Grants Give 2nd Chance MS a Chance to Help Others

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Helping people better themselves through education is what 2nd Chance MS strives to do, and relies on the financial generosity of others to provide those opportunities.

Thanks to a second grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi, 2nd Chance MS will be helping mothers and guardians of pre-K children to earn their GED and a certificate in a field that will provide improved employment opportunities.

Catti Beals, director of development with 2nd Chance said the Women’s Foundation granted 2nd Chance a $50,000 grant last year and a $30,000 for this year’s grant cycle, totaling $80,000 in grant money.

The grant is one of 11 being given by the Women’s Foundation, a public grantmaking foundation focused on improving conditions for women and girls across the state. The foundation gave out more than $285K in grants.

Since Women’s Foundation focuses on helping women, the grant funds have gone to helping women gain their GEDs and further their education.

CNA graduates from Coahoma Community College who went through the 2nd Chance MS program, that was made possible by a grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi.
Photo provided by 2nd Chance MS

Last year, the grant went to help women in Coahoma County. The women worked on gaining their GED and then entered a certificate program at the community college.

“Most earned their certificates as a certified nursing assistant and some were in the EMT program,” Beals said. “We paid their tuition and gave them a weekly stipend for gas money as one of the biggest barriers for people to continue education is transportation.”

The new grant will be used to help women in Meridian.

“We are going to focus on women who have a child in pre-K programs like Head Start, to go back to school to get their GED and a certificate,” Beals said.

For more information on 2nd Chance MS visit http://2ndchancems.org. For more information on the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi, visit https://www.womensfoundationms.org.