Mississippian’s are known for their generosity. Their support crosses a range of programs that impact the lives of our residents from a church food pantry to cultural programs.

Engage Mississippi — a new effort spearheaded by Mississippi Arts Commission, Mississippi Center for Nonprofits, and Volunteer Mississippi — is focused on aligning the state’s resources toward a common goal that facilitates collaborations between organizations working to solve community problems. By developing a strategy for effectively “channeling change,” Engage Mississippi seeks to ensure the creative and charitable economy in Mississippi has the tools to continue playing a critical role in the economic health in communities and in our state.

This partnership’s first steps to help is providing tools to service organizations who work directly in our communities.

A key tool many of the groups needed was an online presence. A manageable way to tell their story, organize volunteers, and share how a donation would make an impact. The cost and time of managing a website, handling online donations, and keeping everything up to date often fell to the bottom of the list. Through this resource similar organizations can find partners, share their mission, and build resources.

To kick off this new resource and encourage charitable organizations to enroll and use the service the state is organizing a Mississippi Day of Giving scheduled for Oct. 24.

Volunteer Mississippi, Mississippi Arts Commission, and Mississippi Center for Nonprofits has been holding workshops around the state helping churches, arts groups, historic homes, and service organizations sign up and start connecting.

Locally, Volunteer Oxford has led the charge connecting a diverse range of groups from our Chamber of Commerce, Arts Council and Teach for America.

Our local groups have used this opportunity to start coordinating efforts between organizations and building support. The result is a joint plan for a local event around the Mississippi Day of Giving effort. The Are You Giving?

Rally will take place in the Grove as part of the build up to the University of Mississippi versus Texas A&M football game on Saturday, Oct. 24 as part of the Mississippi Day of Giving.

The local charities will be hosted in a tailgating tent by a generous donor as a rally point in the Grove. Volunteers will spread-out handing out stickers to promote the Mississippi Day of Giving. Renasant Bank is supporting the volunteers by donating banners, stickers, and informational flyers that will share how individuals can help the local charities that impact our community.

The Arts Council, The Food Pantry, Oxford Medical Ministries, Oxford Film Festival and the United Way are each worthy organizations deserving of contributions. Instead of standing alone in their efforts, this new project offers the ability to coordinate resources, volunteers, and efforts ensuring that more services or impact are felt directly in our community.

If you are a charity, it is not too late to sign up to take part in the Mississippi Day of Giving and the Are You Giving? Rally.

You can sign up online at www.msdayofgiving. org or by contacting Sarah Ball at Volunteer Oxford (Office:(662) 2366662,volunteer@oxfordms.net)