ROBERTSDALE — In the spirit of giving, Maw Maw's Country Market and Elsanor Fire Department gathered non-perishable food items to deliver to families in need around Robertsdale.

Located on US-90, owner Deborah Nelson, also known as MawMaw, said she has been blessed by the Lord and wanted to bless others.

"By the grace of God, it would not happen, and I can tell you it has been an overwhelming response of people," Nelson said. "It is just like a family place."

Nelson added that typically every year, she and her husband would deliver goods to the local fire department to have them give out to those in need, but this year the couple decided to take matters into their own hands.

"For the kids and for the families, we wanted to do a food drive here," she said. "There are 20 families that are going to receive these boxes, so we wanted to also be able to provide a meal for them."

On Dec. 10, individuals gathered inside MawMaw's Country Market to put together food goods and even get a visit from the Grinch and Santa Claus.
Elsanor Fire Chief Allen Paul said the food raised from the drive will be delivered to the Elsanor Elementary School along with toys that were collected at the EFD Toy Drive.

"I am actually friends with Ms. Deborah, and I told her, 'let's do something together,'" Paul said. "We will be going to the school Monday morning and then they are serving the families that are in need."

The fire chief added that any leftover food from the drive that is not delivered to those families in need will be collected and taken to senior citizens in the Robertsdale area.

To Paul, being a firefighter is much more than fighting fires.

"The fire department and fire service is a lot more than just fire and working," he said. "It is about taking care of our community."