Community comes together to warm up Aeolian residents before the storm

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — A group of residents at the Aeolian Senior Apartments were gifted blankets, food, and love from all over Warren County.

Danyelle McDaniel has been the property manager at the Aeolian for almost 3 years. She was worried that some of her residents wouldn’t be able to properly prepare for the upcoming ice storm.

“They made a post on Facebook, and the next thing you know, we got stuff just flowing in,” said friend and helper Katelyn Burton. “They called me and said we have vehicles full! We don’t know what to do, we need help!”

“Today, we have come together to help the residents at the Aeolian be protected from the winter storm,” said McDaniel. “We are a 60-unit facility, and out of that, probably half of the residents are alone; they don’t have family. A couple of my friends made a post on social media for us and asked the community to come together and help the ones who aren’t able. We have been overly blessed,” said McDaniel as she pointed out the piles of food, clothing, and treats that filled up the front room of the Aeolian. All of it was donated today in just a few hours in response to the social media post asking for help.

“The list is phenomenal. Miss Donna Cummings, Miss Luci DeRossette, Miss Armstrong, there were Crawford Street Church and Crossway Church. Miss Helen Thomas and … I have everybody documented. These are people who came across the post and just reached back out to us or just came by,” said McDaniel. “I am overjoyed for our tenants. It’s, I think I cried all day.”

Helper Tommi Davidson said, “Danyelle goes over and beyond the call of duty. She checks on these residents, and she makes sure they get to their doctor’s appointments. When needed, she takes them to the store. She transitions patients from the Bluffs to here. She does an exceptional job.”

Residents came through, laughing, grabbing food items, blankets, and treats to help them through the upcoming storm.

“Danyelle knows all the residents by name. They bring my kids ice cream when they’re down here,” said Davidson. “She’s become attached to the ones that have been here. The whole time she has, you know, and they just come and visit her. She just worries to death about them.”