Angela Nicholson had fallen on hard times.

Last week her apartment burned, but thanks to the generosity of others she secured another place to live. And when it came to feeding her family, she was also the recipient of a bag of food given out by the Lady Pearl Bradley #48 Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.

“God is so good,” Nicholson said of the kindness shown to her.

Peggy Simpson-Mosley, who is a member of the Lady Pearl Bradley #48 Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star and founder of the food give-away geared at helping those like Nicholson, said she wanted to start a program like this so she could give back to others.

“I just wanted to give something back to the community,” Simpson-Mosley said Tuesday during the distribution.

“This was the way I was raised to always give back. I am the mother of five and there were times people have helped me, so my enjoyment comes from just giving back and anytime I can do that I do,” Mosley said.

Yearly event

Simpson-Mosley, who grew up in Vicksburg, but lived in New York most of her life, said, this is the fourth year the bags of food have been given to those living in the Vicksburg community.

Earlier in the month, flyers were sent out to churches, barber and beauty shops and she said she also posted information in the Vicksburg Post and on Facebook for anyone who would like to donate non-perishable food items to fill the bags.

“This year we were able to fill 47 bags,” Simpson-Mosley said, adding, “The first year the bags were a little short, but this year they are filled to the top.”

Simpson-Mosley said she asks no questions when people come in to get a bag of food.

“I just hope whoever takes a bag of food really needs it,” she said.

Simpson-Mosley recalled one year when a family of six came in to pick up a bag of food.

“The mother only picked up one bag of food, so I pulled her aside and told her to take a second bag.”

Bags this year included green beans, corn, soup, noodles, cornbread mix, and some bags even had a few sweet potatoes, Simpson-Mosley said.

Next year, Simpson-Mosley said, she would love to see the program expand even more.

“I hope I can give out two bags in the future,” she said.