Mayor Chokwe Lumumba was present for the announcement that Working Together Jackson, a coalition of religious and nonprofit organizations, plans to raise $1 million in the next month “to assist needy families within the Jackson Public School District for virtual learning and mental-health support during the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a story by Kayode Crown in the Jackson Free Press.
“We know that 2020 has been a very unique year, a very challenging year, so we are trying to operate an economy, we are trying to conduct business and education in the presence of COVID-19,” Mayor Lumumba said at the event. “What we have to understand is that many of the regulations that we are doing in the name of safety still require some level of privilege that allows someone to social distance. People have to have the privilege to have virtual education, and the reality is that not all of our children are situated in that capacity.”
The goal of our organizations is to help families and children in Jackson Public Schools to deal with these uncertain and extremely challenging times, when it’s difficult to be a student—or a caregiver.
“I am particularly excited about the mental-health warmline,” said Joy Hogge, our executive director, in the article. “It’s a safe place to call, and they can help you find the right kind of help, and we are working with them every step of the way.”
Contact The Crisis Line, will manage the warmline, which is 601-713-4358. They’ll offer resources for caregivers and are being supported by a number of organizations, including Families as Allies.
We encourage every Jackson-area mental health provider to let Contact the Crisis Line know about specific services that you’re offering to families in Jackson, especially to support students, parents and caregivers.
And we encourage you to read the full story in the Jackson Free Press to see what all of the different organizations and corporate sponsors are doing, and we thank reporter Kayode Crown for attending the event and giving it thorough coverage.
