Major institutions within Mississippi communities have a role to play in helping to create our culture of health, and Jackson State University is working to meet the needs of the community one food box at a time. 

The Office of Community Engagement is the liaison between Jackson State University and the surrounding community. Their work focuses on meeting community needs, ranging from assistance with information dissemination to a community garden. 

Meeting the Needs of the Community

Over the past five years, Jackson State University has been developing strategies to help with access to fresh produce and fresh food for metro Jackson residents.

They started the JSU Blackburn Learning Garden five years ago, and, along with Blackburn Middle School students, have since grown a variety of vegetables that are distributed to the community for free. 

With the help of their partners, JSU also hosts a Crop Drop a few times a year, where they hand out 50,000 lbs of produce grown from farmers across the state. They serve between 500 to 1,000 people. 

“We’ve seen many residents come to us looking for fresh produce, so we do these events to try to offset some of their grocery bills. Given the pandemic and the water crisis that’s been happening in our city, there has been a lot more need. With students learning virtually, and parents being at home and having to provide 3 meals a day plus snacks, it’s really been a strain on our community,” said Heather Denné, Director of Community Engagement of the Center for University-Based Development at Jackson State University.

Last year, they tripled the amount of food box giveaways and Crop Drop events. In April, they were able to give out a whole semi-truck full of produce and non-perishable items, helping over 1,500 people. The giveaway was supported by the TDC Premier Trucking, LLC, HOSEA, Amazon, Society of St. Andrew, Continental Tires and the People’s Advocacy Institute.

At April’s food distribution, JSU also handed out children’s books. JSU partnered with the Little Free Library organization and built 5 libraries throughout West Jackson. However, since the start of the pandemic, the libraries have been harder to access, so they decided to give books away at the Crop Drop. 

Creating a culture of health for Jackson families

“We’re always thinking about sustainability and making sure that these things make an impact long term. Specifically with our garden project, we are teaching our folks about how to grow their own produce,” said Denné. 

After the produce is grown, JSU works to engage the entire family with interactive projects that focus on healthy eating. They hold a student-led farmer’s market, as well as an annual greens cookoff. 

“We want to teach families about healthier ways they can sustain their family if they don’t have access to a grocery store that readily sells fresh produce and vegetables,” said Denné.

Takeaways

With events like the Crop Drop and their Learning Garden, Jackson State University hopes to teach the local community about healthy eating. Teaching children and families about growing your own produce is a lifelong skill that will lead to healthy eating! 

For any organization that hosts services, it’s important to ask the question: how can our organization teach the recipients the thinking behind these services that we offer, so they can learn to do it on their own for years to come?
Jackson State University is planning on hosting another distribution event in October. Stay tuned on their social media and website for more information.

The Brain Injury Association (BIA) of Mississippi provides information, support, and resources to people with brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as their families, while also teaching the general public about injury prevention programs.

Mississippi is 3rd in the country in the number of brain injuries reported each year. Brain injuries are primarily caused by falls and motor vehicle accidents. Now, in its 30th year of service, the BIA of Mississippi is the only nonprofit in our state specifically assisting traumatic brain and/or spinal cord injury survivors, both civilian and military, and their families. 

Online Support Groups

One of the main services that the BIA of Mississippi provides is support for people living with a brain injury. Before COVID, they had three different support groups around the state, but when everything closed down, they immediately switched to virtual support programs.

“We combined our three support groups into one big virtual support group. We’ve reached people that are in areas in the state that probably would never have gone to an in-person meeting, just because they’re out in a rural area or they’re too far away. We have 92 people in our virtual support groups,” said Lee Moss, Executive Director of BIA of Mississippi.

During the support group meetings, the BIA of Mississippi also provides other virtual opportunities for enrichment, like yoga, cooking nights, and meditation sessions.

“We do these activities because these are things that some of the members have never done before, and, with meditation in particular, it’s really helped them learn how to better be calm while being isolated,” said Moss.

Garnering Support with Fundraising Events

The BIA of Mississippi has three annual fundraising events.

Dash ‘N Splash is a race held every June, with walk, run, and wheelchair categories. The race ends by the Reservoir in Ridgeland with activities like water slides and balloons, and snacks like watermelon. This year, the BIA of Mississippi plans for an in-person race on June 26, 2021.

