http://www.hungercoalitionnems.org/

Hunger Coalition of Northeast Mississippi, 454 East President Street, Tupelo, MS (2026)

09/12/2026

It's Chocolate Milkshake Day!

Did you know the first milkshake was made in 1885. It wasn't something you'd share with your children. In 1922, two important events happened that changed the milkshake world in a great way. First, the electric blender was invented and, second, an employee at Walgreens' added malt milk powder to a milkshake. Thank you to blender inventor (Steven Poplawski) and Walgreens for making the milkshakes of 2026 possible!

The largest milkshake ever made was 6,000 gallons. (You'd need a BIG straw to drink that!) Chocolate is the most popular milkshake flavor so today is the perfect time to get out your blender and start mixing.

Since a milkshake is, by definition, a blend of milk, ice cream, and flavorings, our "chocolate shake" (pictured below) is technically just a cocoa-banana smoothie but we're loving it just the same. Try our healthier option:

Chocolate-Banana Smoothie Recipe:
4 ice cubes
1 banana
1 tbsp cocoa
water as desired (You'll need a cup or more. You can also use milk but today our milk was being made into cheese)

Add all ingredients to blender and process until smooth. Makes 1 serving.

09/11/2026

Pausing to remember all those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, especially the first responders who raced to save as many lives as possible. Land of the free because of the brave...

The Flag of Honor, pictured below, contains the names of those killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

09/10/2026

A Decade of Making a Difference

In 2016, members of a LifeGroup class at Auburn Baptist Church saw a need and decided to meet it by providing weekend food for students at risk of hunger in their area. Lynn Keith and Staci Bevill have been involved with the Blessing Bag ministry from the beginning and they still direct the program.

Every Wednesday, a group of volunteers pack at the church, located at 1138 CR 921 in Tupelo. Another group of volunteers drop the food bags off on Friday mornings at Mooreville Elementary School and Mooreville Middle School for students in grades K - 8th and the school staff discretely places the bags in students’ backpacks.

In 2016, their first year, the church started with 10 bags a week and ended the year with 26 bags per week for a total of 300 blessing bags during the 2016-2017 school year. Since then, the program has grown steadily. This past school term (2025-2026) they distributed ~ 100 bags per week plus extra for the holidays and school breaks, for a total of 3,645 bags over the course of the school year. That’s more than 3.96 TONS of food!

Each Blessing Bag contains two breakfast options, two lunch options, three or four snack items, and two to three drink items. All items can be opened and prepared by a child without the help of an adult.

The Blessing Bag outreach exists to provide food for students in the Mooreville School are who are in need of weekend meals. Their goals are to bride the gap of weekend hunger for students, support the child’s growth and development, and to make a positive influence on the child’s life and educational experience.

Nearly 4 tons of food is a lot of food but the church is grateful for the opportunity to provide for those in need.. Their church budget includes a line item to help cover the cost of the food, mostly purchased from local sources, but they also accept monetary and food donations and additional volunteers. Monetary donations can be mailed to Auburn Baptist Church, 1138 CR 931, Tupelo MS 38804. Food donations can be dropped off at the church.

Suggested food items to donate include:
Easy Mac and Cheese, Chef Boyardee bowl with pop tops, tuna or chicken lunch packs, peanut butter, grape jelly, small cereal boxes or bowls, Pop Tarts, cereal bars, oatmeal, fruit cups, applesauce cups, pudding cups, snack crackers, goldfish, naps, granola bars, trail mix, cheese/crackers, pretzels, cookies, and fruit juices.

Why asked why they’ve spent the last ten years packing and distributing bags of food to hungry children, their answer was simple. “The need is great and we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.” After 21,289 bags, they’re still going strong, and we’re so glad they are.

Thank you Auburn Baptist Church for your generosity to hunger-at-risk students in the Mooreville School system. Thank you Lynn Keith and Staci Bevill for your vision and dedication. Together you’re making a lasting difference in the lives and future of children.

