“Why can’t a women be more like a man?” This well known question asked by Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady was stated when he was frustrated at Eliza Doolittle.  What Professor Higgins  really was saying was “Why can’t you be more like me?”, “Why can’t you think like me”, “Why can’t you behave like me?”

Those frustrations lie at so much of the political divide we see all around us in the world today.  Well, I have an announcement to make! There are a few safe places in our community where everybody does seem to think like each other, talk like each other and behave like each other.  They had a big connection this past weekend down at the Convention Center. One is the Stewpot and the other is the Kiwanis Club.

Last June 23-24 the La-Miss-Tenn District of Kiwanis International met in Natchez for their 99th Annual Convention and adopted the Natchez Communtiy Stewpot as the recipient of their service project. Convention attendees were invited to donate needed non-perishable food items and cleaning supplies as well as cash donations for the Stewpot and believe me they did!  These generous people, while looking very different and from many different places, all thought alike and behaved alike.  They brought so many bags of food it took a truck to deliver it to the Stewpot.  Furthermore, they donated over $1,700 to continue to help feed those who are hungry here in our community.

Member of Kiwanis are some of the most generous people on earth. Not only did they give to our local Stewpot, but they were raising money for other pet projects in their  local areas and  throughout the world.  They as a group give primacy to the human and spiritual values and endeavor to make the world better by helping children. One project in particular is the elimination of tetanus throughout the world by providing a $1.80 vaccination to pregnant women, which then protects her, her child and any future children from tetanus. Kiwanis has eliminated tetanus from all but fourteen countries. They also work to spread the use of iodized salt to prevent problems with the thyroid.  Promoting reading and health throughout their local clubs are two of their favorite projects. I see members of Kiwanis united in caring about the least fortunate in the world and admire them.

The Natchez Stewpot  volunteers continue to be made up of very diverse people, Black and White and Yellow, Protestant, Catholic, Jew and other, Republicans, Democrats and Independents but they all think alike in caring about feeding the poor.

For 33 years Stewpot has been serving meals seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. Today we serve 300 to 350 meals a day. One hundred-sixty of these meals are delivered to shut-ins. Our doors are open around noon for anyone who wants to eat.

Those Stewpot  volunteers, like those in Kiwanis, seem to all think alike. They care enough about the needs of those less fortunate to get up, show up and help.

The Natchez  Stewpot would like to thank all those who came to Kiwanis Convention from all over Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi with your cars full of food and your wallets and check books open to help keep our Stewpot pantry from looking so bare at this time of the summer.

We always run a little slow in the summer and really needed this help. We always need help, particularly volunteer drivers.

All of us at the Natchez Stewpot thank all those who gave so generously this weekend.

Isn’t it nice that some of us  do think alike and act alike when it comes to having a heart that has concern for less fortunate people?
Mary Jane Reed Gaudet is a Natchez resident and member of the Natchez Stewpot board.