Back Bay Mission commemorates Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - For Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, the Back Bay Mission is putting more emphasis on the different ways we see poverty throughout South Mississippi.

“The many people we work with they come from a variety of different situations,” Executive Director Rev. James Pennington said. “We are one situation away from a situation.”

Now more than ever, there’s a high demand for the mission’s food pantry, clothing services and financial aid.

“This is a time when we’ve went through COVID. It was a real struggle for many folks,” Pennington said.

And with lingering issues like inflation, the mission is preparing to see more people coming through their doors.

“That’s a defining concern because people’s income isn’t necessarily going up this time,” Pennington said.

In an effort to make more people aware of the ongoing food and housing insecurities, the mission is holding its annual Thanksgiving feast on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. for anyone in need of food.

The feast has been going on for 15 years now, with the help of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. It will be held indoors again like last year to cut down on the spread of COVID-19

Also, on Saturday, organizers will hold the first Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Walk starting at the Point Cadet Plaza. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and the walk kicks off at 8 a.m.

“We’ve kind of come at it from a whole variety of different avenues,” Pennington said.

The hope is that more people will donate food, clothes or their time to the mission to help eradicate poverty.

“What’s important for us as a community is to really gather together and try to be the change that we can be in the world,” Pennington said.

The Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Walk will start Saturday at 8 a.m., at Point Cadet Plaza. Registration is $25 per participant.

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