Local minister teams up with OCSO to serve a holiday meal to inmates

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A special community dinner is bringing faith, food, and fellowship to those who may need it most.

Minister Freddy Bardley and his wife, Cherie, teamed up with the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office to serve a holiday meal to inmates on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

About 65 people were served a homemade dinner that included turkey, ham, mac and cheese, and banana pudding.

Bartley says the event was about sharing god’s love and reminding everyone that inmates are still part of the community.

“It’s an opportunity for us to come together and give back to the community,” Bardley said. “God called us to serve and not to be servants. And my wife and Cherie, we figured it’d be a great opportunity to give back to the community. I know a lot of people feel that the inmates are nobody, but they are somebody. Because Jesus said that we are all his children.”

The food was prepared by local volunteers, including a cook from Macon who made most of the meal by hand.