WATCH: ‘Good Morning America’ surprises Rolling Fork food truck owner
Published 9:38 am Tuesday, August 22, 2023
- ABC News/”Good Morning America”
“Good Morning America” continued its “Mississippi Strong” series Tuesday morning with GMA3 co-anchor DeMarco Morgan who joined the broadcast live from Rolling Fork to surprise a business owner in the area.
GMA’s long-term, multiphase commitment to covering Rolling Fork profiled Malinda Washington, whose store, EJ’s Café, and home were destroyed by the March 24 EF-4 tornado.
“In an instant, your whole life is flipped upside down,” she said.
Video by ABC News/”Good Morning America”
She received the gift of a carnival food truck from strangers which has helped get her business back up and running, and she said, “I have seen so many people rally together. So, it really restored my faith in humanity when people started donating to us.
“This community has shown me love in ways that I have never experienced. So, it was definitely my duty to stay and to try to keep going,” she added.
In a live interview with Morgan, she said, “I never thought about giving up — never — not one time. It’s not in me to give up. Always been a fighter.”
Washington is committed to “keep pressing” and is focused on rebuilding her business for her community. During the broadcast, she was surprised with a $5,000 donation from the Heart of Main Street, plus LG Electronics donated new appliances for her shop as she rebuilds.
“I’m shocked [by] the amount of support…I’m trying not to cry,” she said.