Page 65 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2025

Lewis’ church is applying for a new grant to fund food for backpacks for children to take home from school on weekends. “We’re putting out the word to the community and we have volunteers who will assemble the backpacks,” he added.
At the United Way of South Mississippi, CEO Kathy Springer stresses the importance of reading to children at an early age. “We use an Operation Round Up grant from the Coast Electric Community Trust Fund, a fund of GCCF, to buy books for
the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. It’s one of the most important things we do. GCCF is a great partner that, like us, believes in strong families.”
The United Way has 1,453 children enrolled in the program, which provides a free book every month from birth to age 5. “Kids must be able to read,” Springer adds. “Research shows that children who are read to regularly enter kindergarten knowing up to 250,000 more words than those who are not.”
Lisa Birmingham, director of Grants and Scholarships at GCCF, supplies information about some of the ways the organization currently supports children and families.
Providing Food Security: Some examples of this include Operation Round Up grants through the Coast Electric Community Trust Fund, a fund of GCCF, which has helped organizations, such as the Rotary Club of Picayune, put food on the table for families in need.
Another example is grants to local Backpack Buddies programs that has ensured students have nutritious, easy-to-prepare food they can take home, helping fight food insecurity among public school students.
Promoting Health & Wellness: The Adalius Thomas Fund has impacted thousands of lives by supporting initiatives such as a clean-water project in Ghana and providing shoes for children, improving their health and daily living conditions.
Closer to home, Let’s Go! Gulf Coast focuses on childhood obesity prevention, encouraging healthy eating and active lifestyles through community engagement and education.
Providing Stability for Children/Families in Crisis:
The GivHer Circle, a program of GCCF, awarded its inaugural grant of $20,000 in May to Elijah’s Closet, a nonprofit that helps families with children in foster care and families with children susceptible of going into foster care. The organization used the grant funds to purchase beds for children. Ensuring a child has a safe place to sleep can make all the difference in keeping families together and providing stability during difficult times.
Expanding Educational Opportunities: Various scholarship funds at GCCF provide financial assistance to students, helping them pursue higher education and career goals.
“Helping children through grants and scholarships will always be part of GCCF’s mission,” Birmingham said. “Thanks to the generosity of donors, we can continue this work – but with more support, we can expand our impact even further. Every new fund dedicated to helping children means greater opportunities for the youth of South Mississippi.”
Duhé says, “Helping our youth has always been part of GCCF’s mission. From providing food security and educational opportunities to ensuring kids have safe, stable homes, our grants and scholarships create lasting change. And because these programs are made possible by donors, the more people who establish funds for youth, the greater impact we can have on the next generation.”
To partner with GCCF to continue supporting child welfare in our community, email info@mgccf.org or call 228.897.4841.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
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