Showing What It Means to Live in the Friendly City

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – People across the area are lending helping hands in the impacted areas in Columbus, truly showing what it means to live in the Friendly City.

“Columbus is just a big neighborhood and we saw hundreds of people showing up carrying logs out of the backyard, helping people move their stuff trying to store their things that haven’t been destroyed and really when you get down to it, the government will do its part, but the faith-based community and their neighbors are what really makes a difference,” says Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.

People across the Friendly City are working to help clean up and offer support all across tornado scarred areas.

“We’re offering sandwiches, chips, apples, bottled water. Anything to help relieve the people that can’t cook right now.”

“We just wanted to come, you know, be the hands and feet of Christ,” says Ann Robinson.

Passing out food, cooking, or serving it, volunteers are doing all they can to help those impacted.

“Totally devastated over everything, that’s why I felt like I needed to do something and this was the best way to do it,” says Gwendolyn Summerville.

We even caught up with Ward 5 councilman Stephen Jones, helping people affected by the storm.

“This morning, went out door to door trying to pass our breakfast to people that may not have had power and weren’t unable to eat and then now, we’re just out here trying to cut up some trees in some different areas because of course, the city will not go on private property, so we’re just trying to make sure we get some of these trees to the streets, so the city can pick them up .”

Jones along with childhood friends are back where they grew up picking up fallen trees and the pieces.

“I’ve got a lot of friends of mine that I grew up with, they’re all out here volunteering with all this stuff that they have. These are actually friends of mine that grew up in this neighborhood, or that are associated with this neighborhood somehow, and they’ve all come out to help.”

If you’re wanting to volunteer, please contact one of the following for more information.

Donations – Glena Buckhalter, Community Outreach – 662-364-1850

Cleanup-Renae Sanders – 662-570-9095