Starkville Civic Clubs Collection. 1986-2017.

Martha "Margo" Swain (1829-)is a long-time resident of Starkville, Mississippi. She worked at Mississippi State University beginning in 1969 as a member of the social work faculty and retired as its director in 1994. In addition to her professional life, Swain participated in several Starkville-area civic groups, which include: The Boy's and Girl's Club; United Way; Big Brothers and Big Sisters; and Helping Hands. Swain served on various boards associated with these groups from 1986-2017.

Boys & Girls Club The Boys & Girls Club of the Golden Triangle, Columbus-Starkville is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its core mission is to “inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need [them] the most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens” (1). In order to serve the local community, the club develops is curriculum to include programming that supports character and leadership; education and career development; health and life skills; the arts; and sports, fitness, and recreation (2).

United Way The United Way of North Central Mississippi is a volunteer-ran organization that seeks to develop relationships that make a positive impact on the surrounding community. It currently serves Choctaw, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Winston county through fifteen of its member agencies (3). These include: 4-H Clubs of Oktibbeha County; American Red Cross; CONTACT Helpline; Boys and Girls Club of Oktibbeha County; Boy Scouts of America; Father’s Child Ministries; Girl Scouts; Golden Triangle Area Agency on Aging/Fellowship Foods/ Homemaker Service; Helping Hands Ministries of Oktibbeha County; Oktibbeha County Human Society; Safe Haven/The Rape Crisis Center; Sally Kate Winters Children’s Home; Salvation Army; Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity; and Volunteer Starkville (4).

Big Brothers and Big Sisters Big Brothers and Big Sisters is a donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network that matches adult volunteers with children ages six through eighteen. This mentorship program is designed to “[p]rovide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever” (5).

Helping Hands Ministries of Oktibbeha County Helping Hands Ministries of Oktibbeha County is a clearing house organization that provides assistance to individuals in need of support. It is a nonpartisan, nondenominational ministry that is supported by community members, churches, and community service groups. Its organizational structure consists of an executive board, board of directors, a full-time intake counselor, and donors (6).

References

1. “About Us,” Boys & Girls Clubs of the Golden Triangle, Inc., accessed October 7, 2019, https://www.bgcgoldentri.org/about-us.

2. “Core Programs,” Boys & Girls Clubs of the Golden Triangle, Inc., accessed October 7, 2019, https://www.bgcgoldentri.org/core-programs.

3. “Building a Better Community,” United Way, accessed October 7, 2019, https://www.unitedwayncms.com/who-we-are.

4. “Meet Our United Way Agencies,” United Way, accessed October 7, 2019, https://www.unitedwayncms.com/agencies-served.

5. “About Us,” Big Brother and Big Sisters of Mississippi, accessed October 7, 2019, http://www.bbbsms.org/who-we-are/

6. “About Us,” Helping Hands Ministries of Oktibbeha County, accessed October 7, 2019, https://www.givegab.com/nonprofits/helping-hands-ministries-of-oktibbeha-county/about.