Page 133 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2018

GIVING BACK giving a hand up
KIRSTEN HEBRON, Staff Member, talks with a visitor in the Micah Day Center.
TWILA HOLLOWAY, Emergency Assistance Case Manager
ALICE GRAHAM,
PH.D., Executive
Director BACK BAY MISSION in Biloxi
story by Alexis Williams photos by Neil Ladner
Volunteers from all over the country come to Biloxi annually to help the Back Bay Mission in its efforts to assist individuals with many different needs.
“We work to help individuals with
a low income, in extreme poverty, the elderly and the homeless,” said Kenney Washington, Back Bay’s director of client services. “For 40 weeks out of
the year, volunteers come from around the nation to help and the organization depends on local efforts for the other 12.”
Back Bay works in five different program areas. They offer a day center for the homeless, an emergency assistance program that provides
a client choice food pantry, utility payment aid and help with purchasing prescription medication. The organization also offers rental assistance to help prevent individuals from being evicted.
In another area of housing assistance, Back Bay has 17 apartments in the Biloxi-Gulfport area that are used for the chronically homeless as well as
a housing recovery program which helps low-income homeowners with necessary repairs.
“We are helping to prevent homelessness and rehousing those
who are homeless,” Washington said. “Our numbers (of individuals helped) fluctuate. It’s not about the number of people we serve; it’s about the impact we make to help make them sustainable. It’s not a hand out, it’s a hand up.”
Funding for Back Bay Mission comes from federal and foundation grants, individuals, churches and some corporate funding.
Back Bay Mission
1012 Division St., Biloxi 228.432.0301 www.thebackbaymission.org
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December 2018 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 133