The “Salute to Our Heroes” Virtual Drawdown typically consists of an in-person drawdown and gala, but last year they switched to a virtual event due to COVID-19. The event had such a good virtual turnout that they decided to keep it online again this year.

The NogginFeast: A Celebration for the Brain is one of the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi’s most popular fundraiser events, held at the Renaissance in Madison. In its third year, NogginFeast consists of  20-30 local food and liquor vendors and live entertainment. This year’s NogginFeast will take place on October 25, 2021, and tickets can be purchased at the door. Brain injury survivors and their families can attend the event at no cost.

Sharing Information and Resources During Brain Injury Awareness Month

Normally, BIA of Mississippi celebrates Brain Injury Awareness Day on March 11 every year at the Capital, but this year they commemorated the day virtually. Throughout the day, they used Facebook to share videos in which brain injury survivors told their stories.

Throughout the month of March, BIA of Mississippi shared resources and statistics about brain injury awareness and prevention on their social media.

“We had to come up with something since we couldn’t be in-person, and, honestly, I feel like we reached more people this way than we would have at the Capital. We wanted to help people learn everything they need to know about brain injury through a virtual platform. In the process, we’ve even found some new survivors that needed help, and they previously didn’t know about us,” said Moss.

Takeaways

Over the last year, the ability to hold virtual events became more important than ever. BIA of Mississippi is a great example of how to move forward with events: integrate virtual events with in-person ones, even when people are more free to gather. The ability to learn new virtual ways to reach people regardless of their location in Mississippi is something that all organizations should carry forward.

Know the facts about brain injury.

• Traumatic brain injuries contribute to 40% of mental illness. 
• 75% of the homeless population has a brain injury
• 25-87% of inmates report having experienced a head injury or TBI 2-4 as compared to 8.5% in a general population reporting a history of TBI. [Source: CDC]
• Brain injury is an invisible illness. 

“A lot of brain injury survivors look fine on the outside. Traumatic brain injury contributes to 40% of mental illness. That’s a big deal. People who sustain a concussion may not even have any symptoms at the time of the accident as well, like with NFL players and people in the military, but over time it can lead to issues like depression, PTSD, addiction, and more,” said Moss.

BIA of Mississippi hopes to educate people throughout our state about brain injury. One of the biggest challenges the association faces in regard to brain injury in Mississippi is a lack of funding; Moss hopes that the more the public and legislators know about brain injury, the more resources will be available. 
To learn more about BIA of Mississippi or to donate, visit their website.

Every weekday morning at 9:00 am, Coach Larry Calhoun logs onto Facebook Live for a Brain Break. He begins with an educational hook, oftentimes using a fun prop, to get the children’s attention. After thanking parents, teachers, and students for joining, he’ll walk the audience through multiple “I am” affirmations: “I am strong. I am smart. I am loved. I am one of a kind.”

Next, he’ll launch into a brain break, coaching students through a five-minute dance to boost energy. At the end of the video, Coach Calhoun brings the students back down, so when they go back to their activity or work, they are calmer and ready to focus. 

Coach Calhoun is the face of Move To Learn, a project of The Bower Foundation, a private nonprofit working to improve Mississippi’s health, and the Mississippi Department of Education. 

“The health of Mississippi’s children is critically important. A great way to reach children is in the classroom, because pre-COVID, about half a million children were in a classroom setting per day. When we look at Mississippi’s trends for children who are overweight, it’s alarming. It inspired us to think about how to partner with the Mississippi Department of Education to align with the notion that if our bodies are healthier our brains function better,” said Anne Travis, CEO of The Bower Foundation.

The Bower Foundation’s work with the Mississippi Department of Education focuses on the alignment between health and the ability to engage in educational activities, and a lot of their work centered on children’s nutrition. They replaced deep fat fryers in school cafeterias with combination oven steamers and improved the farm to school initiative in the state, getting more fruits and vegetables in schools. In 2012, the Bower Foundation started Move To Learn.  

Move To Learn offers fun and easy ways to get students back on task. Before COVID-19, Coach Calhoun and Move To Learn visited 527 schools and reached 234,761 children across the state, presenting in front of audiences of up to 800 students. 

The science behind movement

When kids get to move at school, schools get better. Not only does student health improve, but academic performance improves, too. In several studies of Mississippi students done by the University of Southern Mississippi, more fitness was associated with better behavior and less absenteeism.

