Page 22 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2018

COAST NOTE chartering celebration
GULF COAST THE LINKS, INCORPORATED CHAPTER OF CHARTERED
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Brian Pearse
After two years of organization and hard work, the Gulf Coast Chapter of The Links, Incorporated was chartered
with 33 members at a celebratory luncheon at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. The Links, Incorporated
is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of nearly 14,000 professional women of color in 285 chapters in 41 states, the District of Columbia and the Bahamas.
Persharon Dixon, M.D., is president of the Gulf Coast Chapter. “We began our journey as The Mississippi Gulf Coast Connection, referring
to connecting women from across
the Coast for work that makes an impact,” she said. “There were several programmatic, operational, and organizational targets we had to meet prior to approval. The learning curve was steep but amazing as we began
to understand the methods used to provide the greatest good and as we became familiar with the general focus areas of the organization.”
Dixon says the organization’s primary mission is to provide long term sustainable programs that lead to permanent positive changes in the
community.
The local chapter’s signature
program is God’s Green Acres, an urban garden project with Back Bay Mission. The mission’s executive director, Rev. Alice M. Graham, Ph.D., says funding came from the chapter with the purchase of gardening tools and other supplies. “The idea for the community garden was initiated by mission clients,” she said, “and they, along with some Hispanic residents, work the garden. As the clients developed their gardening skills with the guidance of a master gardener, the chapter provided additional funds for building raised gardens, garden soil, plants and other needs.”
As the garden emerged, members
of The Links tracked its progress
by meeting with the community gardeners to share their excitement. Children of the gardeners have gotten
GULF COAST (MS) CHAPTER
OF THE LINKS, INCORPORATED members above.
LEFT: President of the Gulf Coast (MS) Chapter Persharon Dixon, M.D. (right) with National President Glenda Newell-Harris, M.D.
involved and the mission now has a children’s garden.
“A special aspect of the organization is that membership is by invitation only,” Dixon said. “We will depend on our members to present like-minded women with proven civic commitment for consideration. Friendship is a hallmark of The Links and we will always strive for a cohesive friendly group so that we can assure maximum engagement and measurable results.”
The Links is one of the largest volunteer service organizations
of women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.
Gulf Coast (MS) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated www.linksinc.org
22 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2018
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