Published: September 27, 2008 06:20 pm         

Pearl River County to send supplies to Ike victims

PICAYUNE — Supplies are being gathered in Pearl River County to help those affected by Hurricane Ike.

The supplies will be gathered in two locations, in Poplarville on Sunday at the fairgrounds and in Picayune Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Manna Ministries, then trucked to Texas.

Carl Myers with the Pearl River Baptist Association said the supplies will be sent to the Community Fellowship Church in Friendswood, Texas, which is housing and feeding volunteers and victims of the storm. The church is acting as a distribution point for supplies as well.

Requested donations, sought from the local businesses, churches and individuals, include food, paper products, cleaning supplies, toiletries and diapers and other baby items such as baby food. Clothes and water are not needed at this time, Myers said. Monetary donations also are being sought to help fuel the trucks and feed that drivers that will take the supplies to Texas.

Supplies and any monetary donations can be brought to the Poplarville Fairgrounds on Sunday begining at 1 p.m.

Picayune also will set up a collection point at Manna Ministries, whichis off of Martin Luther King Boulevard. It will be taking donations on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 12 noon to 7 p.m., Barry Lee said.

Pearl River Community College’s trucking class will take the supplies on the 800 mile round trip to the storm-affected area, Myers said. Two trips will be made, one on Monday with the donations collected in Poplarville and another on Friday with Picayune’s supplies.

“We received truck load after truck load after Katrina. That’s why we’re trying to reciprocate,” Myers said.

Questions about donating goods at Manna Ministries can be directed to Lee at 601-273-0962.