Mayor asks for help with food drive

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Vicksburg’s Mayor Willis Thompson is asking for help from city residents. 

Mayor Thompson is participating in the statewide March of Mayors Food Drive and asks for donations of canned tuna.

The City of Vicksburg is taking part in the effort sponsored by Extra Table, a nonprofit organization focused on fighting hunger across Mississippi.

According to a release by the mayor, the March of the Mayors initiative includes participation from more than 60 mayors statewide. Each participating city is assigned a specific food item to help support coordinated, large-scale food distribution efforts, and Vicksburg’s goal is to collect 1,500 five-ounce cans of canned tuna.

Donation boxes are available on the first floor of Vicksburg City Hall (1401 Walnut Street), as well as Kroger (3408 Pemberton Square Blvd), Corner Market (3046 Indiana Ave), the Vicksburg YMCA (267 YMCA Pl), and Delta Bank of Vicksburg (2150 S Frontage Rd). Community members are encouraged to contribute five-ounce cans of tuna during the collection period.

“I hope everyone in our community will join in supporting this effort to fight hunger across our state,” Mayor Thompson said. “Together, we can make a real difference in people’s lives while helping provide healthier food options for families in need.”

Extra Table is a statewide nonprofit food bank that raises funds to purchase healthy food and delivers it at no cost to 66 food pantries and soup kitchens across Mississippi each month. All items collected during the March of the Mayors campaign will be transported to a central location in Jackson, Mississippi, where they will be packed and distributed to local food pantries throughout the state.

Residents are encouraged to donate and help Vicksburg meet or exceed its collection goal by February 27. For more information, visit www.extratable.org/march