Vicksburg Mill Grants $50K to Good Shepherd for Renovations

VICKSBURG, Miss. – International Paper’s Vicksburg Mill awarded a $50,000 grant to Good Shepherd in a ceremony this morning. Good Shepherd is an agency that serves one of the River City’s most historic and impoverished areas. Funded through the IP Foundation, this capital campaign grant allows Good Shepherd to complete much-needed renovations in the facility’s gymnasium.

“Vicksburg Mill began producing paper in Warren County almost 57 years ago, providing a dependable livelihood for thousands of women and men in Warren County. As the mill considered charitable organizations to receive this significant gift, we knew it needed to be an agency whose longevity and strength in the community reflects our own,” said Oren Ruth, mill manager.

“In many cases, we have had multiple generations in a family work at our mill, so we fully appreciate the importance of caring for families today and in the future,” Ruth said, “Good Shepherd provides essential services in our community, and we are proud to partner with them through this gift and future hands-on volunteering.”

“We’ve come a long way”

Good Shepherd opened as a daycare in 1987. Today, it offers preschool/after-school, school break camps, mentoring, life skills training, financial literacy and Julia’s Place special needs program.
Good Shepherd’s building was constructed in 1939 on the site of the first freedman school in Vicksburg. Over the decades, it has housed Cherry Street Elementary, McIntyre Middle/High School and several community non-profits.

“Due to the generosity of donors who have joined our mission, we have come a long way from swimming pools catching the water in the gym to a new roof and a partially renovated building,” said Cindy McCarley, executive director, “It is donations like IP’s Vicksburg Mil that allow us to continue to create spaces to reach our mission to educate, inspire and empower individuals, children and families to live their best lives.”

Vicksburg Mill: Sowing Seeds

The Vicksburg Mill relies upon strong, healthy Mississippi trees to mill the container-board paper, but the mill also sows seeds to enrich our community through grants such as this one, along with $57,000 in additional annual IP Foundation grants plus $28,000 every year for community sponsorships and donations.

Additionally, mill team members:

• Pack and donate feminine care products for 500 girls in the Vicksburg Warren County School District every fall. Last year, they made that same donation to Rolling Fork.
• Donate clothes, toys and bikes to the Salvation Army’s annual Angel Tree program.
• Donated five pallets of water to the Warren County Emergency Management Service after strong storms in April knocked out power and water service across the county.
• Packed food boxes at Good Shepherd at Thanksgiving for the elderly.

“We partner with Vicksburg, not just with funding and donations, but also in developing and continuing to create real relationships,” Ruth said, “We value the role we have here in the River City, and I believe our service to the community proves our commitment.”