Amazon has awarded nearly $250,000 through the Amazon Warren County Community Fund, a community grant program supporting local initiatives in Warren County, Mississippi. A total of 28 local community groups, schools, non-profit organizations, and individuals whose projects are driving positive change across the region were recognized at an event in Vicksburg earlier this summer.
“The Amazon Community Fund is one of the ways Amazon invests in the places where our employees live and work,” said Afrika Alsup, Community Engagement Manager at Amazon. “It's designed to put resources directly into the hands of local organizations and individuals who know their community best."
"It is very exciting to see Amazon inspiring and funding ideas by local residents that support local needs and strengthen the community,” said Pablo Diaz, President & CEO of the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership. “The fact that twenty-eight organizations collectively received nearly a quarter of a million dollars will have a meaningful impact across Warren County. This is a direct investment from Amazon into the people, organizations, and ideas that are making our community stronger.”
The Amazon Warren County Community Fund, which launched in November 2025, invited applications from Warren County residents and organizations pursuing projects across themes including food access & security, education & literacy, STEM & career readiness, housing & shelter, mental health & wellness, history preservation, youth development, and violence prevention. Applications were reviewed and assessed by ChangeX, a non-profit organization that administered the fund, based on funding criteria and positive community impact.
Amazon originally committed $150,000 to the fund but increased the investment to nearly $250,000 after seeing the exceptional quality of community submissions.
The 28 funded projects span education, health, basic needs, history, and community resilience:
• Alicia Moreland — Senior Literacy Outreach connecting older adults with reading and learning resources
• Cathy Sanford — Vicksburg Spotlight Initiative highlighting community stories and achievements
• Central Mississippi Prevention Services — Comprehensive Violence Prevention and Reduction program
• Dr. Jane Ellen McAllister House Museum Foundation — Jane McAllister House Interpretive Center preserving local history
• Extra Table FEEDS — Strengthening Food Access in Vicksburg
• Hands to Hands — Hands to Hands Learning Renewal supporting education and skill-building
• The House of Peace Worship Church International — Expanding for Life Food Pantry serving families in need
• Influential Men of Mississippi — Warren County Career Ready preparing youth for the workforce
• The Jacqueline House — Protecting Jacqueline House Historic Collections
• Micah's Mission School, Inc. — Safe Harbor Sips Coffee Truck creating job training opportunities
• Mississippi Children's Home Society (Canopy) — Warren County Children's Shelter Refresh
• Mississippi Children's Museum — MCM Think Up! Traveling Exhibit sparking curiosity in young learners
• Mississippi Community Housing Dev. Org. — Southern Roots Vicksburg Garden Enhancement
• Mississippi State University — Research to Startup Expedition connecting students with entrepreneurship
• National Inventors Hall of Fame, Inc. — STEM Enrichment for Warren County students
• Omicron Rho Lambda Alpha Phi Alpha Ed. Foundation — SWEAT youth empowerment program
• The Peni Center — Safe Shelter for Homeless Survivors
• River City Rescue Mission — Rebuilding Lives in Warren County
• The Salvation Army — Warren County Summer Feeding Project
• Storehouse Community Food Pantry — Feed Warren County food distribution program
• Truly Ministries — C.O.R.A.L. Mental Health Support for community wellbeing
• United Way of West Central MS — Vicksburg Warren Youth Development Center
• United Way of West Central MS — SOAR United Literacy Intervention Program
• United Way of West Central MS — Financial Security for ALICE Households
• Vicksburg Family Development Service — Healthy Beginnings supporting young families
• Warren-Yazoo Behavioral Health (River Ridge) — Restoring Community Relationships and Resiliency
• We Work the Waterways — We Work the Waterways workforce and community program
• Xi Pi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho — Vicksburg–Warren Youth Symposium Initiative
This initiative is part of Amazon's broader commitment to investing in communities through workforce development and community impact initiatives — reflecting our belief that sustainable progress hinges on empowering local talent and investing in grassroots impact.
In November of 2025, Amazon announced plans to invest at least $3 billion in Warren County to build a state-of-the-art data center campus, creating at least 200 new jobs, plus supporting hundreds more in the Warren County community. The Warren County Community Fund is part of that larger commitment.