Monday morning, I had the chance to sit down with Michele Connelly, the executive director of the United Way of West Central Mississippi, for an interview for an upcoming story.

As we were talking, one of my questions, or I guess it was more of a statement with a question mark at the end, was that for a town the size of Vicksburg, the United Way here is incredibly vibrant and active.

Her response was to heap praise on those directors who came before her and I imagine that is a part of it, but it is more than that as well. The community in Vicksburg has truly embraced the United Way and has a remarkable capacity for giving back. That is one of the things the struck me the most since moving here in March, just how much this community gives back.

That spirit was on full display at Good Shepherd Community Center this past Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. I was there Monday to work and then returned Tuesday to volunteer as part of the Vicksburg Kiwanis Club. Volunteers from age 3 to 80 helped to fill more than 230 bags of food containing about 3,000 meals that were then distributed to those in need for Thanksgiving.

Key Club members from Vicksburg High were there on a day they could have slept in and spent playing video games with no school. Students from St. Al were volunteering and earning their service hours. Also, multiple members of both Kiwanis clubs in town were helping out as were employees from Ameristar.

Good Shepherd is a United Way partner agency and has been providing meals for Thanksgiving for more than 20 years. It has lasted that long because the people in this community have opened their hearts to fill and distribute bags and opened their wallets to buy food either through donations to Good Shepherd or to the United Way.

Vicksburg like many communities around the country has residents that are in need of assistance. Thankfully, Vicksburg has people like Connelly, Tommy Miller, who runs Good Shepherd, and all the individuals who run the United Way agencies to organize efforts to help. It is the volunteers and the community support that pulls it all together. The people of Vicksburg have embraced that responsibility.

I think Connelly is the one who has best put into words the willingness of the people of Vicksburg to give back, the people of this town truly do “Live United.”

Brandon O’Connor is a staff writer at The Vicksburg Post. You may reach him at brandon.oconnor@vicksburgpost.com