How Third & Spruce Is Expanding Food Access in the Mississippi Delta
Community initiative Third & Spruce Community Garden began in order to improve the overall health and wellbeing of communities in Greenville, MS. And for good reason. Greenville is considered a food desert due to a lack of reliable public transportation, a lack of accessible healthy food, and other factors. This puts a great strain on…
How MSU Extension Service’s AIM for CHangE Is Creating a Healthier Mississippi
Mississippi has historically been among the states with the highest rates of obesity in the nation. According to the CDC, in 2015, about 1.5 million adults in Mississippi were overweight or obese. Obesity is often associated with increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular problems and can put people at risk for developing other chronic diseases….
Keeping Belzoni Beautiful: A Community Initiative for Now and Always
From community garden beautification to organizing litter clean-up crews, Keeping Belzoni Beautiful (KBB) is a community initiative developed to ensure local communities in Belzoni, Mississippi are safe, clean, and well-maintained. As an affiliate of Keep Mississippi Beautiful, and subsequently Keep America Beautiful, KBB is allowed to submit a proposal for a community “Great American Clean…
Let’s Talk Baby Cafe: Supporting Mothers, Breaking Stigmas
Words of encouragement and affirmation decorate the halls of Sunflower County’s community baby cafe, Let’s Talk Baby Cafe (formerly known as the Delta Baby Cafe). Located in Indianola, Let’s Talk has become an essential resource for nearly 80 mothers who frequent the cafe to comfortably practice nursing their babies and access helpful resources and information. …
On the SHA and SHIP: An Interview with Kaye Bender
Kaye Bender, Executive Director of the Mississippi Public Health Association (MPHA) speaks on the development of the State Health Assessment (SHA) and the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) and suggests what you can do to help improve the health of our state and local communities. Although similar in name, the SHA and the SHIP have…
Jackson State University is meeting the needs of the community one food box at a time
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…
Brain Injury Association of Mississippi is providing support & spreading awareness
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…
Move To Learn: boosting focus in the classroom through movement
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…
Creating a Culture of Health One Mask at a Time
Judy Morris has hand-sewn over 600 masks since COVID-19 began in March. When masks became harder to find, Morris used scraps from her own sewing machine, as well as material purchased by her daughter, and started creating. First, her masks were just for a surgeon in Jackson who was a friend of her daughter, and…
Free Resource Navigation: Connecting to Resources through an App
When Olivia Ainsworth graduated from college in 2010, she was a single mother trying to find a job in a bad job market and struggling economy. She ended up working an entry-level position that paid $23,000 a year, and after monthly payments on her student debt, rent, and childcare, she didn’t have any money left….