You are currently in standard theme

You are currently in flex theme

After last year’s success with March of the Mayors on the Gulf Coast, officials from Extra Table – a Hattiesburg nonprofit organization that works with a variety of food distributors and brokers to provide nutritious meals to food pantries throughout Mississippi – brought that event to 11 cities in the Pine Belt to make this year’s event even better.

During the four-week event, which lasted until March 8, a total of 31 mayors from three regions in Mississippi helped to encourage donations, which collected 10,000 food boxes that will benefit 34 pantries throughout the state. In addition, the event – which brought in $65,000 in raised funds – featured 700 volunteers at the packing parties for the food boxes.

“We’re so excited, and we’ll be going back to the drawing board on dates and how to expand, and what we do differently for next year to grow this,” said Martha Allen, executive director of Extra Table. “It’s fun, it feeds people, it’s a different opportunity for the community to get involved, both physically and with sponsorships.

“It just reiterates our mission of getting the best food to the most hungry.”

For the Pine Belt region, mayors from Petal, Hattiesburg, Sumrall, Purvis, Collins, Columbia, Ellisville, Laurel, Magee, Poplarville and Wiggins contributed to help collect non-perishable food items for the drive. Those items included foodstuffs such as canned fruit, peanut butter, canned corn, canned green beans and spaghetti noodles.

At the end of the drive, Pine Belt volunteers gathered at Venture Church’s Hunt Club campus in Hattiesburg to box up the donations.

“We had so much support from the general community; so many volunteers and so many businesses stepped up and hosted drop-off locations at their offices,” Allen said. “So it’s just so humbling and so fun to see so many people jump on the feeding wagon, so to say, and ensure that Extra Table is able to continue to get food to so many hungry (people) during these crazy times.

“We had the (COVID-19) pandemic, and now we’re dealing with such inflation and unrest in the world. So we’re just grateful for everyone who stands behind our efficient and effective method of feeding people.

Allen attributes the success of this year’s event, in part, to the fact that this is the first time March of the Mayors has ever been held in the Pine Belt.

“I think it was just fun and different, and something that everyone could easily get involved in,” she said.

Copyright 2022 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Click here to view this author's last article or here to see all of their content.

Swipe right to left for next article. Swipe left to right for previous article.

Mostly clear, with a low around 47. North wind around 5 mph.

Based on data from National Weather Service and OpenWeather.

Hattiesburg man arrested for identity theft

On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, Hattiesburg police charged an individual in an ongoing identity READ MORE

Cub Scouts to host expanded Scouting for Food event to benefit Edwards Street Fellowship Center and Homes of Hope for Children

At the inaugural local Scouting for Food event in November 2020, Cub Scout Pack 90 set up shop at READ MORE

Thornton’s Last Dance - In his final season, Purvis’ Michael Thornton chases state championship

For 35 seasons, Michael Thornton has anxiously paced the sidelines while being regularly animated, READ MORE

Four key takeaways from Southern Miss' spring game

First-year Southern Miss football coach Will Hall closed out his spring football with his annual READ MORE

Medicaid expansion gets big endorsement

Add Delta Council to the list of people and organizations that have looked at the numbers and READ MORE

Click here to see all E-editions

525 N. Main St.- Hattiesburg,

© Copyright 2022 HubCitySPOKES, 525 N. Main St.- Hattiesburg, MS 39401  | Terms of Use  | Privacy Policy