09/09/2026

The presentation of our food gives us the first hint about how delicious it will be. If you want to up your presentation profile and enhance the taste of your salads, (plus impress a few eaters), why not add a few edible flowers. Johnny Seeds offers a free guide to edible blossoms. In addition to vegetable and herb blooms, their guide to flower edibles include hyacinths, marigolds, monardas, nasturtiums, scarlet runner beans, snapdragons, stock, sunflowers, and violas.

We haven't tried all these flowers but we've enjoyed the spicy taste of marigolds and snapdragons and the minty flavor of violas in salads.

How to use flowers in food:
1. Pick.
2. Wash.*
3. Eat and enjoy

*Be sure to avoid blooms that have been treated with chemicals.

Ice cubes frozen around viola blooms look lovely in a glass of lemonade and adds a nice hint of mint as they melt.

What about you? What flowers do you enjoy eating? How have you used them?

Check out johnnyseeds . com for their free edibles guide. (Be sure to remove the spaces)

Photo by Nataliya Melnychuk on Unsplash

09/08/2026

More on Micro (nutrients): B Vitamins

Vitamin B isn’t a single vitamin, it’s a group of eight vitamins, seven of which act as “co-enzymes.” A co-enzyme is, in simple terms, something that “cooperates” with an enzyme to help it work more efficiently and speed up chemical reactions in our bodies. Today, we’ll look at the importance of Vitamin B1, or Thiamine.

This vitamin is essential for the conversion of food into energy and works on the cellular level. Remember the mitochondria you learned about in school? They’re the powerhouse of the cell and thiamine helps turn food into ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which acts as fuel for your cellular powerhouse.

Since it’s a water-soluble vitamin, Thiamine isn’t stored in the body. Instead, we get what we need from the food we eat. We only need 1.1 mg/day (women) to 1.2 mg/day (men). Pregnant or breastfeeding women need a bit more at 1.4 mg/day. Good sources of thiamine include enriched bread and some enriched pasta, pork chops, trout, and black beans. A single serving of enriched bread provides an entire day’s worth of thiamine. A serving of pork chops, trout, or black beans provides 33% of the recommended daily amount.

Thiamine deficiency is rare in the US but can cause damage to your heart, immune system, and nervous system. A severe deficiency, common in people with excessive alcohol intake, can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, which includes brain damage, confusion, loss of balance, vision changes, and permanent memory loss.

Rapid weight loss from bariatric surgery or an eating disorder, long-term dialysis, hyperthyroidism, and malnutrition can result in a thiamine-deficiency known as Beriberi with fast heart rates, swelling in lower legs, and loss of sensation in hands and feet.

Your doctor can do tests to determine if you have a thiamine deficiency. Treatment is simple. Take in more thiamine-rich foods. Some people will need a B-complex oral supplement as well.

If you eat a healthy diet, live a healthy lifestyle, and limit your alcohol intake, it’s unlikely you’ll experience a B-1 (Thiamine) deficiency.

One more reason why a sandwich might be a great choice for lunch today!

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! Stay safe!

09/06/2026

Watermelon - yellow or red? Seedless or with seeds? What's your preference?

09/05/2026

It's Labor Day weekend and we're already thinking about firing up the grill. We love a fully-dressed burger, grilled veggies, and ice cold watermelon for our Labor Day celebration. What's your fav Labor Day meal? Whatcha cooking? We'd love to see photos!

09/04/2026

The first Friday of September is Bring Your Manners to Work Day so we’re focusing on bringing your manners to the table, too. Good manners are as much about being thoughtful toward those around you as they are about following a set of rules.

1. When we sit down to eat with others, the goal to actually eat with them. Leave your phone in your pocket, not on the table, and wait to start eating until everyone is seated. Be all in.

2. When we eat with others, we want to make a positive impression so always chew with your mouth closed.

3. If it’s worth saying, it’s worth being understood. Swallow before you speak instead of talking with food in your mouth.

