First of all, I want to say thank you Natchez and the Miss-Lou for allowing me and my family to call this home.

Of all the places I’ve lived around the world, never have I ever seen such caring, loving people as here.

I would have to say, from my heart, y’all have hearts of gold, and this is what makes me proud to say I’m from the United States of America.

I had a car accident in the summer of 1999. Then in 2000 my husband Jimmy McManus and I were involved in another car accident. This town went above and beyond helping in so many way. Too many people to count helped out, between hospitals and multiple surgeries. Life took a toll on us. But thanks to y’all and the love of family, we prevailed.

Still, to this day, we are paying medical bills.

It’s been hard, but God, family and friends have seen us through.

Now, we would like to give something back — pass on an act of love.

Two families I dearly love need your help as well.

Gloria Butler, a Natchez native, is a breast cancer victim. Her husband is Dickie Butler.

Jean Ellis and her husband Herbert were also the victims of an accident.

Both families have major hospital bills to pay.

We would like to invite you out from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday for a festival called Benefit of Love.

We will have live music from Apostles Creed, Southern Grace and more.

We’ll have a car wash, a garage sale, a bake sale, a space walk, food, fun and more. The Miss-Lou has donated items for drawings.

Please come support our effort and bring your families to the Bad Boy Enterprises (formally Stine Hardware) parking lot.

Sponsors are Bad Boy Enterprises, Sheldon Kaiser Enterprises, Catholic Charities, the Church of the Living God in Clayton, Crosspoint Church in Natchez and many other local businesses, churches and individuals.

Thanks again for all your support.

Rhonda McManus is a Natchez resident.