Saul (2 Samuel 1:10

Big family is everything for Eckford including on job

By Lucy Weber

Beverly Eckford has a heart for family.

Eckford's role in her big, extended family is mother, daughter, grandmother, great-grandmother, sibling and the one who helps those in need feel like part of a family.

As executive director of the Baldwin Housing Authority, Eckford sees her responsibility lies beyond just the 65 apartments, but with the young families and 40 senior citizens living there. "They look to me for help. Everybody needs somebody."

While maintaining her professionalism on the job, Eckford realizes that some of the seniors have no one else. She helps them out with a smile by giving them rides to doctors or reading their mail to them, or even fixing televisions when they find it difficult. "You have to have a heart and have Jesus on your side," she said.

That desire to be of service comes from being from a big family. Eckford is the oldest of seven children. Her parents are 82 and 83 years old, but her father is one of her part-time employees, and she also has many aunts and uncles around. She's the mother of one so, is a minister at Greater Life United Baptist Church in Corinth who has five children, and a daughter, who has two girls. She also has a great-grandchild. "My grandchildren, I love them and would do anything for them," Eckford said. She said she is blessed that as a grandmother she is able to keep her daughter's 10- and 13year-olds at times

when her daughter is at work. Eckford said she and her siblings were brought up by their parents to be responsible. "We were brought up that you have to earn your way," she said, adding that she used the same principle with her children. "I'm firm but I give some. I learned from my children that if you give them all the things, they don't respect you." Eckford start at the housing authority in 2011 and became the executive director last May. "I'm busy all day. There's a steady stream of calls," she said. "I work late every day, sometimes till 6:30 or 7 but I love what I do. I've always been a hard worker." As soon as she became the director, Eckford knew that her father could be an asset on the job so she offered him a position. "I told him he had six months to make a decision on whether he wanted to stay. His working of me that tickles him," she said. Eckford is her Sunday School secretary at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Baldwyn and works a retail job on weekends. But, she says, there is always time for family.

The past two years with Covid slowed down the immense family gatherings of up to 50 or more but Eckford said everyone is looking forward to getting together, possibly on Memorial Day. "I can't wait to do that again."

Beverly Eckford

1010 Meigg Street 662.286.6327

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