Quitman County Health, Food, and Support Services Guide for Residents

One number changes everything in Quitman County: 33.5 percent. That is the share of county residents living below the federal poverty line, according to Mississippi Department of Employment Security data, placing Quitman among the highest-poverty counties in the state. For the roughly 7,000 people spread across Marks, Lambert, Crowder, Falcon, and the surrounding farmland, the distance between a manageable setback and a full crisis often comes down to knowing a single phone number or address before the emergency arrives. This guide is organized around that reality: here is who to call when the lights are at risk, when the pantry is empty, and when a health problem can't wait.

If you need medical care or a health screening

The Quitman County Health Department is the first call for anyone who needs immunizations, medication assistance, health screenings, or referrals to prenatal and family services. The department operates on a sliding-scale fee basis for many services, meaning cost should not be the reason to delay care. Call ahead to confirm current clinic hours and which services are available on any given day, because schedules can shift.

For emergencies, Quitman Community Hospital in Marks handles emergency and inpatient care, along with select outpatient services. It is the county's anchor hospital and the fastest path to triage for acute illness or injury. Before a non-emergency visit, a quick call to confirm outpatient appointment availability will save time and prevent a wasted trip across county roads.

For prenatal care and infant health, Quitman County is one of seven Delta counties served by the Tougaloo College Delta Health Partners Healthy Start Initiative, a program that has worked since 1999 to reduce infant mortality in the region. Mississippi's infant mortality rate stands at 8.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, well above the national average of 5.4, making prenatal connection to these services especially urgent for expectant families.

• Quitman County Health Department: Call first to confirm hours, sliding-scale fees, and available services
• Quitman Community Hospital (Marks): Emergency department for immediate triage; call ahead for outpatient
• Delta Health Partners Healthy Start: Contact through the county health department for maternal and infant referrals

If you need mental health support

Specialty mental health care requires travel for most Quitman County residents, but regionally available community mental health centers have expanded telehealth and partial hospitalization options that reduce or eliminate that barrier. If you are in crisis, call the Quitman Community Hospital emergency department first: ED staff can provide immediate triage and connect you to regional mental health services. For non-emergency support, ask the county health department for the current referral list for telehealth-enabled community mental health centers, which can often be accessed from home with a phone or tablet.

If your lights are about to get cut off or you need rent help

Nonprofits and local chapters of statewide organizations can assist with utility and rent payments, though funds are typically limited and distributed on a first-come basis. The fastest way to find what is currently available is to call the county courthouse directly: clerks maintain current, updated lists of emergency financial assistance programs, eviction prevention resources, and legal aid contacts. That call costs nothing and can save days of searching.

County social-services offices also maintain emergency housing referral lists. If you are at risk of eviction, contact the county social-services office before a notice becomes a court date. Early contact almost always produces more options than late contact.

If you need food this weekend

Faith communities are running the frontline food system in Quitman County. Churches in Marks, Lambert, and smaller towns operate pantry programs, hot-meal services, and seasonal assistance on weekly schedules. Because schedules rotate and distribution dates can change with weather or volunteer availability, the most reliable way to find Saturday or weekend food is to call a local church directly or contact the county courthouse for the current pantry schedule. Many of these congregations also accept volunteer help and donated goods, so one call can open two doors.

If you want to volunteer or build local networks

The Marks-Quitman County Public Library at 315 E. Main Street is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is closed on weekends. The library is a gateway to volunteer coordination, adult literacy programs, and community event planning. Reach them at (662) 326-7141.

The county courthouse volunteer coordinator is the second starting point for anyone who wants a structured placement. Churches and nonprofits throughout the county maintain their own volunteer lists and training schedules; contact them directly to ask about liability waivers, background check requirements, and orientation dates before you show up ready to work.

Volunteering carries a practical benefit beyond the service itself: the networks built through consistent community involvement are the same networks that activate fastest when a storm hits or a neighbor falls into crisis. For students, school principals and counselors can identify service-learning placements through existing partnerships with local agencies.

Your printable quick-reference checklist

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• Medical emergency or crisis: Quitman Community Hospital Emergency Department, Marks, MS
• Health screenings, immunizations, prenatal referrals: Quitman County Health Department (call to confirm hours and fees)
• Mental health (telehealth options): Ask county health department for current regional referral list
• Food this weekend: Call a local church in Marks or Lambert, or call the county courthouse for the current pantry schedule
• Utility shutoff or rent threat: County courthouse clerk for emergency assistance lists; county social-services office for eviction prevention
• Legal aid referrals: County courthouse clerk
• Volunteering and civic engagement: Marks-Quitman County Public Library, 315 E. Main St., Marks; (662) 326-7141; open Mon-Fri
• General referral hub: County courthouse main line for current, maintained lists of all local services

Two additional steps worth taking before any crisis arrives: identify one in-county provider and one regional provider who accept walk-ins or offer telehealth, and keep their numbers saved. For donors and nonprofits, unrestricted operating support is the highest-leverage contribution to local organizations because it covers staffing and transportation costs that grants rarely fund and that are often the difference between a program running or stalling.

With one-third of its residents below the poverty line and limited local infrastructure, Quitman County runs on the people who show up: the church volunteers who staff Saturday distributions, the courthouse clerks who answer the phone, the library staff who keep the doors open five days a week. Knowing their names and numbers is the practical foundation of community resilience here.