St. Joseph Hospice hosted a shrimp boil at the Senior Center of South Pearl River County in Picayune on Thursday.

Over 150 senior citizens came to the event, the largest attendance they’ve had, estimated Senior Center member Frank Egger.

This is the third year St. Joseph Hospice has put on the event in Picayune, as well as around the state, said Rhonda Schwan, the volunteer coordinator for St. Joseph Hospice.

“We do this as a way to mix with the seniors because so many people don’t know what hospice can do for them,” said James Prater, the Chaplin for St. Joseph Hospice.

Prater has been working with St. Joseph Hospice since the 90’s, he said.

“You meet people and see them do things they never thought they could do or be called to do,” said Prater.

Prater became involved in hospice care after his wife began volunteering. When the organization found out about his background in theology, they asked him to be their chaplin and he’s been there ever since, said Prater.

“God loves variety. He never created any two of us the same,” he said.

St. Joseph Hospice also invited the Picayune Police Department and the Picayune Fire Department, as well as other emergency responders, to eat or bring trays back to their offices, said Schwan.

Shane Walker, a volunteer at the event, boiled over 200 pounds of shrimp and 100 pounds of corn and potatoes for citizens to enjoy.

“If you leave hungry, it’s your own fault,” said Egger.

“We do this as a way to give back to the community and to our seniors who have done so much,” said Schwan.

With lots of Senior Center members hailing from Louisiana, they are very excited about the chance to eat local seafood, said Prater.

“A lot of our seniors are from the area and they love seafood but it’s not easy to fix at home and it’s expensive to buy at restaurants,” said Senior Center Director Darlene Adams.

This is the third year St. Joseph Hospice has put on the event, and they are looking forward to next year…We are blessed to have this facility,” said Adams.