Volunteer Northwest Mississippi also assists nonprofit organizations in Coahoma, DeSoto, Marshall, Quitman, Panola, Tate, Tallahatchie, and Tunica county with volunteer recruitment, nonprofit trainings, volunteer management training, and more.
Click here to log-in to our online volunteer opportunity database.



                       

Volunteer Northwest Mississippi helps volunteers in Coahoma, DeSoto, Marshall, Quitman, Panola, Tate, Tallahatchie, and Tunica county find volunteer opportunities that they can get excited about.  One time events or ongoing relationships- we have them all!
Click here to log-in to our online volunteer opportunity database.

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April 23, 2013

Volunteer Northwest Mississippi is proud to announce the 25 recipients of the 2013 President's Volunteer Service Awards.  This award is given to volunteers nominated by their peers and co-workers for their outstanding contributions to their community.  The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation (the Council) was established in 2003 to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. The program continues as an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). 2013 President's Volunteer Service Awards Recipients Meg Bartlett - Panola Lisa Biglane - DeSoto Gaven Brantley - DeSoto Genevieve Busby - Marshall Jerry Cobb - Tate Emily Cooper - Coahoma Kim Daly - DeSoto Betty Jo Dulaney - Tunica Pat Elardo - DeSoto Helen Graves - DeSoto George Gwin - Marshall Landry Hearn - Marshall Carolyn Johnson - Tallahatchie Leon Martin - DeSoto Sassy Mauldin - Tallahatchie Pauline McCabe - DeSoto Eloise McClinton - Marshall Ricky McIntyre - DeSoto Diana O'Rourke - DeSoto Victoria Penny - DeSoto Dwight Reed - DeSoto Lin Riley - Quitman Tommie Rodgers - DeSoto Andrew Sweatt - DeSoto Senatobia Parks and Recreation Committee - Tate Congratulations to our 2013 Recipients!! If you would like to attend the awards dinner to support anyone or everyone on this list, here are the details. The dinner will be held on Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 at the Landers Center in Southaven beginning at 6:30pm.  Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling 662.449.5002 and paying by credit card over the phone, by mailing a check to 315 Losher Street, Hernando MS 38632, or by paying with paypal below.  If you wish to attend the dinner please RSVP to volunteer@cfnm.org no later than THIS Friday, April 26th.

Tickets can no longer be purchased through the website.  Tickets are limited as of 4/26.  Please call 662.449.5002 to check availability of tickets.

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March 20, 2013

Volunteer Northwest Mississippi is excited for SPRINGTIME and to celebrate this wonderful season we have several events coming up over the next few months! 

Here is a glance at what we have coming up:

Monday, April 1st: Deadline for the DeSoto County Earth Day Essay Writing Contest.  See flyer below for more details or visit http://www.desotocountyms.gov/DocumentCenter/View/210
 
            

Monday, April 1st:  Deadline for submitting nominations for the President's Volunteer Service Awards!   Each year, Volunteer Northwest Mississippi awards 25 outstanding volunteers from Northwest Mississippi for their commitment and service to their community.  The nomination process is simple!  All you have to do is email volunteer@cfnm.org and send in:
Your name:
Your email address:
Your Phone number:
The name of the person you are nominating:
A brief description of their commitment to community service
Their mailing address:
Their phone number:
Their email address:
And 2-3 pictures of the volunteer in action! 

It really couldn't be any easier so nominate someone today!


The awards dinner will be held Thursday, May 2nd at the Landers Center at 7:00PM.



Saturday, April 20th:  DeSoto County Earth Day on the square in Hernando from 9:00AM-2:00PM.  Come out and learn about your environment, how to save it, and more!  Vendors include Home Depot, DeSoto Greenways, Volunteer Northwest Mississippi, Mississippi Wildlife Rehab, DeSoto County Animal Rescue, Waste Connections, and many more!  There will be fun children's activities and a moon bounce so come out and bring the whole family to celebrate EARTH DAY in DeSoto County!  If you want to sign up to volunteer for this event, click here!


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February 18, 2013

Welcome! to our new Web-based Volunteer Recruitment Specialist

Volunteer Northwest Mississippi is pleased to announce a new staff member, Brenda Smith.  Brenda has signed on to work as our Web-based Volunteer Recruitment Specialist.  She is here to help agencies use Volunteer Solutions
our online volunteer database.  Brenda will sit down with agency directors and coordinators to teach them how to properly use Volunteer Solutions with lessons on everything from creating an account, posting volunteer opportunities, utilizing product connections, logging hours, and more. 
Brenda will also be working to increase awareness of Volunteer Solutions by promoting it to individuals who are constantly looking for ways to get involved in the community but do not know where to begin.

