For more than a century, the Columbus community has had a date with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church come the month of May. That’s when the Episcopal Church Women organization hosts the annual May Luncheon — formerly known as the Eight O’ May Luncheon. This spring’s event is set for Friday, May 13 at the historic church at 318 College St., near the heart of downtown.

The congregation turns out en masse to cook, chop, peel, dice, mix and serve its signature chicken salad and barbecue plates for this major fundraiser. A much-anticipated bake sale accompanies the luncheon that caters to dine-in patrons as well as takeout customers.

While food is the immediate focus of the day, the May Luncheon’s impact is felt in the community throughout the year. The fundraiser supports the ECW’s giving to local charities that make a difference in lives every day.

ECW president Martha Kirkley explained that the event will benefit local nonprofit ministries including the Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition, Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity, HEARTS After School Tutoring and the Loaves and Fishes Community Soup Kitchen. Some proceeds will also go to world relief missions.

Fellowship and delicious food will be celebrated with the luncheon, but it’s important to realize, too, how their impact reaches the larger community, Kirkley said.

GT Homeless Coalition

Founded in 2014, the Coalition’s mission is to help nurture the homeless off the streets and into a stable home. It helps participants find affordable housing, get necessary education and obtain an adequate occupation to support themselves and their families.

“We really focus on families — single mothers with children, in particular,” said Kirkley, who serves as board president for the Coalition.

The group currently has three apartments to provide temporary shelter as participants are offered budgetary, educational and career counseling, as needed.

“One of our residents right now entered without a high school diploma,” Kirkley said. Since being there, the mother of five worked hard for several months to earn her GED.

“She also took the manufacturing course offered by East Mississippi Community College and did really well; and she took the WorkKeys test and scored high.” Her goal is to move her family into a rental house and work in a local industry. That would spell success.

“Success is to get people in permanent housing,” said Kirkley.

One Coalition goal is to acquire an apartment building with six to eight apartments.

“I think (the program) has been life-changing for the people we’ve had so far,” Kirkley said.

For more information about the Homeless Coalition, call 662-574-0066.

Habitat for Humanity

With a new home dedication last Saturday, another in just a few weeks, the recent opening of a Resale Store, and its annual Women Build event May 3, the Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity has been bustling.

“We’ve had a really busy year. That’s the way I like it,” said Habitat Executive Director Kathy Arinder.

Even as the organization continues its mission of helping families move into decent, affordable housing, Habitat is pursuing an additional goal.

“We are trying to get a repair ministry going,” said Arinder. Habitat hopes to work with local churches to develop a team of volunteers willing to lend their expertise for smaller projects.

“Maybe someone needs a handicap ramp, or might have some issues with their home; they don’t necessarily need a new house, they just need help,” Arinder said. “We know there’s a real need for that. We encourage anybody who wants to participate to contact us.”

For more information, call 662-329-2501 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

HEARTS After School Tutoring

This community-wide tutoring ministry provides a Christian environment for students in kindergarten through fifth-grade at risk of falling behind in academics. They receive help with reading, math, spelling and homework Monday through Friday from volunteers and executive director Mary Stewart Ezell.

June marks the beginning of HEARTS’ intensive Summer Reading Program.

“The children signed up will read about 90 hours during that program,” explained Chrissy Heard, president of the HEARTS board. The sessions will focus on comprehension and spelling. Some of the children will attend a computer camp.

“What Mary and her volunteers do is phenomenal,” said Heard. What HEARTS offers “is very, very consistent, and we think that’s very important in these children’s lives.”

For more information, about HEARTS, go to heartscolumbus.com or call 662-244-8444.

Loaves and Fishes

The Loaves and Fishes Community Soup Kitchen is on the verge of realizing its goal of expanding meal service to a full Monday-through-Friday week. With two new volunteer groups joining the ecumenical ministry, House Chair Ann Sparkman anticipates the change soon. The program that provides basic sustenance to those in need also hopes to soon offer sack lunches for people who need something to get them through the weekend.

“We eventually hope to have a pantry for people who need to take something home,” said Sparkman.

The ultimate goal is to eradicate hunger in Columbus. Volunteers from churches, banks, businesses, clubs and other groups assist with the outreach that was initiated by St. Paul’s Church in conjunction with other Lowndes County churches.

“We always need people who can partner,” Sparkman said.

For more information, call 662-549-8607.

The luncheon

The fundraising luncheon will offer dine-in from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. May 13. Takeout orders may be picked up behind the Parish Hall between 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Plates are $10 each.

Chicken salad plates include chicken salad, deviled eggs, chips, sweet pickles, crackers and dessert. Barbecue plates include barbecue, deviled eggs, potato salad, chips, pickles, roll and dessert.

Takeout orders may be placed with the church office from Wednesday morning, May 11, to Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. Email orders to [email protected], fax to 662-328-6384, or call the church office at 662-328-6673.

Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.