STORIES

Hurricane Fatigue Wears on Residents
By HARLAN KIRGAN The Mississippi Press

When Hurricane Ike's path included the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Paige Roberts, executive director of the Southeast Chapter of the American Red Cross, did the "call down" for volunteers to see who would be available.

Roberts said the number of people available to staff shelters dropped from Hurricane Gustav as would-be volunteers prepared to evacuate themselves. Hurricane fatigue has definitely set in, she said as Ike's track veered toward Texas.

"We are tired to the point it is hard for us to think," Roberts said of the Red Cross staff that has been given a mandatory order from her to reclaim the Labor Day holiday lost to Gustav.

"The worst thing that can happen to us is we don't get rejuvenated," she said.

Jim Yancey, executive director of the Jackson County Community Services Coalition, said, "I'd say we are in that mode" when asked about fatigue from hurricanes. {Read More}{DownloadPDF}

Coalition aims to snuff out smoking
By RYAN WRIGHT The Mississippi Press

GAUTIER -- Filtered or non?

Thirty-three hundred dads who answered that question regularly won't spend Father's Day with their kids next week. That's how many Mississippi men with children died last year from smoking cigarettes, according to the state department of health.

But those fathers who smoke and are lucky enough to spend Father's Day with their children may be passing on the deadly habit without knowing it. Peer pressure has long been considered the culprit behind underage smoking. Jim Yancey, executive director of the Jackson County Community Services Coalition, doesn't think that's entirely accurate. He said many children start smoking because they see it in the household. {Read More}{Download PDF}

Leaders discuss underage drinking issue
By LINDSAY MOTT The Mississippi Press

GAUTIER -- Community leaders said underage drinking in Jackson County is on the decline and they discussed ways to continue that trend during a town hall meeting conducted by Sing-ing River Mental Health Services at the Gautier Convention Center.

According to statistics provided by Yancey, underage drinking has dropped in Jackson County since 2002. He said his group surveyed 6,000 sixth- and seventh-grade students from all four school districts in 2002. Of those students, 21 percent of sixth-graders and 32 percent of seventh-graders had sampled alcohol in the previous 30 days. {Read More}{Download PDF}

U-Haul Offers a "Lift" for Katrina Rebuilding
by Jim Yancey - Executive Director

Joanne Fried, Director Media & Public Relations for U-Haul International, Inc. contacted the Community Coalition and reported that U-Haul is donating the use of one of their trucks once a week in assisting workers to haul materials and household items in the rebuilding efforts. The first truck was utilized last week and stayed active throughout the day. Many thanks to U-Haul for their valuable contribution in the rebuilding efforts ongoing in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

KPHX Radio and Home Depot Support Rebuilding Efforts
by Jim Yancey - Executive Director

KPHX Radio and its listeners in Phoenix, Arizona and The Home Depot, Atlanta, Georgia have partnered together and raised more than $7,300.00 to be utilized for purchases at the local Home Depot store in assisting people returning to their homes. Many thanks to our friends in Phoenix, Sean Ryan's resilient leadership, and to Clay Councill from The Home Depot for their "git r done" attitude and financial support.

Project Northland
by Kim Styron - Programs Director

Project Northland is a parent, school and community-wide program implemented by the Coalition in the Middle Schools in Jackson County. It is designed to be alcohol specific, but has proven also to significantly reduce marijuana and tobacco use.
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Spotlight: Kim Styron
by Jaimee Bishop - Public Relations

Kim Styron calls herself eccentric. "Because I'm one of those people who actually love what they do," she said with a big smile. Styron's job is hardly what most people would classify as structured, and it does require a bit of heart to be done well. She's the Jackson County Community Services Coalition's Program Director.

"You have to have heart with this job, because you're dealing with kids and teaching them the dangers of drugs and alcohol while trying to promote character and resiliency building. Half of the challenge is convincing them that you care," Styron added. Those programs include Project Northland, Club Drug Education, League of Youth Voices, and Project Success, which the Coalition brings to alternative schools to teach youth how to turn their lives around.
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Gautier Church Donates $2,300 to JCCSC
by Jaimee Bishop - Public Relations

Monday, November 14th was a great day at the Jackson County Community Services Coalition headquarters in Gautier. Dianne Burns and Ken Taylor from the First United Methodist Church of Gautier stopped by to delivery a check for $2,300.

"You can't do much better than that," said Jim Yancey, JCCSC executive director, as he graciously accepted the check. "We usually have to search for grants or beat down doors to get the money we need to run all of our community programs. We definitely appreciate people coming to us with donations, thank you!"
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