Despite recent setbacks, the home-delivered-meals program in Clarke County remains intact, thanks to local volunteers.

As it stands, nearly 100 food boxes are distributed to Clarke County senior citizens, but recent legislation prohibits the county from using its resources for the program.

However, Multi-County Community Agency director Ron Collier said volunteers have continued to pick up the 97 boxes on the third Thursday of the month.

“Volunteers who wish to be unnamed and members of the Navy Air Station bring a team over to pick them up and deliver them to the office in Clarke County,” he said.

MCCSA is a private, non-profit, organization that provides services to Clarke, Jasper, Kemper, Lauderdale, Neshoba, Newton, Scott, Smith and Wayne Counties.

According to State Rep. Greg Snowden (R-Meridian), who also serves as attorney for Clarke County, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood issued an opinion “that counties needed to have legislation to have that authority.”

“Clarke County was not able to get their legislation through,” Snowden said.

Clarke County District 1 Supervisor Darrick Marshall said he hopes to see the issue resolved sooner than later.

“We have asked our representatives in our district to help us out and they’re looking into it,” Marshall said. “But we haven’t gotten a response from anybody yet… We hope the legislators will reconsider their vote and help us get back on the program.”

In a letter addressed to State Rep. William Shirley on April 24, members of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors pleaded their case after the legislation died in the house.

“As the sole State Representative calling Clarke County home, you are the one person who must lead us to a solution,” the letter states.

Although the volunteers are keeping the program going, Clarke County needs a more permanent solution.

Meanwhile, MCCSA is “committed to making sure the boxes get to Clarke County,” Collier said.

“It affects 97 senior citizens that depend on that food so they can still have funds to possibly buy medication and whatever else they need,” Collier said. “Fortunately our other eight counties are great partners. They are doing what they can to help this program remain successful.”