4. No one wants someone else’s sleeve in their food. If you want something that’s on the other end of the table, don’t reach over someone’s plate. Simply speak to the person seated next to you, and say, “Have some ____ (whatever the food is you want) and pass it please.” Be sure to say thank you when the food is delivered.

5. When you’re finished eating, don’t put your dirty fork, knife, or spoon on the table and make more work for the person who cleans off the table. Instead, put them on the rim of the plate.

6. Relax. No one is likely to grab your plate and run with it. Instead of hunching over your plate as if you have to protect it, sit up straight, (elbows off the table, take your time, and bring the food to your mouth with your fork or spoon. Savor every bite.

7. Everyone likes to be appreciated so be sure to say thank you to the one who prepared your meal even if it was not your favorite food.

Someone has said, "Good manners are the grease that keeps the wheels of society going round." We don't know if that's true or not but, just in case, let's do our part and remember our manners.

What other good manners do you recommend?

09/03/2026

The Empty Sunday School Room that didn’t stay empty…

Sixteen years ago, a few women in a local church recognized the need of food insecure families in the south end of Tishomingo County. They felt God had called them to do something, so they did. It began in an empty Sunday School room at a local church in Belmont MS..

The empty room didn’t stay empty long. It became a local food distribution center for those in need and, in a short time, the food ministry outgrew the space. In 2017 they moved to their current location at 11 Front Street, Belmont MS. The outreach the ladies started became the South Tishomingo County Food Pantry, led by director Carolyn Criddle. They typically serve 200-250 families each month.

The pantry partners with Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis Tennessee, which is part of the Feeding America network. They order from a weekly shopping list that includes USDA food as well as food purchased with donated funds from area churches and individuals. They also purchase locally when certain items are not available through the Food Bank. In addition to financial support, Belmont Schools helps keep the shelves stocked through food and cereal drives.

Services: They distribute food on the fourth Friday and Saturday from January through October. In November and December, the distributions are held on the third Friday and Saturday so families will have food available for Thanksgiving and Christmas. During the holidays. they usually provide items such as stuffing mix and cranberry sauce, along with a turkey, turkey breast, or whole chicken, all purchased with donations.

Eligibility: They serve residents of zip codes 38827, 38838, and 38873 in South Tishomingo County. Proof of residence is required, along with total household income and the names and birthdates of all household members.

Their mission statement says: “The South Tishomingo County Food Pantry was established to help meet needs in our community by providing food to those experiencing food insecurity. Our desire is for every person we serve to be treated with love, respect, kindness, and grace.”

Their scriptural foundation for the mission comes from Matthew 25:35: “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

When asked about her favorite pantry story, Carolyn said, “One of the most rewarding parts of this ministry is seeing the relief and gratitude from families who know they have somewhere to turn doing a difficult season. Every family has a story, and each one reminds us why this work matters.”

Her “why” is simple: “We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus to families experiencing food insecurity. We want each person who comes through our doors to know they are cared for, valued, and not alone.”

Needs: Their two biggest needs are ongoing financial support and donated food items.Financial donations are always needed and deeply appreciated. These gifts have the greatest impact and often go much further because they allow them to stretch each dollar by purchasing food in larger quantities at lower prices and obtain the specific food and essentials they most. Donated items help keep the shelves stocked for the families who depend on the pantry.

Financial donations may be sent to:
South Tishomingo County Food Pantry
P.O. Box 744
Belmont, MS 38827

Funding: In addition to donations from ten local churches, businesses, and individuals, they also seek grants to help purchase food for the families they serve.

How to volunteer: It takes a village to maintain an outreach of this size and they welcome volunteers. Check out their page where you can contact them and volunteer: .

Final words: “We are grateful for the continued support of our churches, businesses, schools, volunteers, and individuals who make this ministry possible. Every donation, every hour volunteered, and every act of kindness helps us serve families with dignity and compassion. May we always strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

We hope you’ll help The South Tishomingo Food Pantry continue their beautiful gift of service to those in need.

Hunger Coalition of Northeast Mississippi

09/12/2026

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