Oxford Community Market

Oxford Community Market has been a grant recipient from Move On Up, Mississippi for three consecutive years.  As Lafayette County’s only farmers market that is a SNAP retailer/WIC Farmers Market Voucher Program participant, the Oxford Community Market offers valuable, unduplicated services to improve access to healthy food. To build a welcoming, diverse local food community, the Oxford Community Market provides outreach/consumer education for SNAP/WIC/limited income shoppers. These educational outreach efforts empower families to make healthier food choices by addressing the needs of consumers most vulnerable to food insecurity. With the support of Move On Up, Mississippi, the Oxford Community Market hopes to continue to improve access to fresh, healthy, local, and sustainable goods for all citizens, including those traditionally underserved, through its programs such as the Oh, SNAP! Outreach and Incentive Program.

Doors of Hope

Fresh Foods for Doors of Hope Families is an initiative of Doors of Hope Ministries of Oxford, in partnership with the Oxford Community Market to supply fresh foods weekly to homeless families living in Lafayette County. The goal of the program is to educate participants on the benefits of eating healthy by teaching them the power of purchasing and preparing budget-friendly, healthy food.

Baptist Cancer Center

Baptist Cancer Center, led by Tonya Jones and Callie Gear, have created a program –  Baptist Oncology Family Wellness – designed to strengthen and expand the care offered by the center. Fifteen patients and their minor children will participate in the pilot program.  With the support of Move On Up, Mississippi, this program hopes to help families healthfully navigate a physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing time while aiming to decrease future cancer risk through familial engagement and education. This program will utilize local arts and health vendors through activities such as healthy cooking classes, low-impact workout classes, poetry workshops, and family painting nights.

Oxford School District Food Program

With the second-year support of Move On Up, Mississippi, the program will support community volunteers as they work closely with all Oxford School District students to inspire them to want to grow, make, and eat healthy food, which will positively affect their long-term health outcomes.  Well-nourished students have higher test scores, increased school attendance, improved concentration, and improved classroom behavior.

UM Department of Hospitality Management & Nutrition

The Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management (NHM) at The University of Mississippi strives to connect NHM students with Lafayette County non-profits that are working to improve health outcomes in the area, so that students may increase organizational capacity and strengthen program impact.  With the support of MOUMS, UM Department of Hospitality Management & Nutrition, led by Dr. Georgianna Mann and Dr. Kathy Knight, will be developing a pilot program that intends to create a healthy cooking class for members of the community who face food insecurity. Anticipated partners for the pilot program are LeapFrog and Good Food for Oxford Schools. UM NHM expects this program to impact more than 500 Lafayette County residents to improve their community involvement through communication to local non-profit organizations.

Previous Years

  • Oxford Community Market and their ‘Oh, SNAP! Program’

  • Doors of Hope

  • Run Oxford’s Mighty Milers Youth Running Program

  • Good Food for Oxford Schools

  • Special Grant Recipient:

    The Abbeville School Educational Summer Enrichment Program