Low-Income Resources in Mississippi
Welcome to Money Fit’s Low-income resource list. There are different options organized into four categories: Food, Housing/Utilities, Child/Family Care, and Healthcare. Each resource has a brief description as well as contact information like a phone number and website URL.
We also provided an application for our Debt Management Program. If you’re struggling with debt, our nonprofit organization can provide the help you need to overcome financial burdens.
Use the following resources to determine if you qualify to receive financial assistance from a variety of programs.
How You Can Benefit From a Debt Management Program
While many consumers define debt management differently, we can all agree that getting out of excessive consumer debt leads to greater stability, less stress, and improved chances for long-term financial success.
Debt relief, debt counseling, debt consolidation, debt negotiations, debt elimination, and debt management all seem to mean the same thing: get rid of debt. However, they can vary widely in their meaning and method. Often, unscrupulous online actors identify themselves by one term but lead their unsuspecting clients down a completely different, and often financially disastrous, path.
If you are looking for a program that helps you repay 100% of your debts at more favorable terms, then look no further than Money Fit’s Debt Management Program.
Food Resources
TEFAP – The Emergency Food Assistance Program
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is funded entirely by the United State Department of Agriculture. Commodities are stored at the Mississippi Food Network in Jackson and the Twelve Baskets Food Bank in Biloxi. The commodities are distributed through food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters throughout the state.
Address: Mississippi Department of Human Services- 750 North State St. Jackson, MS 39202
Phone: 1-800-948-3050 | 1-601-359-4419
Website: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/emergency-food-assistance-program
Division of Economic Assistance Food Stamps Program
Mississippi Department of Human Services handles the Division of Economic Assistance, which oversees the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in Mississippi. The USDA changed the name of the federal food stamp program to SNAP in 2008.
Address: Missippi Department of Human Services 750 North State Street Jackson, MS 39202
Phone: 1-800-948-3050 | 1-601-359-4419
Website: https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/economic-assistance/snap/
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.
Housing and Utilities
Weatherization Assistance Program
The MDHS Weatherization Assistance Program is designed to reduce energy costs for eligible families by making their homes more energy efficient. The program, which serves the elderly, disabled, and low-income families with young children, improve the energy performance of dwellings to decrease monthly energy expenditures. Weatherization crews provide the most cost-effective, energy-efficient measures to address health and safety concerns and improve comfort and air quality. The Weatherization Assistance Program is available to individuals who are within 200 percent of current federal poverty guidelines.
Phone: 800-421-0762 or 601-359-4768
Website: Weatherization Assistance Program Online
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs.
Child and Family Care
Mississippi Department of Employment Security
The goal of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security is to help Mississippians get jobs. Through our network of WIN Job Centers, MDES matches qualified, prospective employees with employers.
Address: Office of the Governor 1235 Echelon Parkway P.O. Box 1699 Jackson, MS 39215-1699
Phone: 1-601-321-6000
Website: https://mdes.ms.gov/
TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
The TANF program, administered by the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), provides assistance for needy families with children up to age 18 years without regard to race, creed, color, gender, age, disability, or national origin. Monthly TANF money payments are made for children and their needy caretaker relatives who do not have enough income or resources to meet their everyday needs by state Program standards.
Address: Mississippi Department of Human Services 750 North State St., Jackson, MS 39202
Phone: 1-800-345-6347 | 1-601-359-4500
Website: https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/economic-assistance/tanf/
Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative
Mississippi’s Child Care Payment Program helps low-income working parents afford early childhood education and care programs. These programs have been proven to increase employment, reduce poverty, reduce absenteeism and turnover for employers, contribute more tax revenue into the general fund, and support school readiness in children.
Address: insert here
Phone: 1-228-669-4827 | 1-866-981-1511
Website: https://www.mschildcare.org/index.html
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
WIC is a federally funded nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children that helps families by providing financial assistance to purchase healthy supplemental foods from WIC-authorized vendors.
WIC also provides nutrition education, breastfeeding information, and support as well as assists in finding healthcare and other community services.
The Head Start Program
Head Start programs support children’s growth and development in a positive learning environment through a variety of services, which include
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Early learning: Children’s readiness for school and beyond is fostered through individualized learning experiences. Through relationships with adults, play, and planned and spontaneous instruction, children grow in many aspects of development. Children progress in social skills and emotional well-being, along with language and literacy learning, and concept development
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Health: Each child’s perceptual, motor, and physical development is supported to permit them to fully explore and function in their environment. All children receive health and development screenings, nutritious meals, oral health, and mental health support. Programs connect families with medical, dental, and mental health services to ensure that children are receiving the services they need.
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Family well-being: Parents and families are supported in achieving their own goals, such as housing stability, continued education, and financial security. Programs support and strengthen parent-child relationships and engage families around children’s learning and development.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides grant funds to states and territories to provide families with financial assistance and related support services. State-administered programs may include childcare assistance, job preparation, and work assistance.
Healthcare Resources
Medicaid
Authorized by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, Medicaid was signed into law in 1965 alongside Medicare. All states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories have Medicaid programs designed to provide health coverage for low-income people. Although the Federal government establishes certain parameters for all states to follow, each state administers its Medicaid program differently, resulting in variations in Medicaid coverage across the country.