Grapeland Church Sends Water to Help Struggling Jackson, Mississippi

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND –  Recent flooding in the Pearl River has affected water treatment processing facilities near Jackson, Mississippi. The flooding also caused damaged to pumps at the main processing facility. Residents found themselves lining up for hours to get water to use for cooking and drinking as local sources were contaminated and not useful. 

Rising Star Baptist Church in Grapeland decided to help the people of Jackson by collecting 20 pallets of bottled water and sending them to the affected areas. 

The church and Pastor Hill put a call out to the community that responded exactly as one would expect from Houston County. 

On Monday, Deacon Jesse Lomax and Pastor’s Aide Sandra Walker were busy working at the back entrance of the church as people came and went bringing cases of bottled water and donations for the cause. 

“I reached out to some local pastors and churches and the local community,” Hill said. “We spoke with Brother Bradshaw in Crockett on the radio on Sunday. We want to make this water effort a big success.”

Once the water is collected, NUCOR Vulcraft has offered to transport the water to Mississippi using some of its transportation vendors. 

Hill has already made contacts with several churches in the Jackson area who will help distribute the bottles to the thirsty locals. 

Hill himself will be traveling along with water and will report back with pictures and a full account of the donations. He is grateful, but not surprised at the support from the community. 

“It is what God calls on us to do,” Hill explained. “God calls us to help our brothers and our sisters in Christ. To lend a hand up and not a hand out. We might have our day one day – and we would want other people of the Christian faith to look out for us.”

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]