06/22/2026
I hate to publish this but we have no choice. This is from George Dixon, Mississippi SHINE Project, Director.
As we come to the end of the HRSA Delta States Rural Development Network Grant, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has been part of this incredible journey.
To our community members, thank you for trusting us and allowing us to serve you. Your participation, resilience, and commitment to improving your health and well-being inspired our work every day. The relationships we built and the lives we touched will remain the true measure of this program’s success.
To our network partners, thank you for your collaboration, dedication, and shared vision. Together, we demonstrated the power of partnership in addressing health disparities and expanding access to care across rural Mississippi. Your expertise, support, and commitment strengthened our network and amplified our impact throughout the region.
To our staff, words cannot fully express my appreciation for your hard work, professionalism, and compassion. You worked tirelessly to serve our communities, often going above and beyond to ensure that individuals and families received the resources, education, and support they needed. Your commitment to excellence made this program successful and created lasting change in the communities we serve.
To our lead agency, Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center, thank you for your leadership, guidance, and steadfast support throughout the life of this grant. Your commitment to improving the health of underserved populations provided the foundation upon which this network was built and allowed us to achieve meaningful outcomes for thousands of residents across the Mississippi Delta region.
Over the years, we have accomplished much together. We strengthened partnerships, expanded health education, increased access to preventive services, addressed chronic disease management, supported Community Health Worker initiatives, and helped improve the health and quality of life for countless individuals. While this grant program may be ending, the relationships, knowledge, and infrastructure we have built will continue to benefit our communities for years to come.
Although this chapter is closing, the mission of improving rural health remains. I am confident that the seeds planted through this network will continue to grow and inspire future efforts to address the health needs of our communities.
It has been an honor and privilege to serve as Project Director and to work alongside such dedicated partners, staff, and community members. I will always cherish the friendships, professional relationships, and shared accomplishments that we have achieved together.
Thank you for your support, your partnership, and your belief in this work. The impact we made together will endure long after the grant has ended.
With sincere gratitude and best wishes,
George Dixon, MPH
Project Director
Mississippi SHINE Project
“The true legacy of our work is not measured by the grant that funded it, but by the lives we improved, the partnerships we strengthened, and the hope we created for the future.”