“Move To Learn helps boys and girls dissipate some of that energy they have just from being children. When I was a little boy, I had issues with sitting in a seat. I was fortunate as a kid because I had a couple of teachers who had movement throughout the day. Those teachers that allowed movement, I don’t remember having any behavioral challenges in their class. I do remember having challenges in the classes where I had to sit still for 5-6 hours a day,” said Coach Calhoun.

The study completed by the University of Southern Mississippi and The Bower Foundation showed the correlation between Move To Learn and students’ Time-On-Task. They found that children who got to Move To Learn ended up with more Time-On-Task, meaning the children were calmer or settled, more attentive, and more alert in the classroom. 

“We want to create simple ways to help make teacher’s jobs easier, whether that’s meeting state standards or making their children be inspired and feel better,” said Travis. 

Making Move To Learn accessible during COVID-19

When schools switched to virtual learning at the start of COVID-19 last March, Move To Learn began doing Facebook live videos every weekday at 9:00 am. They also offer a wide array of videos on their YouTube channel for grades K-12, all lasting five minutes. 

Move To Learn also began hosting Virtual Brain Break Lives, where teachers would book an appointment to have Coach Calhoun visit their classrooms for 15 minutes through Zoom. During the Virtual Brain Break Lives, Coach Calhoun interacts with the class, leading the students through a short presentation and getting them moving. 

The videos are also available on MPB Classroom TV, making Move To Learn more accessible from home. MPB Classroom TV also puts Move To Learn videos between instruction time, similar to how the videos are utilized in a classroom setting to increase focus on learning. 

Move To learn plans on bringing back in-person visits to schools once it can be done in a safe and healthy environment. 

“There’s nothing like Coach in-person with a big group of kids,” said Scott Clements, State Director of the Office of Child Nutrition and Healthy Schools. “Larry pumps the kids up for 40 minutes and then at the end guides them through focus time. He brings them down, and when they leave, it is quiet and orderly. I can not tell you the number of times teachers have said how surprised they were that students can go from that high to that calm, and they can bring kids back to class and those kids are not bouncing off the walls anymore. We love the live shows, and that’s a goal of ours to get back to that when it’s safe and healthy.”

Making it easy for teachers to get 150 minutes of movement for their students

“We don’t want kids to only be in the classroom, only in the chair. We want kids to be healthy bodies and have healthy minds. Not only does Move To Learn help reach that goal of 150 minutes, but these videos are also in short enough periods where teachers can work them in over the course of a day. They get their activity, and they focus better too,” said Clements.

The Mississippi State Board and the legislator realized that kids need to have physical activity, resulting in the Mississippi Health Students Act, a recommendation that students must get 150 minutes of movement per week. Move To Learn is a tool that teachers can use at their discretion; it’s quick and easy, only 5 minutes of time. 

“When you extrapolate hundreds of thousands of video views to classrooms of 20 children to 5 minutes, you’re talking about billions of minutes for physical activity that presumably didn’t exist before Move To Learn. Larry will also stress the importance of nutrition and things to go along with a more holistic view of health and not just physical activity. This can be an easy component to creating a better environment in the classroom,” said Clements. 

Creating a culture of health for Mississippi’s children

Move To Learn is a resource that inspires children to be fit, healthy, and active. What are some of the takeaways of Move To Learn?

• Even just five minutes of movement can help students learn better and focus
• “I am” affirmations are extremely powerful and easy additions to start the day out on a positive note
• Teaching kids about health and nutrition can go a long way! For example: teaching about the benefits of drinking water, eating vegetables, and getting enough sleep

“What we’ve done pre- and during COVID is try to create a moment of fun and happiness and joy, and a little tiny bit of predictability, that might make a child or teacher feel better. What’s the ripple effect of that? If children feel cared for and loved, they’re going to be excited and engaged learners,” said Travis. 

Move To Learn videos are available for free for educators and students. Visit their website or subscribe to their YouTube for more information and videos. 

First, her masks were just for a surgeon in Jackson who was a friend of her daughter, and then Morris made masks for her family in Louisiana and Arkansas and neighbors who didn’t have access to any masks. Through word of mouth, the demand for masks continued to grow, and now Morris has made over 600 masks, charging for those who request them in bulk. 

