Community Foundation visits Byhalia

Organizations of the Byhalia area were treated to a lunch and presentation by members of the Community Foundation of Northeast Mississippi, recently.

The Foundation congratulated community partnerships with groups and explained what they offer by way of training and memberships.

Five people giving $1,000 each will get a group vested in a an account. And the tax credit from Mississippi makes a person eligible $250 write-off for every gift of $1,000.

Gifts can go to any endowment with the maximum gift of $200,000 through Sept. 30, 2023.

Kara Delaney, director of the Clarksdale office, discussed non-profits and volunteerism.

She spends most of her work hours going directly to communities and providing resources, she said.

Newspaperman Tom Pittman formed the Community Foundation 20 years ago and the sky is the limit on the growth of the nonprofit since. The Community Foundation acts as a non-profit for non-profits.

Some community organizations presented at the meet up included:

• Byhalia Family Medical Clinic - Kizmet Jones, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Katie Woods, dentistry.

• CareNow Pantry, Holly Springs, Rolanda Lester.

• Feeding Hearts food pantry, Victoria, Delia Reed, executive director of North Mississippi Research and Training Development.

• Davis Temple food pantry, Bishop Davis.

• Linda Turner, board member of the Foundation and executive director of Alliance Healthcare Foundation.

• Isaac Chapel Rosenwald School, Sidney Payne and Gwendolyn Nichols. The school opened in 1922.

• Byhalia Area Arts Council, Sarah Fay Sawyer, member of the board of directors.

• Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, featuring 17 miles of hiking trails and Davis House, Tim Bisenius, caretaker.

• Byhalia Police Department, Michael Bingham, investigator.

• Marshall County Historical Museum, Jim Moore, museum director, and board member of the Byhalia Area Arts Council.

• Ole Miss, Matt Hancock and Jillian Morrison, Center for Population Studies/state data center.

• Hearts and Hands Food Pantry.

Pittman said the Community Foundation has an intern coming from Harvard who will evaluate the food program, a part of the federal government that makes it easier to feed more people better.

• Marshall County Fuller Center.

• The South Reporter.

• Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, Keith Fulcher, Tom Pittman, Stacye Trout, Olivia Dunning, Kara Dulaney, and Brenda Smith.

Non-profits can apply to the Community Foundation for grants - deadline for applications are March 1 and Sept. 1.

There are four endowments to use for grants — the endowment of the future of Northwest Mississippi; the early childhood education endowment; the place-based learning and civic entrepreneurship; and the technology and education endowment.

Focus areas are Health, education and children and youth.