Mississippi Food Network is the state's only Feeding America affiliated food bank, based in Jackson and serving central Mississippi and beyond. It distributes more than 1.5 million pounds of food a month, about 25 million pounds a year, to over 150,000 people through a network of 430 member churches, pantries, soup kitchens, and nonprofits. The organization is in a leadership transition: longtime CEO Charles Beady Jr. retired after leading it since 2014, and it is searching for a new chief executive while Executive Director Walker Satterwhite helps lead operations.
Mississippi Food Network sources food at scale and distributes it through 430 member churches, pantries, soup kitchens, and nonprofits, moving more than 1.5 million pounds of food a month. As the only Feeding America food bank in Mississippi, it anchors the emergency food system in a state that consistently ranks among the most food-insecure in the country. It runs strong child-focused programs, including school-based and backpack programs.
The organization is in a leadership transition. Charles Beady Jr., who led Mississippi Food Network as CEO since 2014 and was only the third CEO in its history, retired, and the board is searching for a new chief executive. Executive Director Walker Satterwhite helps lead operations during the search. Felicia Lyles chairs the board.
Mississippi Food Network serves central Mississippi and beyond from its Jackson base. Mississippi has one of the highest food-insecurity rates in the country, compounded by some of the lowest median incomes, and the network reaches more than 150,000 people across a region of small cities and deep rural poverty, including parts of the Delta.
Yes. Mississippi Food Network is a registered 501(c)(3) and the only Feeding America member in the state. Donors can review its financials through Charity Navigator and GuideStar. Bulk buying and donated food mean a gift produces many meals.
Donations and volunteer shifts run through msfoodnet.org. Volunteers sort and pack food and help at distributions, and cash gifts go furthest because of the food bank’s purchasing power.
Mississippi Food Network is the state’s only Feeding America food bank, operating the traditional warehouse-and-network model. Extra Table takes a different approach, buying and delivering healthy food directly to pantries without a central warehouse. For most of central Mississippi, the Food Network is the lead organization.
430 member churches, pantries, kitchens, and nonprofits.
School-based and backpack food programs for kids.
Food brought into rural and Delta communities.
Food assistance for older adults on fixed incomes.
Sources: Mississippi Food Network website (msfoodnet.org), ProPublica (EIN 64-0676325), and Jackson Advocate and nonprofit-sector reporting on the CEO transition. We are not affiliated with Mississippi Food Network and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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