It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. Those words, said by Mother Teresa, seem to resonate with several women who were honored at the Caring Women Recognition and Celebration last week. Those words also strike a chord with countless community members who contributed to 16,000 pounds of food donated Saturday through Stamp Out Hunger.

Simply said, the Miss-Lou’s caring heart beat loudly last week. Let’s take a moment to give some kudos, and recognize other shining moments:

4 Out of 73 outstanding nominations, several worthy women were recognized for their continuous giving at the Caring Women Recognition and Celebration Thursday. The honorees were Karren Ewing, Daye Dearing, Leola Harris, Kathleen Stevens and Chandler Renee Russ. We tip our hats to these women, who make Natchez greater with their selfless giving.

4Community members swarmed to the Natchez U.S. Post Office Saturday to sort nonperishable food collected in conjunction with Stamp Out Hunger, the largest one-day food drive in the nation. Natchez High School was represented well with members from the baseball, football and track teams volunteering to help sort. It’s important our area youth know the meaning of pitching in, and NHS demonstrated that Saturday.

4The rest of the nation is catching on to our strong sense of community. So much so, that Natchez is ranked in USA Today’s Top Ten Small Southern Town poll. With so many great people living in the Miss-Lou, we’re not surprised by this outstanding recognition. You can vote for Natchez through May 25 by visiting 10best.com/awards.

As we embark on another week, let’s remember to lend a helping hand — and to thank those who do so.