When Petal residents Demaris Lee and Jessie Rowell founded the Petal Children’s Task Force in December 1989, the organization had a very simple mission: to help a single needy family with food and Christmas presents for the holidays.
Thirty-five years later, the task force now assists approximately 750 to 800 families monthly – which equates to nearly 2,500 individuals – which has necessitated the upcoming addition of some expanded warehouse space at the facility on South George Street. Lee, who serves as executive director of the task force, said the addition will be built in the back of the existing building and will add approximately 2,400 square feet of storage space for food and additional items.
“We’ve just got to have more room,” she said. “We’re helping so many people and we can’t buy food in bulk, and we’ve got to have a place we can store food.
“So that’s the only thing we can do, is add on, because we feel like God’s put us in the right place where we need to be. And the people around us have donated the land (for the add-on). It’s going to be additional storage space, because right now we don’t have any storage space, and it’s going to have a freezer so we can have more frozen foods.”
Kevin Lewis of Landry Lewis Germany Architects will serve as architect for the project, while Tony Oswalt of Advanced Building Specialties will handle the construction. Officials hoped to begin work in July, but that schedule has been pushed back somewhat.
“The plans have already been drawn up, and the engineers have to present it to the city,” Lee said. “We wanted to start in July, but that won’t happen.
“So we’re hoping by the first of September – no later – we can get started.”
Last December, task force officials received a $100,000 grant from the Forrest County Board of Supervisors for the addition, courtesy of former District 3 Supervisor Burkett Ross. But with the project expected to cost approximately $330,000, the organization is still accepting donations to help with the remaining cost of the work.
Financial contributions can be made in person at the task force office at 314 South George Street in Petal, or online at www.petalchildrenstaskforce.org. Checks also can be mailed to that physical address.
“Anything that anybody donates will be greatly appreciated,” Lee said.
The task force provides food assistance to clients once every 30 days, and helps out with school uniforms that are available at Petal First Baptist Church. In addition to their Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes – which do not count as assistance for the month – the organization also helps with partial payments on utility bills once every six months.
The task force also gives out bags containing items like peanut butter and crackers to the homeless. The organization is assisted in that endeavor by other organizations like Petal United Methodist Church, which committed last year to put together 25 bags for the homeless for Christmas.
“(The additional space) is going to make it so much easier, because right now, our 18-wheelers have to park on South George Street to unload something for us, and that’s very dangerous,” Lee said. “Now, we’re going to be able to pull to the back, and they’re going to have a loading dock they can pull up to.
“It’s desperately needed. We’ve been a long time needing this, and we’ve been looking, but affording it was another thing.”
