The United Way of Leflore County has added the Greenwood Community Center as a new agency member.
“We are very excited to bring them on,” said United Way Executive Director Courtney Kimmel. “They have similar services but in a different way than some of our other agencies do.
“To bring them on gives United Way a bigger reach within the community, and that’s our goal,” Kimmel said. United Way wants “to make sure we are helping as many people as we possibly can so we’re excited to bring on the Community Center to help us do that.”
The United Way of Leflore County serves 13 agencies as a fundraising arm and partner organization.
Delta Grace, a home repair organization in Sunflower, will no longer be an agency member, although Kimmel said the relationship developed between it and United Way is and will continue to be strong.
She said along with financial support, additional benefits come from working together.
“It’s also about being part of a group,” she said. “We work together on different things. We talk to each other. We share resources when we can. I will refer someone to different agencies we have when they call and need assistance.”
The Community Center has developed programs this year, such as its weekly food pantry, and is looking to develop a homeless shelter.
“We’re just really excited and truly blessed and grateful that we were chosen as a new agency with the United Way,” said Debra Adams of the Community Center. “They do so much in the community. To be a part of them, that’s an added plus to us.”
She said the United Way’s financial assistance will be especially helpful for the center’s food pantry because of the incredible demand that has existed since its opening.
“There’s an overwhelming amount of people in need, which is mainly our seniors and military veterans,” she said.
“That is a real huge need that we didn’t see coming. We’re really going to have to beef up putting more in our pantry so that it will last week to week for those who can get it on a consistent basis.”
She added that the United Way’s culture of volunteerism will be an asset as well.
The center is currently prepping for Toys for Joy, its toy drive that is scheduled for Sunday from 3 pm. to 5 p.m. Adams said that the program is going to help those who may have missed out on other toy drives. There are currently 112 children who will be provided toys through this effort.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
