By Corey Poole
Photos by Laura “Prissy” Scott

Patty Hunt fell in love with Campti when she was assigned to a boiler build in the City from 2007-2008. Hunt lives in Pembroke, NC and takes time off of work every year to travel to Louisiana and pass out over 100 Thanksgiving dinner boxes to families in need in the Campti area.

“It’s a love thing,” said Hunt. “Campti touched my heart when I first came here.”

She raises money through the year from businesses where she lives and in the Natchitoches area including International Paper, Freedom Life Church and Circuit Riders Natchitoches.

This is the 8th year Hunt will make the trip to the south to make a difference. Part of her “We Care for Campti” campaign, the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Campti hosts Hunt and helps her pass out the dinners. The boxes contain a 13 pound turkey, a pie and gallon of tea, cranberry sauce, green beans and all the fixings for a casserole, dressings, gravy, rolls, a roasting pan and an injector.

The first year Hunt passed out 40 boxes and it’s steadily grown since then. Last year she gave out 185 and this year, on Nov. 19 she passed out 165. Her goal for next year is 200. Each box costs $40 and anyone interested in helping the campaign in the years to come can contact Hunt at 910-674-8960 or Freedom Life Church in Natchitoches.

“It’s the beginning of the holiday season,” said Hunt. “There’s so much celebrating going on in the surrounding areas and I just want to bring some of that spirit to Campti. I want to give people hope and show them that there still people who care.”