Oxford-Lafayette Community Assistance Fund Launches to Coordinate Storm Recovery Aid

Cecilia Perez, a Lafayette County resident about a 10-minute drive from Oxford, said her family went roughly three weeks without power after Winter Storm Fern, forcing spoiled food and lost wages when her husband, a roofer, could not work. "We had kids in the house: it was hard," Perez said, and added, "All my food was spoiled and everything, milk and everything." She said the household is "still struggling a little bit, behind bills and the rent, water bill and stuff," and that SNAP benefits "won't get them for a couple more weeks."

To reach families like Perez, community leaders, churches and nonprofits have launched the Oxford-Lafayette Community Assistance Fund to provide rapid local financial support for verified storm-related hardship and to "bridge the gap" while residents await potential state or federal assistance. Doors of Hope is leading the collaborative assessment team, working in partnership with the North Mississippi Exchange Family Center to review requests and match approved cases with resources.

Walk-up intake for the Fund will be held 9:00 a.m. to noon, Feb. 18 through Feb. 28 at the Old OPC Building under the Blue Oxford Water tower, 310 S. 15th St., Oxford. Requests may also be submitted by phone at 662-234-1100; organizers reference an online Assistance Request Form but have not provided a public web link for that form in published materials. The assessment team will verify needs and eligibility and prioritize urgent safety concerns.

Organizers say when possible payments will be made directly to licensed vendors or service providers for verified repairs. Initial priorities for assistance are electrical repairs, plumbing repairs, tree removal and addressing debris hazards to protect housing stability and immediate safety; organizers have indicated additional categories may be added as needs are assessed and resources grow.

The Fund is intentionally decentralized: participating churches and nonprofit partners are coordinating donations through their own networks rather than through a single centralized donation site. United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County has been active in the local response and, citing the scope of infrastructure failure across the region, Executive Director Kurt Brummett said, "There was no way to fully prepare given the widespread impact." He added, "Roads were blocked or untravellable. Water systems were shut down. Cell phone service was limited. People went days without heat and electricity, and several remain without weeks. Most of our community was in the dark."

Brummett noted community trust drove early giving: "Before we officially launched a disaster fund, people were already donating for that purpose," and he said, "They trust our United Way because they know we care about and invest in our community." He added, "Our role is to connect people to resources and one another as we help build a better tomorrow each and every day. United is our way."

Local volunteers and the Second Responders network coordinated by Betsy Chapman of Oxford Community Market have moved donated goods to households beyond town center, loading vans for delivery routes whose first stop has included West Springhill Missionary Baptist Church about a 15-minute drive from Oxford. "We have not experienced a crisis on this level in Oxford that we've been here for and felt just that sense of urgency," Chapman said. Ward, who runs Empower Advocacy Oxford, said many callers told organizers "I need some assistance," adding, "A lot of these were working class people who typically don't need any assistance and [are] thriving from day to day."

Organizers have not yet published a named fiscal sponsor, detailed eligibility documentation requirements, award limits, or a standard timeline from approval to payment; the online assistance form URL is also missing from available notices. Residents seeking help are asked to use the walk-up intake at 310 S. 15th St. during the Feb. 18–28 hours or call 662-234-1100 for next steps.