Her name is Beverly Sankey, but to the residents of Poplar Springs Nursing Center, she is affectionately known as "The Banana Lady."
"She buys 100 bananas at a time and hands them out to the residents," said Leola Jones, who recommended Sankey as a Star of the Week.
Sankey began volunteering at the facility in 2005, during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"When I asked Pastor Earl (Wheatley of NorthPark Church) if anybody needed help, he told me Poplar Springs Nursing Home and I went over their and volunteered," she said.
Four years later, she visits the facility four days a week, helping serve breakfast and assisting patients to their rooms.
"I enjoy it. I love the people and it's a good working place," she said. "And the people make me feel good, too. We talk about our problems, laugh and have a good time."
A Virginia native, Sankey and her husband of 39 years, Jim, moved to Mississippi to be closer to her ailing sister, who lived in Birmingham. She decided to move to Meridian after reading about it in a magazine.
"It sounded nice and the article said it was a retirement area, so we decided, 'Why not?'" she said. "Plus, it's close to Birmingham, and I had an aunt and some cousins who lived in the area, so we thought it would be a good move. And it has been."
Her sister passed in 2007 and now Sankey takes care of her husband. Twice a week, she gives bananas to the nursing home residents.
"They don't get a lot of fresh fruit and it's something that just about all of them can eat," she said.
Sankey is amused by her "Banana Lady" moniker.
"It doesn't bother me; we all laugh about it," she said.
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
Star of The Week: Beverly Sankey
- Local News
-
- Voter registration deadline nears for primary
- Teen charged with robbery, kidnapping
-
Students attend S2S training
Representatives from Naval Air Station Meridian and Northeast Lauderdale High School recently attended the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) Student-2-Student research-based training held in San Antonio, Texas.
-
Serving the community
-
Chisolm named deputy director
-
MCC program gets ‘outrageous’ start
- Amtrak Exhibit Train coming to Meridian
-
Doors of newly renovated city hall opened to the public
The wait is finally over ...
Meridian's newly restored city hall has reclaimed its place as a majestic focal point in downtown. More than five years in the making, the doors of the nearly 100-year-old building were reopened to the public Tuesday during an open house ceremony. -
Veteran sentenced in shooting
A military veteran who was charged with the shooting of his wife two years ago was sentenced Monday in Lauderdale County Circuit Court to 20 years.
-
Shelter from the storm
The memory of Hurricane Katrina has not faded much in the seven years since that devastating August day and because of her lasting impression, Lauderdale County is still reaping the benefits of a proactive approach to preparing for any and all types of natural disasters.
- More Local News Headlines
Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life
Army Orders Bradley Manning Court-martial
Cancer Charity Revives Breast-screening Grants
Heavy Snowstorm Hits Colorado On Its Way East
2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim
Prosecutors Close Armstrong Inquiry, No Charges
Sights and Sounds: Football Fans Pour Into Indy
Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3%
Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs
GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle
More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue
Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands
Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths
'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant
Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest
First Person: Will Peyton Manning Stay in Indy?
Egypt Shaken After Deadly Soccer Riot
New Suits, New Starts for New York's Unemployed
Hall of Famer Dorsett Speaks Out on NFL Injuries
