We are paddling in support of two organizations that run supplemental feeding programs for kids and families across North Mississippi. Over the next two weeks, we will introduce both groups in their own words.
We first sat down with Emma Butler, local coordinator for Feeding the Future Mississippi. She shared firsthand what food insecurity looks like in her community, how the weekend meal program works, and why this kind of grassroots support changes lives.
Scroll through the transcript to see pictures!
Transcript
Sydney
This is Sydney with River Runs Full, a 2025 Mississippi River journey to raise money for the fight against childhood hunger in North Mississippi. I'm joined today by Ms. Emma Butler from Feeding the Future Mississippi.
Emma, thanks for joining us. Let's start with an introduction.
Emma
Of course, my name is Emma Butler. I also serve as the parent liaison for the Holmes County Consolidated School District, and got involved in the program. We live in a low-poverty area here in Holmes County, and it's kind of hard on some of our children.
So, when they came and offered the program to us and walked me through it and gave us all the guidelines of it, of course, Holmes County was interested in it, because we always look for something to help our scholars move forward or something to make them grow. So, once they gave us the program and we learned it and I was trained on it, it became so helpful to the community, family, school, the whole nine yards of everything that we needed to grow with.
So, with the program, we are myself, principals, superintendents, teachers, parents, students, we come together and we choose certain students that we think that is well needed for the program. So, we take from that list and we do paperwork. Of course, it's based on what a child needs and what we see and observe. Like, I might see a child come in that's always hungry when they go to the cafeteria. They might say, I didn't get a chance to eat this morning. I don't have it.
So, the package that I pass out, it provides nutrition food, cereal, a juice, a milk, a can of soup, something that a child can take home with them and eat if a parent's not there to prepare a meal, such as just pop a top and use the microwave. Nothing to cause them any kind of harm or anything by using a stove. They'll get a small treat, something they can open, eat immediately, so they can just get comfortable enough to prepare them something to eat.
I just try to make sure that once the food come in, I make sure all the kids get a package on a weekly basis. I pass it out weekly. I also have, they provide me with the backpacks, the backpack program, and I take it and I put it in a, what we would call a, it's actually a backpack or book bag to them, and I provide it to them.
And at the end of the day, after lunch is served at the school, before we close out at three o'clock, I'm going to give them, once a week, their lunches. Some may get one pack, one bag. It comes in a Ziploc bag with all the items listed.
Providing to the other areas… that may not have the program… seminars and things where we have to do an input on something that can help with low poverty area, I make sure I show them that this is what we're doing in Durant. It helps our kids learn. It motivates them.
It's something for them to look forward to, because they know they need it, to pick up on Thursday, and if they're not there that Thursday, I can give it to them on Friday, just as long as they get it that week. And as long as I have a close community area here, if the child is sick or not able to come get it, I text it to them.
Sydney
That's really wonderful.
Emma
Yes. Good that they get it, you know, so they'll have something to eat. And if it's a student that's, just say, I have a student to drop off or move to another school area that's not part of Holmes County where the food go to, I take and I put a another child in that place that's on my list that I already have an application for. They would be able to get the food and the process keeps going. It's not a waste. I always move to the next level or the next child.
Sydney
How many you serve and how many are on your wait list?
Emma
I have anywhere from 10, 15, 20, and I can have more than that. It really room for at least up to 25 or 30 more kids that's in just as bad a need.
But this year for each school, I served 25 families and I passed out 45 meals per week.
Sydney
That's amazing.
Emma
Yes.
Sydney
Tell me more about the program logistics.
Emma
The meals come in to me already packed. All I have to do is distribute, pack them out in the book bags and distribute them. And of course, once the food come in, the food is passed out FIFO (First in First Out).
What do I mean by that? I mean, once they come in, if I get my April supply, you know, I'm going to finish all April before I get my May shipment started. But it pass out.
I have 180 bags coming per month, per school. We service two schools in our Holmes County area. They are elementary schools. And my truck, I get a new truck every month. And once my truck comes in, I make sure my food and label for the date that it's coming in and my month before it is already done, you know. And it's just the most wonderful program you can ever participate in for a low poverty area. That it’s not being wasted, it's appreciated, and mostly, needed. It's mostly needed.
But I have the newspaper article and on our school monthly meetings, we are recognized as it. I also received an award for the food and program coming out on my retirement for supplying the children and passing out the food. They gave me a plaque for my retirement.
Sydney
As they should, as they should.
Emma
And my parents, they always call and they're like, “oh, I appreciate this. I'm not able to get there and get my baby’s package for this month. Is there any way I can take and pick it up at the school?” And I'll label their bags already labeled with names and how many bags inside as well as their grade level. So I don't worry about when I'm distributing, you know, just say Emma’s food to Brenda.
No, because my name is on it, my grade level is on there, as well as how many bags I get in there per my application. Like if you have a family, maybe it's three young children there. That bag, when I give it to… whatever the student name is, he's going to get enough for his two siblings. You're going to get a bag for each one of them. And I have passed out up to four per child with, you know, with the smaller kids there in the household. And it's just a wonderful program.
In each school now, I serve 45 bags. You know, 25 families. So I had a total of 25 at Goodman-Pickens and I pass out 45 bags per week. Durant, same number. I try to keep the school equal so I can give both, you know, have it 50-50.
