Northeast Mississippi Youth Foundation to give $6K in grants this weekend

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 12—TUPELO — The Northeast Mississippi Youth Foundation (NEMYF) will hand out $6,000 to local nonprofits this weekend.

The CREATE Foundation-sponsored program will dole out grants to 14 area nonprofits during its April 16 annual conference, which starts at 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Tupelo. The beneficiaries include a mix of religious organizations, food pantries and more, spanning a 14-county area.

The event is open to the public.

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Recipients of NEMYF grants this year include, by county:

— Alcorn — Lighthouse Foundation

— Benton — God's Children's Ministries

— Calhoun — Calhoun Food Pantry

— Chickasaw — Mission Okolona

— Clay — Sally Kate Winters Family Services

— Itawamba — Crossroads Ranch

— Lafayette — Oxford Food Pantry

— Lee — Shine Foundation

— Lowndes — Life Choices Pregnancy Care Center

— Oktibbeha — Starkville Strong

— Pontotoc — C.A.T.C.H Kids, Inc.

— Prentiss — Beds for Kids

— Tishomingo — Backpack Ministry of Tishomingo County

— Union — New Albany Main Street Association

The organizations were chosen by the NEMYF's board of directors, which comprises 55 11th and 12th graders from 32 high schools across 16 counties, including Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Clay, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Lowndes, Monroe, Oktibbeha, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo, and Union.

The CREATE Foundation established the NEMYF to give high schoolers in the region a place to learn about giving back, getting involved, helping others and improving their communities. Since its founding in 2001, the NEMYF board members have grown its endowment to over $166,000.

The organization prioritizes its funding based on several focus areas, including youth, special needs and human services, education, and the arts. Each year, the cohort can spend up to 4% of the endowment on grants that help youth throughout the region.

The group has collectively given over $58,000. This year's grants represent the largest among the organization has ever given.

For more information about the NEMYF or its grants program, contact Stewart McMillan at the CREATE Foundation at 662-844-8989 or visit https://createfoundation.com/youth-foundation/.