“I’ve sewn since I was about six. I do heirloom sewing, making christening gowns and baby clothes. In a way, making masks has been great — it keeps me from being bored. I’m 76, and I pretty much stay at home to avoid COVID.  I’m not making masks everyday, but I keep a stack of them around and if anyone wants any, I can make them,” said Morris.  

Morris uses an easy sewing pattern with all of her masks — a rectangular piece of fabric, lined, with elastic ear hooks on it–resulting in the standard blue masks with three pleats. Morris makes them out of 100% cotton with light weight cotton flannel for lining.  Morris typically makes masks in batches, but one mask takes around 15 minutes to make, meaning Morris has spent over 150 hours making masks since March. 

“I really believe one of the reasons that I haven’t got COVID is because when I leave my house, I have my mask on. I really think the mask is so important to keep you from giving your germs out,” said Morris.

Morris believes that making these masks is an easy way to contribute to creating a culture of health in a time of crisis — anyone can contribute to the overall project of making our state a healthier place. Wearing a mask will keep germs within that barrier and help protect others if you’re sick with COVID-19, even if you have minimal or no symptoms. Wearing masks also serve as a helpful reminder not to touch your face.

To learn more about the COVID-19 website in Mississippi, visit the Mississippi State Department of Health website.

She scoured government and nonprofit websites — searching for things like temporary aid, continuing education opportunities, food stamp availability, daycare assistance. 

“I was bounced around from faulty numbers to information and websites that were outdated. I kind of gave up. I filled out a few applications, and I made a little bit too much money to qualify for some of the resources. I remember thinking there is no help out there for me, just hard work, prayer, maybe some good luck,” said Ainsworth.  

Several years later, she moved up in the corporate world and got involved in affordable housing, where she discovered a surprising abundance of available resources. Based on her experience, she decided to create Free Resource Navigation, an app that connects individuals to personalized and reputable leads to resources.

Creating a Culture of Health in Mississippi with Information

“My inspiration to create the app was my little boy and the time I spent as a single mother really struggling. I decided when I saw the abundance of resources and the disconnect, it would be so nice to have personalized help and access to assistance. The needs in Mississippi are so diverse. There is not one story or one situation that is exactly the same,” said Ainsworth.

The mobile app connects individuals to government, for profit and nonprofit organizations, based upon a series of socio-demographic questions in the hopes of facilitating a better life for its users. The app works as a lead system to give individuals an all-encompassing view of applicable services in categories such as housing, finance, education, wellness, etc. 

For example, if you are a single father, resources that only apply to single mothers would not benefit you. Or, if you are in a certain income level, there are resources available based strictly on your income, so if you fall outside of that income category, you wouldn’t benefit. Free Resource Navigation personalizes resources based on specific needs.

“The real disconnect and the real issue is not providing people with the tools they need to succeed, and that just starts with basic facts. Whether that’s health and education or any different category, it’s really just giving people the knowledge and letting them take control of their future. That’s the disconnect I see in Mississippi,” said Ainsworth. 

Takeaways

According to the State Health Assessment, access to information promoting the culture of health is an issue that has room for improvement in Mississippi, as well as communication between government and nonprofit organizations and the community they represent. 

Free Resource Navigation  is working to change that. If you want to work to improve the culture of health in Mississippi, check out these tips for success from Ainsworth:

• Take it a day at a time — there will always be issues when developing an app or starting a business
• Connections are important– create relationships use those connections to expand your network
• Consistency is key — put the work in and don’t give up
• Don’t reinvent the wheel, unless absolutely necessary — ask people who have done this kind of work before questions, and take notes from them

Relationship building and finding people who understand the value of working for the greater good has been Ainsworth’s main goal, and her techniques for finding partners has all changed since COVID began. She went from shaking hands to acquiring partners over the phone and through social media. One of her biggest partners is the Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy, who have worked with Ainsworth to get multiple members on board. 

Free Resource Navigation is available on Apple and Google Play and is free to download.

While it’s fun to celebrate as children reach new milestones, it’s important to pay attention to any concerns one may have about a child’s development. One in six children experiences developmental delays. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends regular developmental screenings when children are 9, 18, and 24 or 30 months—or any time there is a concern. However, most children in Mississippi (70%) have not received a developmental screening. 

