
Lean On Me Jubilee awards mini-grants to nonprofits – Meridian Star
Lean On Me Jubilee awards mini-grants to nonprofits
Published 11:33 am Wednesday, December 11, 2024
- The Lean On Me Jubilee and Stronger Together Foundation, along with the Community Foundation of East Mississippi, presented a mini-grant Tuesday to the Mississippi Alliance to End Suicide in Meridian. Photo by Thomas Howard
Several nonprofit organizations will have some additional funds to put toward their missions after the Lean On Me Jubilee awarded several mini-grants to participating organizations this week.
Mike Couch, president and founder of the Stronger Together Foundation, which organized the Jubilee in partnership with Ochsner Rush Health and other nonprofits, said the event, held in September, saw multiple organizations band together to address community needs.
“Usually we did a 5K, and they were planning to do an event, and we just came together and did this, and we wanted to include the community,” he said.
Couch said the goal was to turn the Jubilee into a big community event that offered a fun time for families while bringing awareness and education about important issues in the community. For the Stronger Together Foundation, which was started to bring awareness and resources to high rates of suicide among military veterans, the Jubilee is an opportunity to draw the public’s eyes to the cause.
“This is an event we can have as more of a celebration of life, and we can present some information out there about suicide rather than just talking about suicide all the time,” he said. “We celebrate life and get people involved in what we’re doing and then educate them a little bit about suicide awareness.”
Vickie Winslett, president of the Mississippi Alliance to End Suicide, one of the mini-grant recipients, said her organization, which was started in 2018, began as a resource for family and friends impacted by suicide.
“Its about helping people in Mississippi, our community, and being there for them,” she said. “And our mission is suicide prevention, intervention and postvention, which is support of survivors that have been through suicide.”
The all-volunteer organization holds several events throughout the year, Winslett said, and is working to bring a youth mental health rally to Madison next year. Mississippi youth need to believe their voices are heard, she said, and that is not the case right now.
“I think a lot youth feel like they’re not being heard, and we want to make sure that they are that they are,” she said. “We are all God’s children, and he loves us. We want to make sure everyone knows that.”

Soldiers Freedom Outdoors, a nonprofit aimed at helping veterans cope, was awarded a mini-grant from the Stronger Together Foundation and Lean On Me Jubilee Tuesday at the Community Foundation of East Mississippi. Photo by Thomas Howard
More information about The Mississippi Alliance to End Suicide, ways to donate or how to get involved can be found at endingsuicides.org.
Also receiving mini-grants are the Meridian Public School District Foundation for Educational Excellence, Soldiers Freedom Outdoors, The SPOT and The Center for Pregnancy Choices.
Cristin Waters, executive director of the Community Foundation of East Mississippi, which administered the Stronger Together Foundation funds and is disbursing the mini-grant funds, said the organization is proud to be part of the work Couch and others are doing in the community.
“We are proud to have Stronger Together as one of our funds held at the Community Foundation,” she said. “We are proud to support them in any capacity possible and really appreciate and stand behind the work that they do.”
With the inaugural Lean On Me Jubilee in the books, Couch said he wants to see even more nonprofits and businesses get involved in the event. Rather than a daylong festival with popup shops, he said he wants to see the Jubilee growing into community celebration rivaling the Neshoba County Fair. The resources are there, he said, and all that’s needed is for people to put in the work.
“That’s my hope, and we build it right here in Meridian. We bring in the tourism dollars, help the community, help the mom-and-pop places and local businesses, as well as bring awareness to suicide and help other 501(c)3s,” he said. “There’s enough resources there. We can do all that.”
Organizations or groups interested in joining the effort can reach to The Stronger Together Foundation, Community Foundation of East Mississippi or Ochsner Rush Health to learn more. Outside of the Jubilee, residents can support the Stronger Together Foundation by donating or volunteering their time, and can learn more at strongertogetherfoundation.org.