Mama Justice and Red Cross partner for disaster relief

‘Red Cross is just a mission that fits with ours, we help people in times of disaster, car wrecks, and that is exactly what Red Cross does, when there is a natural disaster,” Wigginton said.

All this week, participating restaurants are donating a portion of their sales to support Red Cross disaster relief services across Mississippi and Alabama.

‘This is an easy way to elevate our community, just go out and eat. We donated $10,000 of our own money to kick off this campaign. We want everyone in the community to go out and eat,” Wigginton said.

KC Grist is executive director of the North Mississippi chapter of the American Red Cross. She said having fundraisers such as Dine for Disaster Relief helps ensure resources are available when tragedy strikes.

‘As an example, the last ice storm, the Red Cross spent well over a million dollars in response to that storm, yet we only raised a little over $100,000 from this area. That is not to shame anyone, but it puts it in perspective that a large organization, it helps us that other states send us their money,” Grist said.

While the American Red Cross plays a big role in events like the ice storm, hurricanes, and tornadoes, the relief group is often the first on scene after people experience personal tragedies, like a house fire.

“Yesterday at my office, a lady was there, and said, I want to thank you. She said I lost my home in a fire, she teared up and said, one of the first people on site was from the Red Cross, she said they walked with us every step of the way to help us get back on our feet. That is why we do what we do,” Grist said.

Dine for Disaster Relief also features an online auction, featuring items donated by local businesses and supporters.

For a list of participating restaurants, and information on the online auction,  go to redcross.org/dinefordisaster.

Dine for Disaster Relief runs through Saturday.

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