Nourishing a community

Jerry Thompson’s heart and love of gardening combine to feed Tupelo children.

- GENIE ALICE BRUCE

Thompson has gardened throughout his adult life and has found joy in sharing his bounty with others. Five years ago, his Sunday school teacher at Parkway Baptist Church shared that she had learned about a school backpack program in Tupelo that helped feed food-insecure elementary school children with food needs on weekends. “The next spring rolled around, and I got to thinking about all the vegetables I usually give away, and about the backpack program at Joyner Elementary,” he says. “The two ideas came together in a beautiful way.”