Miss-Lou residents have two opportunities today to have a good lunch and help the community.

United Way will host a kickoff for its annual fund-raising campaign with a jambalaya cook-off at the Natchez Convention Center. Held between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the cook-off provides a great lunch &045; cooked by local teams &045; for just $2, along with information about United Way’s important campaign, which funds local agencies such as Catholic Charities and 4-H.

Through its agencies, United Way provides funding for just about every need in our community. The money raised through in-house campaigns at local businesses is essential for the survival of organizations such as the local Red Cross and Salvation Army chapters.

This year, United Way is focusing on why its donations are an investment in the community, and how that investment from individuals can be parlayed into more money through grants

If the jambalaya lunch wasn’t enough, the American Heart Association will host a kickoff for its campaign today at noon at the Isle of Capri hotel. The Heart Association sponsors the Heart Walk, which will be held on Nov. 5 this year. Teams raise money for the organization, which educates about heart disease and other heart ailments.

Our advice? We have so many residents with big hearts, they’ll have to skip breakfast to make room for a big lunch today.