Second Harvest Food Bank steps up to lend a hand

There was a seemingly perpetual line of cars and trucks outside the Franklin Recreation Center on the afternoon of June 1.
Second Harvest Food Bank food distribution drive in memory of Wanda Hilliard was underway at 2 p.m. that day, and was a success in assisting individuals and families in need.
Hilliard passed away on April 19, survived by four sons, three of which were the originators of the June 1 drive.
In cooperation with Second Harvest Food Bank, Jim Michael Watson, Alfred Jamal Hilliard, and Jared Jerrel Hilliard could be seen loading boxes of groceries into vehicle after vehicle.
Hilliard’s sons said that after their mother’s passing, they came to an understanding about how to keep her legacy alive. This understanding was the impetus for the June 1 drive, and according to the three, that of drives to come, as they said they plan to continue their efforts in the name of their mother.
“My momma was doing this every week, (providing food for the needy),” Alfred Hilliard said, “and when she passed, it stopped for a month, and now, we’re picking up where she left off.”
Dr. Patricia Muse, SHFB, and co-coordinator of the event said, “The thing is, with COVID-19, a lot of people can’t get out. A lot of people don’t have money. So, a lot of communities are feeding people, and we wanted to do the same thing in our community. Wanda’s sons are charged with moving her legacy forward, and that’s what they are doing.”
According to Ed “Tiger” Verdin, director of public relations for the City of Franklin, when the Wanda Watson Hilliard Food Pantry contacts the City of Franklin Mayor’s Office about their next food distribution drive, the City of Franklin Louisiana- Mayor’s Office Facebook page will provide the details.
“Wanda gave back to the community at every light,” Verdin said, “and I think that’s what they (Hilliard’s sons) want the community to know.”
Albert added, “Her slogan was: May no one ever go hungry.”