By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

Mountain of Faith Ministries will honor one of its own when they host the annual Women’s Empowerment luncheon Nov. 30 at the Vicksburg City Auditorium at 11:30 a.m.

“We usually sell out of tickets close to the beginning of the event so we encourage people to buy their tickets early,” Artelia Williams, president of Mountain of Faith Ministries, said of the ticketed event.

Preparation for the event is extremely tedious, but the organization has help from its United Way volunteers.

“We usually depend on United Way volunteers for our luncheon,” said Williams. “But we have various uses for volunteers in the organization,” Williams said.

While volunteers help to make the special event a community affair, the luncheon is usually dedicated to an honorable individual in the community.

This year the luncheon is dedicated to Tina Hayward, the late founder of Mountain of Faith Ministries. Hayward died earlier this year, but her legacy continues in the Ministry and her community.

“She was our founder and executive director and an army veteran,” said Williams.

“When she returned to Vicksburg and left her corporate job, she began the Ministry and we have been servicing the community since 2002.”

Though she was the founder of Mountain of Faith Ministries Hayward did not devise the idea of the luncheon.

“A board member suggested it during a meeting, and we liked the idea,” said Williams.

“We then took it and ran.”

The annual luncheon is a fundraiser for the organization and has raised a large amount of funds in the five years of its occurrence.

“In the past five years we have raised about $10,000 through our luncheon,” said Williams.

Along with raising funds for the shelters and honoring Hayward, there are two other purposes for the luncheon. The event will honor nine women in the community, as well as present its new executive director.

“We usually select nine to 10 women in the community and this year we have nine,” said Williams.

The nine ladies will be honored in the luncheon, along with the ministry’s new executive director, Kimberly Smith.

“We’ve talked about ourselves a lot and we don’t want this event to be about us,” said Williams.

“We want to focus on the new people, the honoree’s and our new executive director.”

Williams said the luncheon is a great way to empower women in the community, as well as recognize some of the women who help run the community.

“We want to encourage the public to meet our new executive president, honor Miss Tina and meet our honorees. We’d like to encourage people to offer emotional support as well as financial support.”

Williams said tickets are $25 each and may be purchased by calling her at 601-618-3987 or the Mountain of Faith Office at 601-501-4508.