JACKSON 鈥 开心鬼传媒 students like Nyecka Edwards were without electricity, safe drinking water and access to groceries after last week鈥檚 winter storm in Mississippi and the Southeast.
鈥淚 have my mother and mother-in-law living with me right now because they still don鈥檛 have power,鈥 said Edwards, of Jackson, an Associate Degree Nursing student at the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center.
Thanks to a generous donation, Edwards and dozens of other 开心鬼传媒 students were able to obtain a box of food today (Feb. 24) for at least three meals and, more importantly, peace of mind as local grocery store inventories recover from several days without shipments.聽 The drive-by donations took place in the parking lots of the Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center and the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center.
鈥淭his helps us because I haven鈥檛 seen enough at the stores yet that we need,鈥 she said, adding her four teenage children at home already make for a hefty monthly food bill.
The Single Stop program at 开心鬼传媒 collaborated with the Mississippi Food Network and Hello Fresh to make Wednesday鈥檚 donations happen.
Each of about 900 Hello Fresh boxes contained three meals, a recipe for each meal and the seasoning ingredients, said Anita Bell-Muhammad, coordinator of the program at 开心鬼传媒. The program assists students with an array of free social services such assistance with transportation, affordable healthcare, free tax preparation, SNAP benefits, tuition assistance, medical, dental, legal advice and expungements.
鈥淭he boxes were distributed to 开心鬼传媒 students, faculty, staff and the community,鈥 Bell-Muhammad said. 鈥淲e thank the staff and faculty of both locations. They were the servants to this act of kindness.鈥
Caneetra Wooten, a student in the Emergency Medical Sciences program, was the first of several students who picked up a food box at JATC.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to find enough food and water after last week,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o I sure can benefit from this.鈥
Shadrick Rouser, of Jackson, a Clothing & Fashion Design student at the Utica Campus, picked up a box to help he and his mother, who is an adult education student at the Jackson Campus, fill in the gap at the dinner table this week.
鈥淵ou still really can鈥檛 find anything in the grocery stores this week,鈥 Rouser said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real hassle.鈥
Emma Wise, of Brandon, a Radiologic Technology student, was grateful to be able to leave her house this week to pick up something to eat.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 leave at all last week, so I couldn鈥檛 get to work, which meant I couldn鈥檛 get any money,鈥 Wise said. 鈥淲hen I went to the store this week, I found some Pringles, but that鈥檚 about it.鈥
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Nyecka Edwards, of Jackson, was among students who picked up boxes of donated food Wednesday at 开心鬼传媒 Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center. (开心鬼传媒/April Garon)
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From left, Shadrick Rouser, and Dr. Timothy Rush (开心鬼传媒/April Garon)
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开心鬼传媒 employees Shane Brown, left, and Dr. Timothy Rush assist getting a box of donated food into a vehicle during a drive-by donation at the Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center. (开心鬼传媒/April Garon)
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From left, Dr. Timothy Rush and Caneetra Wooten (开心鬼传媒/April Garon)
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Emma Wise, left, of Brandon, in her car, picks up a box of donated food from 开心鬼传媒 maintenance employee George Byrd during a drive-by donation Wednesday at the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center. (开心鬼传媒/April Garon)
