Jones County springs into action to aid the devastation in the Delta | Free News

More relief drives planned in Laurel, county VFDs

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Take Highway 61 north from Vicksburg, cross the Yazoo River, past the levees and into a sea of fields. Small shacks, a few barns and homes are visible for the first 20 or so miles — the only real signs of life being the Onward Store, near where Teddy Roosevelt went bear hunting, giving name to the Teddy Bear.

A few more miles deep into the vastness of the Mississippi Delta is what was once the town of Rolling Fork. It is home to South Delta High School, a picturesque courthouse, a couple of small eateries, a few stores and is the birthplace of McKinley Morganfeld, known to the world as blues pioneer Muddy Waters.

It is a poor Delta community — like so many Delta communities. And now it is gone, reduced to rubble by nature’s fury in an instant on a warm last Friday night. The twisters killed 21 people, the majority of which were in the Delta.

Angels sprung into action — as they always do — delivering meals, water or a shoulder to cry on. From all parts of Mississippi, neighboring states and across this country, volunteers collected supplies.

One of the first was Capt. Jason McMullin of the Salvation Army in Laurel, who has been on the ground in Rolling Fork since early Saturday.

“There are some foundations left, but whole neighborhoods are destroyed,” he said Friday morning. “Sixty percent of Rolling Fork is just gone. There is no way to determine what recovery might look like here.”

McMullin’s role is with operations and coordinating relief supplies and the distribution. He said the needs still are hygiene kits, water, snacks and emotional support.

“I listen,” he said. “I listen and then I ask them if there is anything I can pray for. Many of the residents here don’t have renters’ or homeowners’ insurance, so some of them will have to start from scratch. I am a shoulder if they need to cry. I take it to the Lord in prayer.”

Jones County’s volunteer fire departments — they answer calls for help outside Jones County, too — were first to step into the fray. Lance Chancellor, a Powers volunteer and spokesman for the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, is helping lead the efforts.

No matter the disaster or where it hits, there will be a big rig, a trailer and an overwhelming show of humanity in the Free State.

Chancellor said there are enough relief supplies in the department offices to fill a 30-foot trailer. Volunteer fire departments across the county are filling up fast as well. The Glade Volunteer Fire Department is crafting Easter baskets — so far there are about 70 made — to deliver to children in the Rolling Fork area.

Chancellor said the Powers station on Highway 184 will be used as the central consolidation point where the supplies will be loaded either onto smaller trailers or an 18-wheeler, which has been offered by Ray Herndon of Diamondback Training.

Herndon gave use of an 18-wheeler last year when volunteers from the county went to Kentucky in the wake of a devastating tornado.

Donations have been received from organizations, businesses and individuals and pointed to one in particular that, Chancellor said, summed up the giving nature of Jones Countians.

“We had a lady in her mid-80s come to the sheriff’s department just the other day,” he said. “She survives on about $500 per month, and she came in an SUV that was loaded down with supplies. It looked like she spent her entire month’s income.

    “We asked if we could at least take her picture and she said, ‘no’ and wanted to remain anonymous. She said, ‘I know these people are hurting, and I want to do my part.”

The volunteers’ collection efforts — at least the first round — will end Monday. Then the trucks will be loaded and begin the long drive northwest, but Chancellor said donations will be taken “until the doors of the trailers are closed.”

The group will be heading to the Rolling Fork area in what has become an almost routine occurrence, whether it be to Kentucky, Florida, Louisiana or points in between.

McMullin said he will be in Sharkey County likely through this coming week, then it will be local chapters of the Salvation Army and other relief organizations that will work on the long-term goal of helping rebuild the area.

The Laurel Salvation Army has about 30 volunteers helping in the Delta, and there is a seemingly never-ending stream of relief supplies flowing into the area.

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