Residents of Neshoba County, Mississippi, are collaboratively addressing local poverty through the 'Turning the Tide on Poverty' initiative, which has fostered community engagement and resource sharing. A focus on public education has led to updates in community resource guides and the expansion of family life education classes, as well as efforts to improve food access via community gardening and partnerships with local businesses. Positive changes are being recognized, supported by anonymous donations to sustain the initiatives aimed at reducing poverty.

1. Tribal communities offer ideas to
reduce poverty at the action forum
A volunteer distributes
donations at a local food shelf
Using dialogue to unleash potential
Over one-fifth of residents in Neshoba County, Miss., live in poverty,
and they are working together to turn those numbers around. By
participating in Turning the Tide on Poverty, an initiative led by the
Southern Rural Development Center, over 100 residents organized to
talk and work together to build a prosperous community.
Residents were inspired to take action after connecting with other
members of the community. “In Mississippi, we are accustomed to
seeing poverty, and we often don’t realize what an emergency it is. It is
eye-opening when it affects your neighbors,” said Karen Benson, Area
Extension Agent. These connections have been the catalyst for the
ongoing changes in the community.
Public education and information emerged as a top priority. Residents
from the town of Philadelphia, Miss., and the local Choctaw Indians
worked to update the Community Resource Guide, and to make it
available online. The Mayor’s office started a citizen’s corps to help
people access information about services and employment. The action
team also worked to expand Family Life Education Classes to give
families access to resources such as Money Mentors and parenting
classes.
Other action teams have focused on food access: Families in need have
received community garden kits, empowering them by being able to grow
vegetables in their own backyard. Additionally, the Baptist Association
Center partnered with Wal-Mart to give the food bank overstocked
produce, frozen meats, and eggs.
Everyday people in Neshoba County are making real progress in reducing poverty, and others are starting
to take notice. Several anonymous donations have been made to the program to help sustain their
transformation.
View and download the discussion guide, “Thriving Communities,” at http://bit.ly/tc_guide.
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