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Hundreds of people line up around the block of the Natchez Community Center for Saturday's free shopping event. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

The Miss-Lou community participates in a free shopping trip Saturday at the Natchez Community Center on Franklin Street.(Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

The Miss-Lou community participates in a free shopping trip Saturday at the Natchez Community Center on Franklin Street.(Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Twenty-five to 50 volunteers helped Seeds of Change Resource Foundation to host the event. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Carlton Sims picks out a jacket at the free community shopping event Saturday at the Natchez Community Center. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

The Miss-Lou community participates in a free shopping trip Saturday at the Natchez Community Center on Franklin Street.(Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Volunteer Keith Bradford and Seeds of Change founder Carolyn Myers sort through shoe boxes at Saturday's free shopping event. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Free items include baby outfits shoes and clothes for all ages. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

Free items include baby outfits shoes and clothes for all ages. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — Saturday, the Miss-Lou community was invited to a free shopping trip at the Natchez Community Center on Franklin Street, where all items were donated and given to participants for free, with no expectations or prerequisites.

The only catch is they could fill up one shopping bag and could only pick up one of any similar items so that there would be enough to divide up on a first-come-first-served basis, said Dr. Carolyn Myers, founder and CEO of Seeds of Change Resource Foundation. Donated items included 20 pallets of clothing and shoes of all sizes for all ages.

“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.”

Between 25 and 50 volunteers came to help the hundreds of people who went shopping at the event Saturday, Myers guessed. The event lasts until 1 p.m.

“This is nice,” said Carlton Sims, one of the shoppers. “It’s almost too good to be true. I couldn’t believe it until I came.”

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 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. 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. 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.

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