Mississippi LIFT helping with education across the state

Mississippi LIFT is taking educational resources on the road. Its mobile units are traveling across the state to connect rural families with free learning materials.

Sami Jordan with the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center shows us how the program is bringing those resources closer to home.

Toys, books and learning materials are making their way into communities across Mississippi. Mississippi LIFT has four mobile units bringing those resources directly to families.

Jayden Duplessis operates Unit 4, covering communities from the Pine Belt to the Coast. “My goal is to reach out to those rural areas and set up more community events so they can know about the resources as well.”

Recent stops brought Duplessis to the Leakesville Public Library and a Touch a Truck event in Pascagoula.

The unit brought activities and allowed families to check out toys and learning materials for children through age 12, all at no cost. “I love seeing family, like kids’ eyes brighten up to see all the toys and fun activities that we have, and I love to see the family members smile because they get very happy like we never knew we had this resource available.”

Duplessis says many families are learning about the program for the first time. “A lot of people just now really learning about it. Some people know, most people don’t.”

The mobile units are helping spread the word by taking Mississippi LIFT directly into communities. “The communities have loved us. We’ve been hitting grounds. We have been hitting every corner of the state.”