There are a lot of people in this world who don’t have the comforts of a good home and a good family.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of those people right here in the Miss-Lou. I’m sure you read in the newspaper a few weeks ago about some of the local food pantries and the Sunshine Shelter, which are in danger of having to close the doors or cut back services to these people in need.

This has been heartbreaking for me, and I want to help. My Papaw, Fred Trujillo, helps with the Feed the Hungry program at his church in Vidalia. They were able to raise money from the red-light stop and various donations to help keep their program going for another three months.

My Nana, Cathy Warren, is throwing a co-ed softball tournament on Aug. 20 and 21 to benefit the Sunshine Shelter.

These are just a few of the inspirational people I have in my life, and I thank God for them every day. Because of them, they make me want to strive to help where I can.

That’s why I decided to get my own team together for the softball tournament. It’s mostly just the youth from my church at Springfield Baptist in Natchez.

I feel like this is what God wants me to do to help bring in funds for the shelter. I also think that the shelter plays a very important role in this area, and we all need to step up to the plate and help keep it functioning.

My youth teacher, Jodette Stevens, who also happens to be my aunt, has always told us teens that God has a plan for each and everyone of us and that when he asks something of us, that we need to make sure to do it.

Helping my Nana is what I feel God wants me to do. I’ve never been around any kind of abuse in my life and I think its unfair that other kids have been exposed to it.

I don’t want the Sunshine Shelter to cut back its services or close its doors because we as a community didn’t stand up and help keep it open.

Where would these families or single parents with small children or teens go if the shelter closed down? Would they just say that they didn’t have anywhere to go so they just stayed in the abusive relationships, or would we see their obituaries in the newspaper?

I don’t know. I do know that I can help by stepping up and doing what God has called me to do.

I hope that this will inspire other teens like me to want to help change their community for the better.

We are the future and if we don’t do something now, when will it get done?

Remember the movie “To Save a Life?” This is the perfect opportunity to help save someone from abuse.

We are looking for volunteers to help with the tournament, sponsors, vendors, teams or if you just want to come and watch the games, we want you too. There will be concessions and raffles that you can help with. For more information on how you can help, please contact Cathy Warren at 601-431-2755.

Your help in raising money for the Sunshine Shelter will be greatly appreciated.

Jesselyn Simon is the daughter of Crystal and Wesley Warren of Vidalia and a freshmen at Vidalia High.