Administrative Office of Courts
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Families of children under Hinds Youth Court supervision receive Thanksgiving meals November 24, 2021 Department of Child Protection Services workers fanned out across Hinds County on Wednesday, Nov. 24, to deliver Thanksgiving meals to almost 40 needy families. 
The Hinds County Youth Court and the Department of Child Protection Services partnered for the second year in a Home for the Holidays initiative to provide meals for families whose children are under the court’s supervision for abuse, neglect or delinquency. Families receiving the meals on Wednesday are those who have been recently reunited with their children as well as vulnerable families, said Hinds County Court Judge Carlyn Hicks, who presides over the Youth Court. Recommendations came from child protection specialists with CPS and counselors with the Department of Youth Services. Last week, Judge Hicks worked with Mississippi Food Network and Christians in Action Shelter to provide 100 frozen turkeys to families. Judge Hicks said, “We are grateful for these partnerships we have established to help meet the needs of families involved with the Court. Last year, our Home for the Holidays initiative focused on recently reunited families. We were excited to expand that to other families for more than double the impact this year. We were thankful to play a small part in easing some stress of the holiday season so our families can focus on fellowship and quality time.” Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services Director Andrea Sanders said, “We are grateful for the opportunity to help families in Hinds County during this holiday season. I am personally thankful for caring, dedicated staff and a court system that believes in stabilizing families through service.” Private donations paid for the meals on Wednesday. The largest donor was Mount Helm Baptist Church, which paid for 50 food boxes prepared by Lillie’s Restaurant in Clinton. Fauna Foodworks donated eight meal boxes, and Sugar’s Place Downtown provided four. The Jackson Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., fed four families that the nonprofit has adopted for the year. Most of the meals included roasted turkey, dressing and gravy, green beans and sweet potato pie. #### |