If you or your organization would like to set up a time to meet with Brenda, email her at bsmith@cfnm.org.    Welcome Brenda!



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FIGHTING HUNGER IN DESOTO COUNTY:

Did you know there are food pantries in DeSoto County that help to feed people in our area on a daily basis?  Well, in case you didn't know- there are six pantries hard at work in DeSoto County on a daily basis fighting to make a difference in the lives of families in DeSoto County. 

Heartland Hands Food Pantry assists the Southaven area and the Samaritans assist the families in the Horn Lake area.  There are two pantries serving Olive Branch, the Olive Branch Food Ministry and Sacred Heart Southern Missions.  Hernando is served by Catholic Social Services and Walls is  by Sacred Heart Southern Missisions . 

While all of these pantries are working tirelessly to improve the quality of life of our DeSoto County residents by providing food on a weekly basis, sometimes a little extra help is needed between visits.  That is why the Monthly Mobile Food Distribution began back in May of 2012.  Every month since May, Volunteer Northwest Mississippi has been site manager for the Distribution brought down by the MidSouth Food Bank.  The Distribution is a chance for the people of DeSoto County to receive a little extra food to supplement what they are already receiving from the pantries.  To qualify, a resident of DeSoto County must first go to the pantry that serves the area in which they live and pre-screen.  Pre-screening is required each month.  To contact the pantry in your area, refer to the table below for contact information and hours of operation.  

Sacred Heart Southern Mission, 6144 Hwy 161 N., Walls
     -- Monday & Friday, 9 AM—Noon; 1 PM—3 PM, Contact: 662-342-3180
Samaritans, 2600 Goodman Rd., Horn Lake
     -- Monday and Wednesday, 10 AM—2 PM, 662-393-6439
Olive Branch Food Ministry, 9797 Hwy 178, Olive Branch
     -- Tuesday 10 AM—12 PM and Thursday 6 PM—8 PM, 662-895-2913
Heartland Hands, 385 Stateline Rd, Southaven
     -- Tuesday and Thursday, 10 AM—12:30 PM, 662-280-5365
Catholic Social Services, 499 E. Commerce Street, Hernando
    -- Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, 10AM-2PM, 662-429-5789


Since May of 2012, Volunteer Northwest Mississippi and all of it's hardworking volunteers have made a difference in the lives of thousands of DeSoto County residents.  Here are the numbers so far:

May-9,100 lbs-167 households 

June-10,426 lbs-271 households

July-22,808 lbs-287 households 

August-21,233 lbs-486 households

September-20,735 lbs-627 households

October-33,895 lbs-1,018 households 

November-30,204 lbs-974 households 

December-32,238 lbs-1,069 households

January - 17,309 lbs-513 households

Total-197,948 lbs food distributed - 5,412 households served.

(Average of 3 people per family is over 16,000 DeSoto county residents served).

Thank you to Walgreens, FedEx Ground, Trustmark, BancorpSouth, various school and church groups, Southaven VIP's, and the dozens of individuals who come out to work the event each month.  If you or your group would like to volunteer, contact Anna Dickerson at volunteer@cfnm.org or 662-449-5002.

Dr. Fromm has owned her own consulting company, The Fromm Group, since 1986 and has served as manager of leadership and education for Nonprofits First in Boynton Beach, FL in addition to working with CanedCom International based in Sri Lanka, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and as a consultant to the Director's Office of the County of San Diego Department of Health Services.

For six years she served as the public member of the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) spending her last year as chair-woman. Dr. Fromm also served as executive director of family planning clinics in Yolo County (Davis-Woodland, CA). She was also executive director of the San Diego AIDS Project, a full service community education and client-centered social service program. During the 1980s and 1990s, the AIDS Project was San Diego's premier provider of services to the AIDS community and the leading HIV education provider. Prior to that assignment, Dr. Fromm was director of development and public affairs officer at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla. Dr. Fromm was a member of the City of San Diego Public Arts Advisory Commission.

Dr. Fromm earned a doctorate of education (EdD) in leadership and organization development from the University of San Diego; a master of public health (MPH) from the University of California Berkeley; and a master of public administration (MPA) from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. She holds an academic certificate in human resources management from San Diego State University. Trained at the Fund Raising School and the Grantsmanship Center, she holds the certified fund raising executive (CFRE) designation from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

A frequent reviewer and panel committee member for competitive grants and proposals, Dr. Fromm has participated in the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Fire Service grant award program; Cal-TIP technical review; Fulbright undergraduate, Scholar and Junior Faculty Development Programs; and Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship program.

Dr. Fromm, a Fulbright Scholar to Ukraine in 2003-2004, received a Fulbright Scholar award to Ukraine for 2005. Specializing in public administration, public health and the management of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), she was working in Kiev, Ukraine at Kiev Polytechnic Institute.

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