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On Sunday, people of various faiths gathered at the Natchez Community Center for a Community Thanksgiving Worship Service and offering to the Natchez Stewpot.

The annual gathering is organized by the Natchez Ministerial Alliance to bring multiple churches together and to help the stewpot with much needed donations.

The Stewpot provides free meals to hundreds of people every day, holidays included, and also delivers meals to shut-ins.

The Rev. Robert Wallis, associate minister at Community Chapel Church of God, delivered the message and the praise band of Crosspoint Church lead the congregation in singing several songs.

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson spoke a few words during the service and offered a prayer of thanksgiving for all that is happening in the community.

The Rev. Marcus Archer, director of the Natchez Stewpot, said the shelves have gone from empty to steadily filling up over the past week as word of the ministry’s need spread.

Still, there is always room for more. Natchez Stewpot has seen an increase in the number of people they feed on a daily basis from about 250 to 300 people per day.

“We could always use food,” Archer said. We have enough for the Thanksgiving meal but we have to feed people on the day after Thanksgiving as much as the day of. People think about it more during Thanksgiving and Christmas but we feed people all year round.”

Food items that Natchez Stewpot often uses but are not as commonly donated are canned fruit and any kind of meat items such as deer meat, hamburger or chicken.

Natchez Stewpot is open for donations to be dropped off Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment.

For more information on the Natchez Stewpot and how to donate, visit natchezstewpot.com.