STARKVILLE, Miss (WTVA) -- The J.L. King Center in Starkville partnered with the Starkville Strong volunteer group to hand out free Thanksgiving meals.

They packed at least 300 boxes full of Thanksgiving food to celebrate the holiday.

"A lot of people are suffering more now than ever and it's people that may not have suffered before the pandemic accentuated that," said Starkville Stong Director Brandi Herrington.

The Starkville strong Facebook group started because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Today, the group made and served free meals to the Starkville community in hopes that everyone has a hot meal for the holiday.

"A lower-income side of town, so this particular side of town is the side we wanted to serve," said the center's director Latalla Harris.

Everyone in the community was welcomed to the drive-through pick up.

However, J.L. King center director Latalla Harris said she partnered with the volunteer group so that people in the area with fewer resources were able to travel a shorter distance to attend the giveaway.

"Anything that people need we try to get together the resources for within our abilities within our means," said Herrington.

According to Herrington, all the food was paid for and provided by each volunteer.

She said for those in the community who did not have the means to drive to the giveaway...

"We had a sign-up and people that signed up to deliver, whatever we have left over that's not given out at the drive-through we will take that and deliver it to those people.
And if we have some beyond that we will deliver to the neighborhood here in town," said Herrington.

Herrington added, the group formed because of the pandemic but they plan to continue to serve the community even after the pandemic comes to an end.