Detecting and addressing developmental delays early through developmental screenings and connecting a child with the appropriate supports can create better outcomes for the child’s future. 

To better support the development of young children from birth through age five, the Child Health and Development Project: Mississippi Thrive! is working to improve the statewide behavioral health system. Here’s how:

1. Active promotion of healthy early brain development. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers develop rapidly across many domains, like speech, hearing, vision, and social skills. This brain architecture is the structure for the skills and abilities children need in school and later life. Health care providers and early childhood professionals have a key role in laying the foundation for strong brain development.
   
   
2. Regular, professional checks on children’s development. Fewer than one in three children in Mississippi receive a formal developmental evaluation from a health care provider. Low levels of developmental screening and monitoring means we are missing opportunities to take action early, when it would be most effective. Mississippi Thrive! is working to double the rate of developmental screening in our state.
   
   
3. Connections to services when needed. When children don’t reach a developmental milestone at the time expected, it’s important to address the issue in a timely manner. Often there are simple supports that can boost the child’s progress. Mississippi Thrive! is working to make it easier and more efficient for primary care providers and families to work with specialists when needed.

The Child Health and Development Project: Mississippi Thrive! is moving into its fourth year of funding from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA). Mississippi Thrive! is a project of the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Children’s of Mississippi and Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center. 

Supporting developmental and behavioral health for young children in Mississippi

• Mark your child’s milestones: Knowing the expected developmental milestones for each age helps chart their progress.  
• Get a formal check on your child’s development. Talk to your health care provider about having formal developmental screenings or any time you have a concern. A free online screening is available from Help Me Grow Mississippi here.
• Connect with free resources. The Mississippi Thrive! website has a wide array of resources for pediatric health care professionals, parents and families, child care providers, and others. They also have extensive interactive resource maps for information on pediatric health care, family resources, and child care centers in Mississippi. 
• Check out the 2018 Mississippi Child Health and Development Survey (MCHDS), a comprehensive survey conducted to examine how many children in Mississippi received an assessment of their developmental progress. The MCHDS was modeled after the National Survey of Children’s Health but included a greater number of Mississippians to provide more representative data.
• Collaborate with Mississippi Thrive! Interested in learning more or spreading the word about ways to promote early childhood health and development in your community? Contact them to connect with free materials and resources, help you efficiently incorporate developmental screenings into your organization or clinic, and provide free professional development opportunities for you and your staff or community! 

For more information, visit MississippiThrive.com, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Feeding the Frontline

In partnership with the Mississippi State Medical Association during April and May, SFBLI provided relief for physicians and healthcare workers in hospitals and clinics in Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties. With an on-site Café at the home office building operated by Sodexo, SFBLI and the Sodexo staff prepared over 500 meals and delivered them to the tri-county area. This partnership was a small way that SFBLI could show their appreciation and thanks to the frontline heroes who have been and are continuing to work tirelessly to protect Mississippians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virtual Races

The ways SFBLI has supported community partners may look different in 2020, but they are still aiming to make a significant impact. They have been the title sponsor of two virtual races, one with the Canopy Children’s Solutions and the Farm Bureau Watermelon Classic. They had over 150 employees participate in these races virtually and help impact the local community. The virtual races kept employees plugged into community efforts while also keeping their health and wellbeing top of mind!

Mindful Living

A series that has been monthly for over three years, Mindful Living sessions became virtual in 2020. The SFBLI on-site Health Coach and community partners host the sessions, featuring topics like “Eating Healthy on The Go,” “Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors to Boost Your Immunity,” and “Setting and Achieving Health Goals.” As employees’ lives have changed because of things like working from home and having children at home, SFBLI wanted to provide resources to help them keep wellbeing top of mind.

Along with numerous other programs and virtual events, SFBLI has continued to reach out and support community partners throughout the pandemic. They have upcoming partnerships with Sow Reap Feed to provide volunteers and resources for their mobile markets in the Jackson Metro area as well. 

Takeaways

SFBLI works to promote many of UProot’s priorities, like creating a culture of health in the workplace, increasing educational attainment and reducing rates of chronic disease, just like UProot!

• Partnering with local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic is a great way to get more of the community involved
• Even though a lot of events are cancelled, you can still hold virtual events that get people thinking about their health
• Bringing in speakers to host virtual talks about health gives employees the resources to prioritize wellbeing, even while working from home

Learn more about the Southern Bureau Life Insurance Company. 

