Nonprofit organizations in Ellisville, Mississippi are taking a data-driven approach to tackle food insecurity and hunger. By forming partnerships and collaborating with other organizations, they are able to identify and connect people to resources and information that will help improve health outcomes. This innovative solution is being implemented on an international scale, with food being distributed in specific geographical locations around the world. At the same time, these organizations are also working to address the root causes of hunger.
They understand that it is not enough to simply feed people; they must also work to solve the underlying problems. To this end, they have launched initiatives such as the Mississippi Hunger Summit, which brings together representatives from food pantries and nonprofit organizations to discuss critical issues such as providing resources to food pantries, the role of farmers in addressing food insecurity, and understanding the impact of food insecurity on educational environments. The Northwest Mississippi Community Foundation is dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations enhance their capacities to develop creative solutions to address the needs of their communities. This includes collaborating with the Maddox Foundation Resource Center for Volunteers and Nonprofit Organizations, as well as the Community First Research Center for Wellbeing & Creative Achievement (CREW) at the University of Mississippi.
Through the FEED Fund and the Hunger Summit, they are able to bring together donors and non-profit organizations to find innovative ways to meet the needs that Mississippians are experiencing as a result of the pandemic. The Delta Directions Consortium is an alliance of individuals, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and foundations committed to creating positive social change in the Mississippi Delta region. They are working with Extra Table, a not-for-profit organization committed to ending hunger by providing food pantries and soup kitchens with new, healthy food. The Community Foundation serves 11 counties in northwestern Mississippi, helping and connecting donors, nonprofit organizations, and charitable causes.
The Maddox Foundation, the Northwest Mississippi Community Foundation, partners in the Delta Directions Consortium, and the UM Community First Research Center for Wellbeing and Creative Achievement have joined forces to conduct research in the social sciences, public health and law that would help pantries and other organizations provide food assistance to families in Mississippi. Through this effort, they have been able to raise and distribute money to enable food pantries and other organizations to serve more Mississippians in need and invest in their future. The Northwest Mississippi Community Foundation was established in 2002 with a generous grant from the Maddox Foundation. It is an independent 501(c)3 charitable organization that is committed to helping nonprofit organizations improve their capacities to develop innovative solutions to address the needs of their communities.
