East MS HUB for Volunteers & Nonprofits

Changing Community, Changing Lives

Lauderdale County/Meridian is a very caring community, and there are many areas in which to volunteer your time, talents and resources. Where could you best utilize your volunteering efforts? Are we meeting the most urgent needs? Are we even helping in the right way? There is now a place in Meridian that can help you answer these questions, the East MS HUB for Volunteers & Nonprofits. They provide you with the resources you need to make a positive difference in our community. This includes volunteer training, recruitment and marketing assistance. 

The East MS HUB was established in March 2020, in partnership with the United Way of East MS and Community Foundation. The framework for the HUB was already there through Volunteer MS, they just implemented it for the East MS region. 

The East MS HUB is one of eight HUBS in the state. Our HUB covers Lauderdale, Clarke, Newton, Kemper, Neshoba and Jasper Counties. The HUB keeps track of community needs and gives volunteers the opportunity to get involved. It helps nonprofits with resources they need in order to build and maintain sustainable organizations.  

Casey Culpepper, Director, says, “All ages can volunteer. If there is a younger group looking to give back to the community, we can think outside the box and come up with something worthwhile for them to do. Always encourage young people to get involved.  Getting into the volunteer, giving-back mindset, will help them for years to come. I had the opportunity to take my son to the Care Lodge Christmas toy distribution. We talked about how some children and parents can’t help the situation they are in and sometimes need our help. It was a great learning experience. We plan to get involved with elementary school groups to encourage them to volunteer.”

The HUB utilizes a volunteer recruitment tool on the website, eastmshub.org. When a volunteer creates an account on the HUB site, they can select from categories and sign up for things about which they are passionate. They will automatically receive notification when new opportunities are posted. 

Casey advises new business owners to always look for advice from those who have gone before you. Pivot where you need to, be a ‘yes’ person and stay positive. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Connect with more area businesses through membership in the chamber.  “If each local business and their staff could donate one or two hours of their time to local nonprofits each month, our nonprofits would be a lot stronger and better able to fulfill their mission in our community.” 

‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’ – Margaret Mead

East MS HUB for Volunteers & Nonprofits
4817 N. Park Dr. Suite B, Meridian, MS