VIDEO: LIFTing the Community

PITTSBORO, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s an organization that’s helped Northeast Mississippians on low or fixed income for decades.

Lifting Individuals and Families Together, or LIFT, uses block grant programs to find solutions to problems faced by low income citizens.

Their goal is to make their clients in their eight counties self sufficient and self stabilized.

A public forum was held at its Calhoun County branch in Pittsboro. This forum was an announcement of their application for next years grant money, which means another year of helping people, just as LIFT has been doing.

The forum part allows the people living in the county to suggest how the money should be used.

“A public hearing is a chance to let the public tell us about the services provided and ask for feedback from them about what else is needed,” said LIFT Family Service Worker, Helen Lee.

Many of the needs for lower or fixed income families are basic necessities.

“We have people with light bills. We have the lighting program, which pays their electric bills, buys gas, and then we have the CSPG program. That allows for us to pay rent, and then we have a weatherization program. That allows us to go into homes and make them more energy efficient,” said Lee.

Other services involve public transportation and income tax assistance.

Depending on how the year has gone, some of those needs can change.

“My county did FEMA money this time because of the storms that hit. Mostly, people just needs their light bill paid,” said Lee.

Whatever the need may be, as long as LIFT is able to help these counties, people will be thankful for the services it brings them.

“It’s been a blessing. It’s always been a blessing in the long years that I’ve had it. Some days I couldn’t make it without them. I thank them, and I thank everyone that works with them,” said Calhoun County resident, Rosa Lee Osby.

“It gives me the independence that I wouldn’t have. It relieves my kids of responsibility that I would have to put on them. It gets me out and… Mixing with other people. It means a lot to seniors,” said Calhoun County resident, Alice McGuire.

There are many other services that LIFT and county supervisors provide, all revolving around the concept: save energy; save money.