HISTORY

TIPPAH COUNTY GOOD SAMARIATAN CENTER – Overview 2024

Founded in 1997, the Tippah County Good Samaritan Center (TCGSC) is an interfaith based organization supported by 48 county wide churches which provide food relief to families in emergency situations in Tippah County Mississippi. In 2000, the TCGSC expanded to two branches to improve access and more effectively serve the increasing number of Tippah County households who don’t have enough food and access to crisis services. The present operating locations include Walnut, serving the North Tippah School District designated as the North Branch and Ripley, serving the South Tippah School District designated the Central Branch.

MISSION and VISION STATEMENTS:

Mission: “To counsel and meet the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs of the people of Tippah County.”

Vision: “To ensure all Tippah County low-income residents have access to nutritious food relief and support services with respect, empathy and dignity to foster a stronger, stable, healthier community where everyone can thrive.”

Both then and now, the origin of this vision is deeply rooted in the center’s history with a strong supportive base by saying in the beginning, “United behind the one thing we believe; we must help the needy”. Inspiring, this call to action further reconfirms working together works.

With unwavering leadership, the TCGSC remains as one united ecumenical county-wide ministry of faith-based communities with two branches providing food relief to Tippah County’s most vulnerable neighbors.

GOALS—The Center primary organizational goals are:

• to focus on sustaining a healthy community through uniting and networking partners to ensure resources remain accessible
• to centralize emergency food relief and support services to better help low-income residents overcome the challenges of poverty

Essential, the center is committed to the identified goals to help maintain focus and deliver successful outcomes to benefit Tippah County low-income families who struggle to meet basic needs.

Statistically, in 2023, the TCGSC helped over 555 low-income families monthly, serving 11,459 people from 17 towns with food, utility financial assistance as well as referrals to networking partners, resources and ministries. Most notable, the Center served 43% of the Tippah County below poverty rate population; 4,123 people.

Overall, the Center provided emergency assistance to residents from Tippah County as well as several surrounding counties. With understanding and making a one-time exception to our standard operating policy of serving Tippah families only, the Center also helped several families below poverty in need from outside the county. Organized, we provided the families served with effective referrals within their own residential local county social service network for future emergency assistance needs.

Volunteers, leading with empathy and caring, continue to be the backbone of the center’s united ministry work. Last year, between both branches, 50 volunteers contributed 9648 hours valued at $230,587. Much appreciated, a variety of needed volunteer services, talents and skills included receive and unload local grocer and foodbank deliveries, stock shelves, prepack food boxes, make homebound deliveries, client interviews, sweep & clean center, sort in-kind food donations, computer data entry, scale operator, retrieve, weigh and dispose of empty boxes, etc…

Thankfully, the Center applauds the commitment of faith community leaders, local social agencies, the business and industry sector, community invested stakeholders, networking partners, volunteers and ministries who continue working together to create a sustainable Tippah County Good Samaritan Center to help people in need.