Page 114 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2020

GIVING BACK
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center opened its doors in May of 1998, becoming the rst children’s museum in the state of Mississippi. The center is dedicated to inspiring children, families and communities through the arts, interactive educational experiences and exploration.
Visitors to the museum are encouraged to touch, talk, interact and have fun – very unlike your traditional museum experience. “Our exhibits are catalysts for questions, exploration and discovery, and the entire facility is a playground for the mind,” said Director of Marketing, Public Relations & Memberships Sonja Gillis. “We have 15,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space, seven and a half acres of outdoor play space, a spacious theatre, Viking kitchen and other great facilities where visitors experience the Mississippi of yesterday as well as today.”
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center is a 501c3 nonpro t organization. The support of generous individuals and donors are critical in their ability to deliver exciting, engaging and inventive exhibits and programs. “Everything that our visitors love, from The Little Pet Vet to WINGS Performing Arts original presentations, is only possible with the generous support of donors, however our overall donations are down 37 percent this year,” said Gillis.
Like many other families and businesses, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center has felt the strain due to COVID-19. “We were forced to close the museum in March and were not able to reopen until June,” Gillis said. “During this time, we were able to impact our community by providing Discovery
at Home Kits to children through Feed My Sheep. Although we were able to reopen, it is with many hardships and added expenses to maintain COVID standards and guidelines to keep everyone safe. The museum is seeing an overall decrease in revenue of 46 percent with the uncertainty of when things will improve.”
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
246 Dolan Ave, Gulfport, MS 39507 www.lmdc.org
114 | December 2020
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
WAYS TO SUPPORT LYNN MEADOWS DISCOVERY CENTER
• Make a donation
• Gift a membership
• Shop with Amazon Smile • Shop at the Discovery
Gift Shop