On Sunday, October 17, 2021, St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Bolton celebrated their annual homecoming Eucharist led by the Reverend Haily Allin and Deacon Josie Williams and special music performed by Michael Gibson, his daughter Elizabeth Gibson and organist Sid Champion.
Following the offertory, Fine Arts Director, James Anderson, announced a special presentation. Anderson had this to say, "Outreach is a big part of any church that is worth its salt, in my opinion. And we share that commitment to outreach in the Bolton and Edwards area, here at St. Mary's. Our Outreach Ministry for the fall's beneficiary of that effort, is the Jackson/Hinds Library System, and specifically, the Annie Thompson Jeffers Library of Bolton. We did a campaign among our membership and we raised $750 for the library."
Anderson asked Alfenette Robinson to join him in front of the congregation, and he continued, "Alfenette, Juana, Susie... all the folks at the library do a great job. A little bit of trivia: back in the day, the library for Bolton was right back there, in the room adjacent to our kitchen. And when I was a child, that's where I checked out books. In fact, someone from the library system was traveling to a meeting in Bolton, they Googled it, and they landed at our address here at St. Mary's!"
When asked if she had some words she would like to say, Alfenette Robinson, manager of the Bolton library began, "I am speechless. I want to say thank you. I want to recognize my co-worker Susie Carter and our director, Kim Corbett, who are here today." Anderson added that he wished to recognize his co-chairs for the St. Mary's Outreach Ministry: Ellen McLean, Yvonne Rogers and Tippy Garner, and he closed with, "People do love the library. It is a vital part of our life here in Bolton."
