Even families have hard times, and need some form of help. Thankfully, there are groups of people and organizations that are willing to help. If you don't need the help, why not help these folks out by either donating time or money (or both)? If we missed any, please add more groups here and to Jackpedia.
Mississippi Children's Home Services
P.O. Box 1078 , Jackson, 39215
601-352-7784
MCHS provides a range of programs and services to help meet the needs of children and families across the state such as adoption services, comprehensive family-support services, foster care, counseling and emergency shelters for abused children.
Operation Shoestring
1711 Bailey Avenue
601-353-6336
Operation Shoestring primarily serves students and families in the Lanier High School feeder pattern with a free after-school program with activities and tutoring. Shoestring is also a referral resource for parents who need medical services, food assistance, GED classes and general support services.
Mississippi Children's Museum
2145 Highland Drive
601-981-5469
The children's museum offers an array of interactive exhibits for children and parents to enjoy together as well as special activities such as summer camps, puppet shows and a splash-pad fountain.
YMCA
Corporate Office: 826 North St.
601-948-0818
In addition to serving the community with fitness facilities, the YMCA also offers family-support services, job training, a responsible-fatherhood program and marriage counseling.
Mississippi Department of Human Services
750 N. State St.
1-800-345-6347
This agency provides subsidized child-care assistance to eligible low-income parents, anti-child abuse campaigns, child-protection services, parenting programs, adoption and foster parent assistance.
Rise Above for Youth
2389 N. Midway Road, Clinton
601-922-4968
This nonprofit child-welfare organization serves youth ages 14-24 transitioning from foster care, homelessness and juvenile justice in Mississippi.
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
2148 Riverside Drive
601-354-7303
The museum offers exhibits and activities for families such as hands-on fish feedings, a discovery room for preschoolers and curriculum for kids.
The Arc of Mississippi
7 Lakeland Circle, Suite 600
601-982-1180
The Arc of Mississippi provides an assortment of programs for families with individuals with cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities. The objective of these family-oriented programs is to give disabled individuals and their families adequate support to lead an "ordinary, decent American Life," according to its website (arcms.org).
Mid Jackson Family Resource and Referral Center
329 Adelle St.
601-354-5373
This organization, a host to the Mississippi Child Care Resource Center and Referral Network, provides services to early care and education professionals, parents and children who seek information and services in quality child care. It maintains a database of information and material resources for parents, children and families to access.
National Alliance on Mental Illness Mississippi
411 Briarwood Drive, Suite 401
601-899-9058
NAMI is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with mental disabilities and providing services to their families. It conducts fundraisers to promote awareness and raise money for research on severe disabilities. NAMI also provides educational courses for consumers, families and caregivers whose lives are touched by severe brain disorders.
The Jackson Zoological Park
2918 W. Capitol St.
601-352-2580
The Jackson Zoo provides attractions, activities and camps for families to enjoy together. It animal-education programs include animal programs, summer camps, wild classrooms, safari slumbers and field trips where parents and children can engage to learn more about wildlife.
Division of Aging and Adult Services
750 N. State St.
1-800-345-6347
As a division of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, they help to protect the rights of the elderly and provide access to services.
The Volunteers of Gleaners
601-956-4740
Gleaners is a non-profit organization that collects food that would otherwise go to waste and donates it to charitable agencies that operate on a family-needs basis. Donated food comes from wholesale food distributors and retail establishments such as supermarkets.
Mississippi Craft Center
950 Rice Road, Ridgeland
601-856-7546
The Mississippi Craft Center, an operation affiliate of the Craftsmen's Guild art gallery, is a museum, and an educational center. They provide art classes, weekly events, and artistic attractions.
VSA
P.O. Box 2364
601-965-4866
VSA is a non-profit organization that promotes and provides arts opportunities for adults and children with disabilities.
Greater Jackson Arts Council
255 E. Pascagoula St.
601-960-1557
The Arts Council is a non-profit organization that provides outreach programs, educational initiatives, grant opportunities and special events to advance and bring together the art community in Jackson.
The Center for Violence Prevention
P.O. Box 6279, Pearl 39288
601-932-4198
Partnered with many community organizations, the CVP provides crisis assistance for families, women, children or anyone who faces violence and needs help. This agency has a 24-hour crisis and referral line to assist families in immediate need.
Afterschool Alliance Mississippi
Mississippi Department of Education
Office of Innovative Support
359 N. West St.,
601-359-3499
This organization works to ensure that families have access to affordable, quality child care via afterschool programs. Its mission is to raise public awareness of the need for affordable after-school programs and raise public will to invest, personally and monetarily, in such programs.
Parents for Public Schools
200 N. Congress St., Suite 500
601-969-6015
PPS promotes parental involvement and works with Jackson Public Schools parents and students through a number of initiatives, such as the Parent Leadership Institute, which
provides training to parents and people who care about children, and the Ask for More Arts program, a school-community-arts partnership designed to help elementary students learn through the arts.
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum
National Agricultural Aviation Museum
1150 Lakeland Drive
601-432-4500
The museum has a multitude of attractions and events that families in Jackson can enjoy together, such as the Bison Cotton Gin and the train exhibit. The Ag museum also rents facilities for birthday parties and family events.
The International Museum of Muslim Cultures
201 E. Pascagoula St.
601-960-0440
The IMMC offers a wide range of educational programs, including teacher-training workshops, is offered for this exhibition. Special activities in the Learning Laboratory offer hands-on experiences.
Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center
528 Bloom St.
601-960-1457
The museum celebrates the work, lifestyle and contributions of African Americans through art, artifacts and photography, evoking a greater understanding of the black experience in the South.
Following are public libraries in the Jackson-Hinds Library System:
Eudora Welty Library
300 N. State St.
601-968-5811
Jackson's main library is named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning Jackson native and world-renowned author Eudora Welty. Its resources include the Mississippi Writers Room, interlibrary loans, information resource center, CABA Law Library, and various youth services and programs.
Fannie Lou Hamer Library
3450 Albermarle Road
601-362-3012
Margaret Walker Alexander Library
2525 Robinson Road
601-354-8911
This collection is comprised of literature with themes of African American experiences, culture and descent.
Medgar Evars Boulevard Library
4215 Medgar Evars Blvd.
601-982-2867
Charles W. Tisdale Library
807 E. Northside Drive
601-366-0021
This facility hosts the Young People's Project and has a teen center on site.
Richard Wright Library
515 W. McDowell Road
601-372-1621
Willie Morris Library
4912 Old Canton Road
601-987-8181
Ella Bess Austin Library
420 W. Cunningham Ave., Terry
601-878-5336
R.G. Bolden/Anna Bell-Moore Library
1444 Wiggins Road
601-922-6076
Beverly J. Brown Library
7395 S. Siwell Road
601-372-0954
The Quisenberry Library
605 E. Northside Drive, Clinton
601-924-5684
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