United MegaCare, the humanitarian arm of Bishop T.D. Jakes Ministry in Dallas, Texas, recently provided relief items to Rolling Fork residents through the House of Peace Worship Church’s distribution center in Rolling Fork.

House of Peace pastor the Rev. Linda Sweezer-Rowster said MegaCare recently brought 500 buckets of cleaning supplies to her church’s distribution center in Rolling Fork for distribution to residents. She said United MegaCare is an international service organization.

“We were just very honored to have their help,” she said.

Sweezer said Jakes is her personal bishop and she belongs to his pastoral group Potter’s House International Pastoral Alliance.

Jakes, she said, “Has ties and roots in Mississippi so when he heard about the tornado, his heart just opened wide and he said, ‘We want to help.’”

She said representatives for MegaCare contacted her about a partnership because they knew she had a church in Rolling Fork. The representatives went to Rolling Fork to look at the area and develop a plan to help the area.

“They started sending products (to Vicksburg) so when they flew back later we all got together,” she said, adding First Presbyterian Church and members of House of Peace in Vicksburg and Rolling Fork participated in getting the materials together.

“They brought buckets and they filled them with cleaning supplies and tarps (tarpaulins) and so many other things that were in there — just excellent things — so many things that there were at least 15 to 20 things that were put in those really nice heavy-duty buckets.”

Sweezer said MegaCare rented a truck, filled it with the buckets and other items and a member of House of Peace drove the truck to Rolling Fork.

The morning the distribution was to start, she said, people were waiting in line when church members arrived.

“The distribution was going to start at 10 a.m. but the lines were there at 8 o’clock; people were already there before we got there. They were very excited that Bishop Jakes, with the status of who this man is, that he would do such a thing for the Rolling Fork community.”

Besides giving away the buckets, Sweezer said, MegaCare workers also prepared a hot meal so as people picked up the items they were able to be fed.

“It was a lot; a lot of love went into that (the distribution),” she said. “Bishop Jakes has a heart of gold. Anybody knows anything about him, they know he has a heart of gold.”

Sweezer said MegaCare will continue working with her church in Rolling Fork to distribute necessary items and the church is receiving donations including donations of VISAs and Mastercards and other gift and store cards.

“There are a lot of people who lost everything,” she said. “There’s been a lot of people who partnered with my ministry — Linder Sweezer Ministries — as well. We are partnered with Bishop Jakes also so that whatever the needs are, I think we’re going to be able to meet a lot of needs.”