And when they ship my shipment in, I would get enough boxes to supply for each school to get them to the next shipment with the count that they allowed us to serve up to. And again, it's determined by the… I'm not the only person choose these students. It's a whole, even our community.
They come to the meetings like, “we have a food program. You feel your child or you're in need, see Ms. Butler. She has applications.” And they fill them out. Like, “if anything come available or someone leave my child, if you don't mind, could they be next?” And then we'll get together, myself and the principals and the teachers, and we'll say, hey, this child, you're really needed. The next time an opening comes available, could you consider this child? It's not just whoever wants it. It's not that type of program. It's for need. And we go with the most needed child that we have.
Sydney
That makes a lot of sense. Originally, I was going to ask you to tell me more about the different families that take part, but you shared a lot about them just already.
Emma
Our community, like I said, it's a low poverty area. Holmes County is considered as one of the poorest counties in the United States, in Mississippi. That's why we were chosen to begin with, according to statistics. And we make sure that when we are doing it, we can understand the real need of people. We don't just guess it, come up with ideas. It's really a meet, greet. And most of the family, I'm from this area. I know the families. So it's not like you're putting something on paper and just making a believer. I mean, no, I go to the homes. I know the family. I speak with the parents. I get permission for them, for these children to get this offer.
And I let them know if it's a problem, if the child is allergic to something in the bag, let me know. And the average family says, “oh, she can eat that.” If they don't, I have other children that's in my household, because they take the backpack home and they do provide me with what, if they are allergic to peanut butter, anything, they'll let me know. And if it's going home, I'm going to make sure me and that parent talk and say, “hey, this is in his book bag, but you said, do not take it out. You want to give it.. the other kids can eat it.”
But it's very seldom I have that. And so far, I really hadn't ran into an allergy problem with the stuff I serve. I might have two that didn't drink milk, but the parent wanted the milk because the other students drank it.
Which, you know, I didn't remove it from their kit, but the mother already knew. And the students are ranked from… I have had pre-K through fifth grade, because that's what Durant consists of. Goodman-Pickens is K through fifth grade.
So basically, I have any number, any child from those grades, pre-K through fifth grade.
Sydney
So you've been working with this program since the start, it sounds like. What's been one of your favorite memories from working with this program?
Emma
When myself and Feeding America, Braeden and Mr. Datta, come to Durant, they supplied us with food. They even bought other food besides what we pass out. And the families was gathering there in Durant. We had the streets blocked off and they gave them food, hair stuff to books, supplies. They have come here and do our back to school for the whole community where every child receives something.
Sydney
That's awesome.
Emma
And our school at Durant at the time, first one, we had over 300 kids. They provided backpacks with pencils, crayons, glue, accessories, stuff that pre-K through fifth grade could use. And they had bags labeled for different grade levels. And it was just the town talk and the community talk. We had great output. It was just one of the best times. But each year they did something for us at the school.
And just last year they gave us Dell book bags. I was able, not just with the regular colorful book bags we have for the kids, but I was able to take and provide Dell book bags for a special occasion for all of our kids. Everyone in the school got one, whether you were program or not. It was just a blessing, parents appreciate it. It was just so much.
Sydney
I know how amazing and how important the work you and Braeden and Mr. Datta do is. I'm just so grateful you do it.
When people outside of Mississippi think about our communities, they aren't getting the full picture. They hear about the poverty, the violence, poor health outcomes. I want to know what you love about Durant, about Mississippi, about your community.
Emma
Okay! I love about it because we try to come together. When it's a child at our school don't have clothing or family lose their home or lose it for lack of work or anything. We have something in place where we come together and serve those kids.
And families, anybody. We also have here in Mississippi a closeness where really no child is going to be left behind if we are aware of it. They don't just have to be our school at Durant where I served the package. It can be anywhere in Holmes County. We can call up on people's, like Braeden and them, with the food program and let them know. They have served family that wasn't on their program and allowed them to come there and receive a box. Just say we had so much left over and they was kids that maybe once was on the program or was waiting to get on the program, they was able to receive some. And they have seen firsthand the good, the bad, and the growth here in Mississippi. Yes, and it has just been a blessing because really to see Holmes County, good stuff is just, this food has worked wonders for Holmes County.
And it's just, we even get a food truck for elder peoples here in Durant that we meet at the Baptist Church and we also serve them.
Sydney
That's awesome.
Emma
It comes from Feeding America. It has been a lot for the district. I know from 2018 to present, it's not going to fail.
Sydney
No, it's going to keep going.
Emma
And when they come in and audit, I'm always there and available for them to receive what they need.
Sydney
That's awesome. I don't want to take up your whole day, but what would be kind of a final thing that you would want to tell people or share with people that are listening?
Emma
I would like them to know that to be a part of it is amazing. I want them to know that it's more than what we could pray for and have grace for our children here in Holmes County. It's just a life-changing experience. It's just something we need and we depend on to make sure our children are fed and getting them what they need. It's just a blessing. That's the best way to sum it up.
Sydney
Amen to that.
Thank you so much for taking time just to talk to me and tell me your story and about this group.
That was Emma Butler of Feeding the Future Mississippi. If you're interested in feeding even more children in Holmes County, visit our website at riverrunsfull.com or our GoFundMe to make a donation. A weekend of food is just $5, and $180 covers a child's weekend meals for an entire school year. Every dollar counts in the fight against childhood hunger.
Join us today by donating at riverrunsfull.com.
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