Sunday in Morgan City: Giving food, giving thanks

Sunday was a day of giving for many in Morgan City -- giving food and giving thanks.

At Holy Cross Catholic Church, Catholic Charities of the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese set up again at 3 p.m. to offer plate meals, cleaning supplies, baby items and more. Local volunteers joined the effort.

"I came out to help people in need, and give back to my community," said Central Catholic student Bree Mitchell. "Me and my friends came out to support the community and my school."

Catholic Charities had been in Morgan City since Friday.

Organizers said the plan to distribute food in Morgan City started at Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Chackbay, organizers said. The idea came about at 1p.m. Thursday, and by noon Friday, volunteers were handing out jambalaya to a long line of vehicles at Holy Cross.

Pulled pork was on the menu Sunday.

Among the adult volunteers, Rochelle Bergeron was handing out cleaning supplies.

Her Seventh Street home mostly escaped damage when Hurricane Francine hit Wednesday.

"We just had a couple of trees," Bergeron said. "The water got high but it didn't get in our house. So we're grateful."

Gratitude was in evidence Sunday in the Brashear Avenue median.

At the statue of Our Lady , Star of the Sea, more than 40 people gathered to recite a rosary of Thanksgiving.

Members of the Confraternity of Our Lady, Star of the Sea meet at the beginning of each hurricane season to pray for protection from storms.

And there's no denying that Morgan City has fared pretty well in the three decades since Hurricane Andrew.

"We're very, very thankful for her protection," Diane Loupe Irwin said before the rosary Sunday.

Also Sunday, the Morgan City and Patterson governments distributed tarps made available by the state government to homeowners with damaged roofs.

Patterson Outreach also distributed jambalaya lunches Sunday.