Kemper Homemaker Council shows state hospitality to visitors

 Morning visitors to the Lauderdale County Missis­sippi Welcome Center were greeted with special treats on Friday morning, March 25. They were shown the true meaning of the Hospitality State by the Kemper County Homemaker Volunteer Council. Seven members of the four county Home­makers clubs were giving out homemade cookies to the constant flow of visi­tors into the center.

Members Harold Moore, Connie Duke, Glenda Duke, Kyla Moore, Iris Roberts, Rose McGraw, and Kathy Clemons pro­vided a table full of their special fare. There was a great variety of cookies, as well as gluten free and sugar-free offerings. This tradition has been going on for well over 37 years according to past presi­dent, Kyla Moore.

This year the group plans to not only greet visitors at the I-20/59 welcome cen­ter near Toomsuba during March, but also during Hospitality month, June, and September. The four clubs in Kemper County are Scooba, West Liberty, Ruby's Jewels (DeKalb), and County Line (Preston). These clubs consist of 53 members and the cookie contributions came from all four clubs. You would think visitors to the Wel­come Center would be a little leery of strangers with homemade goodies with Covid still being a part of life, but it was not evident on that morning. Each member agreed that all the cookies would be gone well before noon.

Sandra Chambers, one of the Welcome Center hostesses, said the group always gets more atten­tion than the staff at the center. People love the conversation and special treats as they pass into Mississippi. Chambers said the flow of visitors on Fri­day seemed a little slower, but a typical day at the Welcome Center brings an average of 600 to 1,000 people. What a special tra­dition this group continues to provide with no expec­tations, but to serve and provide smiling faces.

Current president, Roberts, says the clubs are quite busy throughout the year. Some of their proj­ects includes collecting rings from aluminum cans to send to St. Jude, mak­ing throws for local nursing home residents, making cloth pillows, baby blan­kets, Santa bags, and incu­bator covers for Children’s of Mississippi Hospital, serving an appreciation luncheon for the Kemper County Board of Supervi­sors, and helping with Relay for Life in June are a few of them.