of us are struggling right now,” said Washington. “I’m retired, I just get social security. So it gets kind of hard sometimes. But I know God will make a way.”

Jeffrey Hulum III said it’s important to make sure senior citizens are taken care of.

“When it comes to our senior citizens, they’re on a fixed income,” said Hulum. “And by them being on a fixed income and by the pandemic still alive and well, a lot of them are spending more time at home. That means they are utilizing more of their energy and more of their food so we want to try to do something to step in the gap and assist them with their food.”

Seniors were given boxes full of food including milk, lettuce, hotdogs, cheese and more. More than a dozen volunteers helped load the boxes into cars as they rolled through the Isaiah Fredericks Community Center.

Rev. Keith Dunlap with Morning Star Baptist Church had no problem giving up his Saturday morning to make sure hundreds of senior citizens had something to eat.

“People are out suffering. A lot of people are doing with lack. So we want to make sure that we fill the gap that we stand in the gap and try to make sure that people have what they need,” said Dunlap.

The food distribution wasn’t organized by one group or individual, but Hulum said it’s all part of a community effort to provide for those in need.

“It’s just a testimony when everybody come together what we can do as the masses for everybody that’s in need along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the state of Mississippi,” said Hulum.

Organizers said they’re planning more food distribution events for the future.

Copyright 2021 WLOX. All rights reserved.