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Organization aims to ‘help people help themselves’

During its Nov. 25 meeting, the Lowndes County Commission voted to allocate $1,500 to the outreach organization, Hearts of Angels. The appropriation, offered by Commissioner Fletcher Hayes, was approved to help fund the organization’s work of meeting the needs of more than 20 families this holiday season.

“Hearts of Angels helps families in need, especially this time of year,” Hayes said.

Director Antionette Wilson said the organization aims to “help people help themselves” by offering various forms of assistance such as food, money for utility bills and even school uniforms.

“As of yesterday, I have 22 families calling for assistance with their power bill,” Wilson said. “One girl has four kids. She just got burned out three weeks ago and they’ve been living in a hotel. Someone just got a trailer for her, but she has no way to get her kids’ Christmas.

“They don’t even have clothes other than what’s been donated to them. Another lady’s father just got killed this year and she’s doing DoorDash [to make ends meet.]”

Wilson said the idea for Hearts of Angels came in her childhood when, even at a young age, she talked of helping the homeless.

“It always touched my heart to see homeless people,” Wilson said. “If I had $1 or $2, I would give it to them.”

She began helping homeless people after forming the organization, sometimes encountering them in Greenville, Montgomery or somewhere in between. Now the organization continues helping the homeless with hot meals or shelf-stable food bags while also working to meet needs close to her Calhoun community home.

“Our efforts went from doing for homeless people to helping other people in need,” Wilson said. “For instance, if OCAP doesn’t have available funds, they refer people to us to help them pay their light bills.”

The organization operates with donations — funds, clothing, food and sometimes hand-crafted items.

“Last year we helped people with 87 bags of food for the homeless,” Wilson said. “The year before we had 75 bags, so each year it gets a little bit better.”

Wilson welcomes community members to help with the effort. The nonprofit accepts monetary donations as well as toiletries, warm-weather clothing like socks, caps or gloves and shelf-stable food items.

“In the homeless bags we put Vienna sausages, honey buns, potted meat, crackers and anything with a pop top,” Wilson said. “We add toothpaste, toothbrushes, washcloths, soap, whatever they can use.

“Someone asked me last year why I gave them a washcloth. Because, they’re in and out of gas stations and they can go in and wash their face or brush their teeth. They are not animals and some people look at them as if they’re nothing. If you begin to see people the same way you want God to see you, you’ll see people differently.”

For more information about Hearts of Angels or to learn how you can help, call Wilson at (334) 322-1429.