Tamika Green, a 41-year-old Army veteran, worked with the Cleveland Post Office for nearly 10 years. When she became a mother, the hours became a challenge. She loved her job, but the long hours were not sustainable with her new lifestyle. She knew she needed a different career path. 

Green’s mother, who assists Green with child care, stumbled upon a Facebook post describing training programs at Mississippi Delta Community College, and Green knew it was the right next step for her. “I took their carpentry classes, electrical class, and plumbing,” Green said. 

Since leaving the post office, Green is pursuing her dream of owning a community pool in addition to working at a bank. She is converting the former Cleveland Recreation Center into Blue Heaven Pool for community use. “I didn’t take those courses lightly,” she said. “I’ve saved a lot of money because I can fix things myself rather than having to hire somebody.” Green’s experience reflects a broader challenge facing many working parents in the Mississippi Delta.

Foundation for the Mid South recognized common workforce challenges and awarded $550,000 in grant funding to 11 organizations working to solve these barriers to employment, including childcare, transportation, and access to training.  Grant recipients include organizations such as 180 Career Center, The Bean Path, Delta Compass, Dream Innovations, Inc., Deep South Today, Holmes County Consolidated School District, Humphreys County School District, Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Metro Booming Training Academy, Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice, and Sipp Culture. This story is part of a sponsored series supported by the Foundation for the Mid South’s Moving Mississippians Forward Through Employment initiative. 

Celestial Gordon-Griffin, program director of the Harvesting Hope program at the Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice, is determined to help women overcome systemic and daily challenges to make generational changes. The program helps single mothers, many of whom have been incarcerated, with job training, financial literacy, soft skills, and career development through farming. “You’re learning how to farm, what to farm, what to plant, what time of the year to plant,” she said. “You’re learning how to market the harvest of what your hands have planted. And that’s important because we’re showing them how they can take a simple and humble thing such as farming and make it into a career that’s going to ultimately change their lives and their children’s lives and their children’s children’s lives.” 

The program provides a child care stipend for participants and works with farmers who empathize with the mothers’ needs. “A lot of our farmers have been willing to work around their schedules,” Gordon-Griffin noted.

Although demand was much higher, the program started with 10 women who will receive the credential of Certified Sustainable Agricultural Practitioner.  Julian Miller, cofounder and director emeritus of the Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice, said the goal is to scale over time to help more individuals. 

Iris Stacker, chief executive officer of Delta Health System, acknowledges the challenges people face in their personal lives from an employer perspective. “At this time, transportation and childcare remain significant barriers for many of our employees, and we continue to struggle in this area as a rural healthcare system. Limited public transportation options, long commute distances, and a shortage of affordable, reliable child care make it difficult for some employees to consistently report to work or take on additional shifts.”

Mitzi Woods, workforce director for South Delta Planning and Development District, agrees. “Transportation and child care will always be a problem, and there are never enough solutions for that,” she said. While recent federal cuts and exhausted funds have enhanced the child care crisis, Woods noted the best way to obtain child care assistance is through the state’s Department of Human Services. 

Working parents often face a substantial financial burden with child care. The Mississippi Department of Human Services reports that child care tuition represents as much as 13% of a dual-income family’s budget, a number that is often doubled for single-income families. MDHS helps with access to affordable child care through payment assistance, after-school programs, and help finding child care that fits individual needs. 

To apply for the Child Care Payment Program, eligible families must first find a child care provider, complete the online application, and submit supporting documents, including proof of age and income. If approved, families will receive vouchers to apply toward child care expenses. Assistance may not cover the full cost, and some families may need to pay the remaining balance. Families must meet eligibility requirements, including income limits and work requirements. For assistance navigating the Child Care Payment Program, call 800-877-7882.

Once individuals have child care, those who don’t have reliable transportation still face the hurdle of getting to work. Delta Rides Regional Transportation Group helps bridge the transportation gap. Its network of non-profit organizations provides safe and affordable transportation through bus routes and curb-to-curb vans. Doris Green, Delta Rides regional mobility manager, said there is a mileage-based fee scale for most rides. If an individual is not equipped to pay for a ride, free assistance is available on a case-by-case basis. 

The Delta Rides Regional Group services the following counties: Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, De Soto, Grenada, Issaquena, Holmes, Humphreys, Leflore, Montgomery, Panola, Sunflower, Tunica, Sharkey, Tate, Tallahatchie, Warren, Washington, Yalobusha, and Yazoo. To discuss fare costs or to schedule transportation, call Green at 662-846-6161.

Dr. Pam Chatman, better known as the Boss Lady, created Boss Lady Economic Planning & Development Workforce Transportation based on her assessment of transportation challenges. “For years, transportation has been a barrier in the South,” Chatman said. “Companies are looking for people who really want to go to work. They feel transportation could help them.”  

She started Boss Lady Economic Planning & Development Workforce Transportation as a rural transportation partnership between FedEx and Delta Bus Lines to connect workers in Clarksdale, Mississippi to the major FedEx hub in Memphis, Tennessee. The organization received funding from The Foundation for the Mid South and has now helped thousands of families in the Mississippi Delta with workforce transportation. She hopes to partner with more businesses to connect them with workers. “More industries need to look at adding transportation as they are opening new businesses throughout the Delta,” Chatman said. “Transportation needs a conversation at the table.” 

How to Get Help with Employment

1. Start by visiting a WIN Job Center. Located throughout Mississippi, the job centers offer employment experts who assist with job placement, skill training, career counseling, resume reviews, and more. Staff will work with individual job seekers to determine their needs and refer them to the proper partner agencies and resources. All services are free, and no appointments are needed.
2. Review pathway opportunities through MSPathfinder. People can search occupations by region and ecosystem to understand which jobs are most relevant to their area. Each job page includes a job description, average salary, and links to specific training programs to help people find pathways close to home. While some of the jobs require degrees, most do not. 
3. Apply for relevant training. Training options vary depending on the program. WIN Job Centers and MSPathfinder will both guide people to appropriate training for their desired career path. Training and certification programs are often offered through local community colleges.
4. Attend a workforce expo. On March 5, Mississippi Today will host a free workforce expo at Jackson Medical Mall in Jackson, bringing together employers, training providers, and resource organizations in one place. The event is designed to connect job seekers directly with opportunities and information. For workers navigating child care gaps, long commutes, and shifting job markets, access to the right support at the right time can make the difference between staying stuck and moving forward.