Lasting personal and social change can only come about when everyone works together. For almost 115 years, YMCA has been addressing community needs to make Mississippi a better place to live.

The Y has an array of programs for youth development, like ensuring that hungry children are fed nutritious meals, teaching the lifesaving skill of swimming, reducing summer learning loss, and building positive character traits. This provides a strong foundation to improve educational attainment, reduce chronic disease and create a culture of health in Mississippi’s future.

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

Through keeping their employees healthy, corporations can improve their overall productivity, plus save money on health care expenses. The Y offers customizable Corporate Wellness Programs to Mississippi employers.

Starting a Corporate Wellness Program is easy and supports company goals and culture. The Y offers a variety of Healthy Living programs that can be offered on location for businesses investing in overall employee health. 

These programs are also great examples for other companies who are hoping to implement a culture of health in their office culture. 

Here are some examples:

• The Diabetes Prevention Program gives individuals the skills and support to make lasting, healthy lifestyle changes. Risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes can be reduced or eliminated by weight loss, healthier eating and an increase in physical activity. 

• YMCA Weight Loss Program supports small changes to daily behaviors to form sustainable, healthier habits. Participants self-design an action plan that will empower long-term, positive change in their lives.

• The Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program focuses on regular self-monitoring of blood pressure using proper measuring techniques, nutrition education and one-on-one coaching.

• The Parkinson’s Wellness Program provides two nationally recognized, evidence based programs – Pedaling for Parkinson’s and Delay The Disease — that empower people with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders. These programs are designed to retrain the mind and body using circuits of forced cardiovascular exercise, followed by symptom specific agility and motor control drills. Exercise may change the life of someone with Parkinson’s disease. Research conducted at the Cleveland Clinic showed a 35% reduction in symptoms after forced cardiovascular exercise. 

• LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is an evidence-based program that helps adult cancer survivors reclaim their health and well-being following a cancer diagnosis. Participating YMCAs create a welcoming community in which survivors can improve their strength and physical fitness, diminish the severity of therapy side effects, develop supportive relationships, and improve their quality of life. 

• On Site Group Fitness provides opportunities for employees to be physically active at their workplace. Group Fitness classes include Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing, Zumba, Bootcamp, HIIT, and Silver Sneakers (special classes for older employees). With classes lasting 45 minutes, employees can easily incorporate physical activity into their daily work schedules.

• On Site Personal Training brings the Y to your company. A nationally certified personal trainer will come on-site with all necessary equipment to provide the number of sessions requested. All sessions are 60 minutes. This is a great way to reward staff for their hard work and dedication while improving their health and well-being.

The Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi combats chronic diseases and helps create a culture of health. As an employer, making a decision to provide one of these, or similar, programs is a great way to promote workplace wellness. 

Learn more about the Metropolitan YMCAs of MS. 

After spending two years in California, one year in Virginia, and then another year in north Mississippi learning about organic farming, he came back to his home in Madison County and started a farm in Bolton, MS. In 2016, The Garden Farmacy was born. 

“When I began the farm, it was pretty much just a deserted old homestead. The house didn’t have a roof or a back door. So, really the beginnings of the farm were just from scratch. I was just out here trying to turn this place into something where I can start a farm, first off. Then once I got things going, we grew pretty quickly,” said Yowell. 

The Garden Farmacy is a 6-acre chemical-free farm that uses sustainable methods to farm organically. Their food crops are raised using hand tools, instead of tools like tractors, without dependence on fossil fuels, and the farm does not use any chemical-based fertilizers, nor do they spray any chemical pesticides.

“We have an extreme emphasis on practicing organically and growing naturally. We don’t spray anything and we’re chemical free. We just really try to apply these practices into what is healthy for the ecosystem and try to be pro-environmentalists and healthy farmers, not only to benefit our ecosystem but also to provide a healthy product that’s locally grown for other Mississippians,” said Yowell. 

The Garden Farmacy often attends local farmer’s markets in the metro Jackson area, and they also have a Vegetable Share Program! The Vegetable Share Program gives subscribers a box of vegetables from the farm every week for 10 weeks that are grown, harvested, washed, and delivered by the farm. Their Spring/Summer Vegetable Share has vegetables like spinach, carrots, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more!

