News

Mississippi Food Network receives $5,890 from Woodforest Charitable Foundation.

11-April, 2013

Mississippi Food Network receives $5,890 from Woodforest Charitable Foundation.

Photo Caption:Front row - (L to R) Woodforest National Bank, Mississippi Branch Managers: Heather Lightman, Grenada, MS; Miranda Sanders, Vicksburg, MS; Toroda Catchings, Clinton, MS; Melissa Simmons, Tupelo, MS; Woodforest National Bank, Regional Vice President, Misty Gaskamp; Programs Director, Mississippi Food Network, Cassandra Guess; Woodforest Charitable Foundation Director of Operations, Shelly Lynch; Woodforest National Bank, Mississippi Branch Managers: Melissa Brigance, Corinth, MS; Justin Green, West Point, MS; Patricia Pack, Pascagoula, MS; Dixie Jenkins, Gulfport, MS; and Talmadge Perkins, Clarksdale, MS. Back row – (L to R) Woodforest National Bank, Mississippi Branch Managers: Glen Crawford, Ocean Springs, MS; Jonathan Buie, Hazlehurst, MS; Roberta Swatsenberg, Amory, MS; Jacob Ainsworth, Waveland, MS; Holleigh Smith, Dlberville, MS; Deanna Thacker, Booneville, MS; Porchea Brown, Brookhaven, MS; Ieasha Roberson, Indianola, MS; and Linda Young, Starkville, MS.

Mississippi Food Network
Jackson, MS – On a continual basis Woodforest National Bank employees perform a multitude of fundraising events benefitting the Woodforest Charitable Foundation.  Both Woodforest National Bank and Woodforest Charitable Foundation are committed to making a positive impact in the communities in which Woodforest serves. This partnership benefits the community and organizations such as Mississippi Food Network, which recently received a $5,890 donation, from the Woodforest Charitable Foundation.


Mississippi Food Network was founded in 1983 by a group of concerned and compassionate people that recognized the need for a food bank, with a warehouse facility that would accumulate, store and distribute food and household items for charities that would make the final distribution to needy people in the community. For 30 years the Mississippi Food Network has been serving multiple counties, distributing approximately 16.5 million pounds of food annually.


Their mission is, “Our mission is to relieve poverty-related hunger in our service area by distributing donated and purchased food and grocery products through a network of member churches and nonprofit organizations. We provide nutrition education to our needy clients. We also emphasize advocacy and related needs.” Their vision is, “Our vision is to eliminate poverty-related hunger in our service area.”
Mississippi Food Network supports numerous feeding programs including Afterschool Snack Program, Summer Food Service, Nutrition Education, and BackPack programs.
The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations.  Backpacks are filled with food that children take home and discreetly distributed on the last day before the weekend or holiday vacation. 
 

Imagine being a single mother with two children – feeling the pressure of paying all your bills and making sure you have enough to feed your children.  After her children received the meals after the first month of the school year, one of the parents sent us a thank you note.  In her note she told how much her children enjoyed the items packed specifically for them -  child friendly foods that a child can eat with or without the parents being there to help them.  She also mentioned how much she appreciated the Backpack meals because they helped her manage her expenses knowing her children would have food provided on the weekends.  “I appreciate the food provided to my children for the weekend, especially since I am a single mother and trying to pay all my bills on my paycheck is hard.  With this food, I know my children aren’t hunger and it gives me some relief from feeling the hardship of not enough money to pay bills and feed my children.” 
 

For more information on the Mississippi Food Network, please call 601-973-7086 or visit www.msfoodnet.org


Woodforest Charitable Foundation
The Woodforest Charitable Foundation was created by Woodforest National Bank in 2005 as a direct result of its desire to support and invest in the communities in which it serves.  The Foundation is committed to assisting those in need, enriching lives and communities through dedicated leadership and faithful administration by providing funding to qualifying 501(c)(3) charities. For additional information regarding the Woodforest Charitable Foundation, call (832) 375-CARE (2273) or visit the foundation’s website at www.woodforestcharitablefoundation.org.

Woodforest National Bank
Celebrating 32 years of service and ranked among the top earning banks in the United States, the Woodforest family of banks currently has assets of approximately $3.7 billion and services more than 837,000 customers with branches in excess of 760 throughout seventeen states:  Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.  For information about Woodforest National Bank, please call 832-375-2000 or visit the bank’s website at www.woodforest.com.