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NATCHEZ — Two words rarely seen in the same sentence, “shopping” and “free,” are the theme of a free community shopping day Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Natchez Community Center at 215 Franklin St.

Dr. Carolyn Myers, founder and CEO of Seeds of Change Resource Foundation, said the “Shop Til You Drop” free shopping day is her way to “give back to the community” without pre-requisites or expectations.

“They don’t have to pay for anything,” she said. “We will give them a bag and they will be able to pick out what they need. All items are brand new and were donated by an anonymous benefactor for me to give out to the community.”

Myers said the items consist of free clothing of all sizes. The only thing shoppers won’t be able to do is pick out all of the same item to ensure that there is plenty to go around, she said.

“They will get enough because we will have enough,” she said. “We have 20 pallets of clothing. We will get people to sign their name when they come in and where they’re from so we can get a count of how many people came from where, because this is to benefit the Miss-Lou area.”

Myers said she expects a lot of Natchez and Vidalia residents, but would not be surprised to see people from Ferriday, Fayette, Port Gibson and beyond.

The event lasts from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and items are given on a first-come-first-served basis, she said.

“There are no criteria,” she said. “We’re not turning anyone away.”

Myers also invited the community to a free Black History Month movie night starting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 18 at the Natchez City Auditorium, also hosted by the non-profit.

Myers was cast as a background actor in the film, “Women of the Movement,” which tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, who devoted her life to seeking justice for her son Emmett Till following his brutal murder in 1955 in Mississippi.
Myers founded the Seeds of Change Resource Foundation in 2017 with the broad goal of helping people in need. She does this by way of operating a food bank, hosting events for veterans and seniors and helping the homeless.

In December 2021, the foundation broke ground on what will become a group home in Natchez, once renovations are complete.

Myers said the house purchased by the foundation at 6 Claiborne St. had been gutted and had to be completely renovated floor to ceiling and all of the electrical work redone.

“I expect we will be able to open sometime in the fall this year,” she said.

The house — which is meant to house men, women and children with nowhere else to live who are free of drugs — can hold six to eight people, she said.

Myers said funds for the house and all of the foundation’s activities were raised from the community’s donations to Seeds of Change, particularly at the annual “Biker’s on the Bluff,” which is the foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year.

For more information, Myers can be reached at 601-870-6343. Monetary donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 714, Natchez, MS 39121.