“People deserve access to fresh vegetables. Local grown produce is the healthiest produce you can get because it is not harvested and stored and shipped across the country. For us to practice locally and to harvest the day of the deliveries, we’re able to give Mississippians the quality produce that they need to thrive,” said Yowell. 

If there was one thing Yowell hopes people would take away from The Garden Farmacy, it would be education and awareness about how healthy eating leads to a healthy life and how the way that peoples’ food is being grown directly affects the environment. 

Yowell also wanted to emphasize that sustainable farming is not as easy as it looks, having to deal with unpredictable weather and limited resources. 

“The hardest part has really been the weather, ultimately, and also having access to resources about the kind of farming we’re doing. There are a handful of people in the whole state that are practicing this way, and that’s the only resource we have as a farm. It’s very much been a hands-on learning experience, and I’ve had to really depend on what I’ve learned within our location and how to deal with challenges on my own. We need more small organic farmers that can work with each other,” said Yowell. 

With The Garden Farmacy, you’re not only getting great organic products, but you’re also supporting a Mississippi business! Supporting local businesses has a direct economic benefit and a direct environmental impact. You’re able to keep more dollars in the local economy and support people that are your neighbors, as well as small businesses that are paying taxes within the state.

“Environmentally, you’re decreasing the amount of time a product has to travel on the road or on the ocean to get to your hands. You’re really decreasing carbon emissions,” said Yowell. “And you’re building a community as well. Once local folks know they can get a certain product that benefits them locally, they’re going to be able to network and see who’s got what product and build a community out of that.”

In your own community, look for CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) around you, like The Garden Farmacy, and make sure to support local businesses whenever you can! 

To learn more about The Garden Farmacy or sign up for their Vegetable Share Program, visit their website or Facebook. 

HKRS was created in 2009 to combat the rising rates of childhood obesity. This spring, HKRS will hold their second race series in Brandon/Flowood. Vanessa Dover, Community Coordinator of HKRS Brandon/Flowood, became interested in bringing HKRS to Mississippi because she wanted her kids to be involved in an outdoor activity and connect with the local community. 

“The plan is for kids to not only be active with this racing series, but to also learn how to be healthy, learn about the world of running, and about healthy competition,” said Dover. 

HKRS takes place in both the spring and fall, and there are multiple races ranging from 50 yards to a mile in length for kids aged 2-14. They are usually held on Sundays and have informational tables set up at the events from their sponsors.  

“Running is probably one of the cheapest sports that you can do. You buy your kids some shorts and some shoes, and they can run around in the backyard. HKRS has more of a cross country feel. Kids can practice in their own backyards,” said Dover.

Mississippi has one of the highest rates of obesity and heart disease in the country, and one way to combat that is by becoming more active. HKRS is hoping to help Mississippi create a culture of health with these races.

“When I was growing up we were always outdoors. I grew up without cell phones and iPads and things like that. And while I do think those things are important, I do think that being outdoors, being active, and being a part of the community is one thing that has kind of been lost. If we are going to create a healthier Mississippi, we have to start with the kids. Just have to. It needs to be a focus. It needs to be something that is automatic and something that they are taught very early,” said Dover.

Dover stated that one of the hardest parts of the process of putting together this event was finding a location where kids had enough space to run around, parents could watch them, and other sports weren’t having games. Getting the word out about the event has also been a struggle for Dover, but she realized that the key to marketing the event was getting sponsors and using word-of-mouth. 

“It’s really nice to see how excited some of the people in the community are about the race. That has been a really rewarding part. It’s a way to get the entire family involved, too. If you have kids between the age of 2-14, they can all run in a race that day, and if you have older kids they can volunteer to help out. It really is a family event. It’s something where you come out and you just cheer, and you get the entire family out of the house,” said Dover. 

Takeaways

Healthy Kids Running Series works to teach children why health is important and inspire people in the community to take action about their health, just like UProot! 

• Fighting obesity in Mississippi isn’t just about nutrition; it’s also about activity!
• If you’re publicizing an event, lean on your sponsors to get the word out! 
• Healthy children create a healthier Mississippi — get children and young adults involved!

To learn more about Healthy Kids Running Series visit their Facebook, or sign up for the race online!