Community Collaboration

Rolling Fork family rebuilds after 2023 tornado

Story by Leah Barbour • Photos by Kevin Hudson

In Rolling Fork, the Mississippi town in Sharkey County devastated by a twister on March 24, 2023, despair was not an option.

Local people came together to help one another, and they are rebuilding the town, one place at a time. Dozens of organizations and hundreds of people, many local and some from other states, are volunteering services, sharing resources, and working together to rebuild.

“Everyone has a role to play,” emphasizes Emily Carter, county Extension agent for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “After the tornado, our Extension team went into ‘what-can-we-do?’ mode. Agents came in from all over to help; we were doing damage assessments, distributing supplies, registering volunteers, and even showing people locations because there were no road signs or landmarks left.”

Extension wasn’t the only group to mobilize for Rolling Fork residents since the storm—Rolling Fork First Baptist Church, led by pastor Britt Williamson, began offering space and resources to volunteers pouring into the town and immediate financial assistance to residents who lost everything.

Williamson and the congregation quickly realized that property owners were eligible for a range of relief services, but there was nothing in place to help former renters, who made up about 68 percent of the town.

Venisha Carter (no relation to Emily), a mother of two, was one of those renters. She and her family survived, but their residence did not.

“I knew, as a mother, I had to do something. I kept asking myself, ‘What am I going to do?’ and I was like, ‘Okay, girl, you have to get out and find resources.’ So I started asking people,” Venisha explains. “You have to keep your ear open to everything that’s being said, and make sure that you’re picking the right team, working with the right people.”

Community stakeholders and leaders understood that renters contribute significantly to Rolling Fork, and losing them would hurt businesses, churches, and schools—and add to the community’s devastation.

“So a diverse committee was formed, a local community-led committee with many different individuals working together to help homeowners and renters,” Emily says.

The nonprofit Rolling Fork Rising was formed with the mission to help renters become homeowners.

“There’s not really anything like it anywhere else. Renters are taking classes to develop the life skills needed for homeownership, and, to get a home, they go through an evaluation process with a different group—St. Vincent de Paul,” Emily explains. “We have bought 18 lots and have 18 acres to develop for these new homeowners.”

Participants take six courses, each 3 hours. The first is an introductory course that explains the overall mission, what’s expected of the participants, and how the program works. There are two financial literacy classes, led by Guaranty Bank and Planters Bank, and one home maintenance course, the Healthy Homes Initiative, led by Regina Boykins, the Extension agent in Humphreys County, that Emily helps deliver. Finally, the renters engage in at least 3 hours of counseling led by a professional therapist.

As soon as Venisha heard about the program, she asked how to sign up, how to participate, and what she could do to rebuild her—and her family’s—life. They had been staying in hotels and bouncing around as Venisha, after teaching for several years in Rolling Fork, found a new position in Greenville.

“I was asking in Bible class, and when they told me I could take classes, that I might even be able to get my own home, I was ready to do all they asked,” Venisha asserts. “I’ve prayed for things like this—the idea of becoming a homeowner sparked a light, and I knew, as a mother, that I had to do whatever it takes.”

Working and living in Greenville is only temporary for Venisha because, as announced in a Good Morning America special in late 2023, she and her family were named recipients of one of Rolling Fork Rising’s new homes. Like owners of Habitat for Humanity homes, owners of the new Rolling Fork Rising homes pay the cost of building their homes and insurance, but they are forgiven interest.

“In the classes, the first and foremost thing I learned was how to take care of your home and how to budget for maintenance expenses,” Venisha says. “I already knew Ms. Emily because of church, and she did some important teaching about Mental Health First Aid.

“If there was something that I missed in the classes, or if there was something she could offer a little more information about, Emily would tell us more, explain it, and make sure we understood.”

Venisha credits all the members and organizations involved with the Rolling Fork Rising collaborative for its work to ensure that Rolling Fork’s renters have the same chance she’s had. So far, 93 renters have taken or are taking the courses.

“There’s so much stress, so many emotions that people need to work through,” Emily says. “We’re trying to ensure that these are healthy individuals going into this new phase of homeownership and that they understand budgeting, basic maintenance, and the things that are needed when you own your own home.”

The recovery journey continues for Venisha and her kids, and receiving this new home has only reinforced her dedication and tenacity.

“My family is going to be happier in this new home. We’ve got a playground right outside our door, and my children love it; they feel like they belong,” Venisha explains. “We’re doing what it takes to recover and do God’s work. I’m just so grateful for the classes and this opportunity.”