Mechanics Funds New Trailer For Ministry
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Compassion Ministry founder Raymond Aven (right) helps Cam Tyler hold a ceremonial check for $3,500. The donation from Mechanics Bank to the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi will be matched by the Maddox Foundation to purchase a $7,000 trailer for the food ministry. Compassion Ministry vice-president Danny Forsyth (second from left) and Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi President Keith Fulcher hold the second check.
WATER VALLEY – A $3,500 donation from Mechanics Bank will be matched by the Maddox Foundation to purchase a new, heavy-duty 20-foot trailer for Compassion Ministry.
Bank President Cam Tyler made the donation last Thursday to help the food ministry continue to meet needs for families in Yalobusha and Lafayette counties.
“We are proud to support this ministry, we know the work they do is so important to help those in need,” Tyler reported during the check presentation.
The bank’s $3,500 contribution was made to the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, which will be matched by $3,500 from the Maddox Foundation to make the $7,000 purchase.
“Because of the pandemic, we have been serving quite a few extra families,”reported Danny Forsyth. “This larger trailer is going to give us more capacity to haul food that we have been receiving.”
Forsyth serves as vice-president and general manager for Compassion Ministry, and he spends countless hours each month sourcing food and assisting with the bi-monthly distribution at the warehouse located on Hwy. 7.
Ministry founder Raymond Aven reported that May will mark 24 years since the ministry was launched. He explained that the larger trailer will allow the volunteers to pick up two extra pallets of food.
“That can be $5,000 worth food that we get every time we pick up,” Aven explained about the trailer upgrade.
“That extra four feet will allow us to pick up two extra pallets of food. That can be $5,000 worth of food that we get every time we pickup extra,” Aven said.
Aven explained that the ministry receives food from three primary sources including the United States Department of Agriculture.
“We get that from Jackson, most of that is free. We buy some from them,” he said.
The ministry also purchases food from Larson’s Cash Saver, primarily staples such as sugar, flour and mill. They also receive food from HeartLand Hands, a Southaven-based non-profit that provides food assistance to those in need and helps supply as many as 40 other food pantries across the state.
Aven reported that a dozen churches provide monthly support, along with individuals and businesses.
