Jackson Free Press logo

This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi families in need are receiving a financial bump to help them get through the holiday season.

More than 1,500 low-income Mississippi families are set to receive a one-time sum of $1,000 from the Mississippi Department of Human Services, officials said.

To be eligible, households must qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a program that provides benefits for families with needy children.

The payments are being funded by a $4.7 million sum authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act. The initial round of payments began taking place on Dec. 17.

Human Services Director Robert “Bob” Anderson said officials know many families are struggling to meet their basic needs.

“This assistance will help them this holiday season,” he said.

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Since 1846, The Associated Press has been breaking news and covering the world's biggest stories, always committed to the highest standards of accurate, unbiased journalism. The Associated Press was founded as an independent news cooperative, whose members are U.S. newspapers and broadcasters, steadfast in our mission to inform the world.