Mississippi Power Foundation teams up with Goodr to host pop-up grocery markets in southeast Mississippi
Gulfport, Miss. – The Mississippi Power Foundation recently teamed up with Goodr, a social enterprise focused on providing hunger relief, to host three pop-up grocery markets in Mississippi Power’s service area.
The pop-up grocery markets were held in local community spaces in Gulfport, Hattiesburg and Meridian. Nearly 900 families registered their household before the event and received two weeks’ worth of groceries at no cost to them thanks to an investment from the Mississippi Power Foundation.
“The Mississippi Power Foundation understands that summer can add an additional strain on household budgets and that families may need some extra support to put food on the table,” said Mississippi Power Director of Corporate Responsibility Arnie Williams. “We've seen how successful Goodr's pop-up markets have been in other communities across the southeast. Our teams share a similar passion for making large, local impacts, and we were excited to bring this community event to our area.”
"Summer can be the hardest stretch for families already managing tight food budgets,” says Goodr CEO, Jasmine Crowe-Houston. “The Mississippi Power Foundation invested $75,000 to bring pop-up grocery markets to Gulfport, Hattiesburg, and Meridian, putting two weeks of groceries in the hands of nearly 900 families, and dozens of Mississippi Power employees were right there alongside our team, packing grocery bundles and loading them into cars. We're grateful for partners who put that kind of commitment behind their communities."
Mississippi Power employees volunteered during the pop-up markets by prepping the grocery bundles and loading them into customers’ vehicles. Each participating family had a demonstrated financial need, and received grocery bundles that included fresh produce, meat, dairy products and shelf-stable items.
The recent pop-up markets continue a longstanding partnership between the Mississippi Power Foundation and organizations committed to combatting food insecurity in the state. The foundation recently supported Extra Table FEED’s summer feeding boost program providing meals for students who need food during the summer. For year-round support, the Mississippi Power Foundation also committed to standing up five additional food pantries, ensuring every county in Mississippi Power’s service area will have an Extra Table FEEDS food pantry.
“The Mississippi Power Foundation will continue to look for opportunities to help our communities beyond providing them with reliable electric service,” continued Williams. “We’re connected to our customers by more than just wires – southeast Mississippi is our home, and we want to do our part to support our neighbors and strengthen our communities.”
About Mississippi Power
Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for nearly 194,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power has served its communities for more than a century and is an industry leader in safety, reliability and economic development. The Southeastern Electric Exchange recognized the company for Top Safety Performance in its generation category, and Site Selection named Mississippi Power a top utility driving economic development in the United States. For reliability, The Edison Electric Institute has recognized Mississippi Power with multiple Emergency Response Awards for outstanding storm response. Visit our website at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube for company updates.
About Goodr
Founded in 2017, Goodr is an Atlanta-based social enterprise operating in more than 20 markets across the United States, using technology, logistics, and innovative programming to reduce food waste and end hunger. A certified B-Corp, Goodr partners with corporations, health systems, sports organizations, higher education institutions, hospitality companies, and government agencies to recover surplus food, operate Community Markets, Goodr Grocery Stores, Mobile Pop-up Markets, and other innovative programs that increase access to healthy food. Built on the belief that hunger is not a scarcity problem; it's a logistics problem; Goodr delivers proven, scalable solutions that address both hunger and food waste. Since its founding, Goodr has helped provide nearly 40 million meals, diverted more than 24 million pounds of surplus food from landfills, launched more than 38 Community Markets, Goodr Grocery Stores, and Mobile Markets, and prevented more than 26 million pounds of carbon emissions. Goodr is proving that ending hunger requires more than food; it requires innovative solutions, stronger partnerships, and systems that make healthy food consistently accessible to the communities that need it most.
For more information, visit www.goodr.co [goodr.co] or follow @goodrco on Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.
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