KAPPA PHILANTHROPY
Mississippi Food Network Volunteers of the Year— The Kappas: Delta Delta, Jackson and Madison-Canton
E ach second Saturday of the month, from September through May, Mississippi Food Network (MFN), a food bank, holds Volunteer Saturday, from nine until noon. Each month, like clockwork, the men from the Delta Delta of Kappa Alpha Psi ® at Jackson State University, two local Alumni chapters: Jackson and Madison-Canton and Kappa Leaguers from both alumni chapters, come to help MFN pack food boxes to provide its 430 agencies. That food is, in turn, distributed throughout the state to Mississippians in need. MFN has enjoyed this relationship with the Kappas in the Jackson, MS, metro- politan area for many years, and MFN appreciates the Kappas’ continued, faith- ful service in helping others. Because of their faithful service, “The Kappas” were recognized as MFN’s 2017 Volunteers of the Year at its Annual Board Apprecia- tion Dinner. The dinner was held at the Jackson Yacht Club. “Being able to make this presenta- tion is really special to me,” said MFN CEO Brother Dr. Charles H. Beady, Jr., “because many years ago on the campus of Michigan State University, I became a member of this great fraternity. But just in case,” he continued, “you may be thinking this sounds like a setup… Beady’s fraternity is receiving an award here tonight…Hmmmmm!, I need to let you know Marilyn Blackledge, our Director of External Affairs, was the one responsible for this decision. When Marilyn told me she could not think of a more deserving group than “The Kappas” and the high school boys they mentor (Kappa Leaguers) because of the amount of volunteer hours they have clocked in for us this year and over the years…I gave my stamp of approval! So…this year,” Brother Beady exclaimed,
“we would like to say Thank You Kappas for your volunteer service and recognize you as our 2017 Volunteers of the Year.” What is a Food Bank? A food bank is a charitable organization that collects, warehouses and distributes purchased and donated food to those who are hun- gry and food insecure. MFN’s mission is to relieve poverty-related hunger in its service area by distributing donated and purchased food and grocery products through a network of member churches and nonprofit organizations. MFN provides nutrition education to its needy clients. It also emphasizes advocacy and related needs. The MFN facility, two warehouses totaling 80,000 square feet of stor- age space, is the state’s only Feeding America (FA) affiliated food bank. Each month MFN serves over 150,000 people and distributes over 1.5 million pounds of food through our 430 member agen- cies. MFN’s day-to-day goal: accumulate and distribute food to as many as it can of the 600,000 individuals in the state who face food insecurity. The U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as “consistent access to adequate food that is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.” MFN is honored to work on behalf of needy families and individuals who, for a variety of reasons do not enjoy healthy meals on a regular basis. The United States of America is the richest nation on earth. Yet, millions of Americans (44 million), and thou- sands of Mississippians (600,000), go to bed hungry nightly, including seniors and children.
figure includes the 30-pound food boxes provided each month to 12,503 senior citizens each month throughout the state. Without
Dr. Charles H. Beady, Jr.
volunteers to help pack these boxes, the organization would have to hire additional workers to meet critical monthly deadlines. On Volunteer Saturdays, the Nupes enjoy one another and join hands with individuals and groups from all walks of life . . . high school and college students, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, church groups, local businesses, motorcycle club members, and incarcerated work details…to help get food to those who would not otherwise have it. The food bank depends on financial donations from others to help carry out its important work. In a recent letter to MFN supporters, Brother Beady stated “The year 2017 will be long remembered as having one of the top ten, all-time, most-active hurricane seasons on re- cord, featuring 17 named storms, with multiple Category 5 hurricanes. Further, it has been reported that the 2017 hur- ricane season was the most costly on record, with some cost estimates ranging as high as $300 billion. Many of us who were not directly im- pacted by storms such as Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria, were nonetheless spell- bound as stories, images, and reports of devastation, suffering, and heroic acts in the aftermath of these storms dominated the news reports. Many victims in Texas,
Last year MFN distributed 21,401,735 pounds of food to those in need! That
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