Chamber distributes $275,000 to charities

Before the Madison the City Chamber of Chamber disbanded last year, board members distributed more than $275,000 to several charities.

President Landon Thompson said he wanted the chamber to to go out on a good note serving the community. 

Thompson is an associate agent at the Rusty Healy Agency in Madison.

The Chamber donated to six different nonprofits:

• Children’s of Mississippi in Jackson ($75,000)

• Sunnybrook Children’s Home in Ridgeland ($40,000)

• Hope Hollow Ministries in Canton ($40,000)

• MadCAPP Office and Project H.O.P.E. in Canton ($40,000)

• Shower Power Mobile Shower Unit in Jackson ($40,000)

• The Little Light House in Jackson ($40,000).

“Due to the Madison Chamber bylaws, these donations couldn’t be given to any organization in the city of Madison, and it had to be a nonprofit,” Thompson said. 

“We voted for what organizations to donate to and decided these six were the best choices.”

The chamber distributed the funds over the past few months, and the last donation was to Children’s of Mississippi on Jan. 11.

Karen Robison, executive director at MadCAPP, said they received the donation in the fall of 2021.

"We were absolutely honored to be part of the donations from the Chamber," Robison said. "During COVID the donations are up and down and receiving such a large donation at the time we did was wonderful."

She said a lot of the funds were used for their "Adopt a Child" program and food pantry to feed needy families during the holidays.

“From what we’ve heard from the directors of these nonprofits, the donations will make a huge impact since they never usually get donations of this scale,” Thompson said. “They were very grateful to us.”

Nicolete Bell, past Madison Chamber vice-president, said donating the money and seeing the impact from it is a great feeling.

“It was really neat that we were able to give those donations and that it also made the best out of the situation we were in,” Bell said. 

“It’ll make a lasting impact. I live near The Little Lighthouse school, and it’s special to see in real-time how that investment is making an impact on them every day.”

Bell said she hopes these donations can continue impacting these nonprofits down the road regarding the equipment they can purchase and things they can do out in the community. 

“What places like Children’s of Mississippi do impact not only our city, but the entire state since they are the only children’s hospital in Mississippi,” Bell said.

Shari Jones, a past Madison the City Chamber president, said she they have received great feedback the nonprofits.

“It felt really good to be able to give to these nonprofit organizations that make an impact on our city,” Jones said. “We hope the impact continues to be magnificent, especially since COVID is still going on.”