In the heart of the Mississippi Delta — where grit runs deep and meaningful change takes time — a quiet but powerful transformation is underway. Since the fall of 2024, Communities Unlimited (CU) has been working hand-in-hand with local leaders in Belzoni and across Humphreys County.
With boots on the ground and a long view in mind, CU’s Community Sustainability and Community Infrastructure Teams are weaving together infrastructure upgrades, beautification projects, and long-term planning into a cohesive vision for the future. It’s become more than a checklist of improvements. It’s a living blueprint for how rural communities can rise when passion, partnership, and purpose align.
Emily Tillman Donovan, President of the Belzoni Humphreys Development Foundation, has seen firsthand how difficult the journey toward progress can be.
“Progress takes a lot of time.”
“A lot of people don’t understand that — everyone wants to see everything right away,” she said. “But this has always been an uphill battle, because the whole thing is money.”
Belzoni and Humphreys County are on a path to revitalization through a five-year partnership with CU and support from a private philanthropic partner. For years, local leaders struggled to access grants, held back by limited capacity and a lack of matching funds. When financial support arrived last year, it felt like a wave of relief — a turning point that made long-awaited progress finally feel within reach.
CU’s work began with a community meeting in September 2024, where residents helped identify priorities. The effort aims to create a lasting, community-driven model for rural development.
“This is all volunteer work — we still have jobs, kids, and responsibilities,” Tillman Donovan said. “So having support from someone like Kelle or others at Communities Unlimited, where we say, ‘Hey, we want to go after this grant — what do we need to do?’ and then actually guide us through the process — that kind of real help makes all the difference.”
In Belzoni, a sidewalk project was completed on First Street. Trash receptacles were installed throughout town. The courthouse courtyard was landscaped and enhanced with benches, just in time for events like a foster parent appreciation gathering and an Easter egg hunt. Drainage improvements and street excavation have helped mitigate flooding in areas that needed better runoff control. These small but meaningful upgrades added up quickly, creating a more functional and welcoming environment.
CU’s Community Infrastructure Team has been working behind the scenes to strengthen Belzoni’s water system operations. East Regional Area Director Alexander Brandon is providing technical assistance, including a Technical, Managerial, and Financial (TMF) assessment, updated policies, a new Emergency Response Plan (ERP), and a rate study to support long-term sustainability.
In nearby Louise, CU and the Foundation partnered with the town to install new LED streetlamps along Main Street.
“I asked the police if the new lights helped,” Tillman Donovan recalled. “They said, ‘Oh my gosh, yes.’ It makes it safer for everyone and helps law enforcement do their jobs.”
The foundation is also assisting the small nearby town of Isola with an urgent safety issue: removing a large, dead tree from a popular community park that includes grills, a basketball court, and a ball field.
“It hasn’t been removed yet,” Tillman Donovan said, “but the funding is in place. It’s a small project, but a big safety concern.”
In partnership with Keep Belzoni Beautiful, CU has helped bring back the community garden to support the local food pantry and improve access to fresh produce. A walking trail and ongoing cleanup efforts are enhancing the space, while new murals across town are helping to spark community pride.
Kelle Menogan Jr., CU’s Senior Community Facilitator, has played a key role in coordinating and advancing these efforts throughout Humphreys County.
“It brings hope — and a vision for what the community can become when people come together to make things happen."
“It’s not easy work,” Menogan said. Everyone has to be on the same page, and that takes commitment, partnership, and people who truly care. But when the community starts to see progress, that’s when the bigger picture starts to unfold.”
Sometimes, even the smallest touches can create lasting impact. For Tillman Donovan, one such moment came with a new set of Christmas light decorations this past winter.
“Someone said, ‘Oh, we look like a real town,’” she remembered. “That’s huge. It gives a welcoming vibe to visitors and boosts morale for the people who live here.”
That same spirit of pride carried over to the World Catfish Festival, one of the longest-running festivals in Mississippi. Although the event itself is self-sustaining, the surrounding activities needed support. The Foundation helped the local garden club purchase new microphones for a community theater performance and replace a tattered stage curtain with a beautiful new one — sourced for just $500 by a resourceful club member.
After noticing people struggling to find places to dispose of waste during festival weekend, Tillman Donovan sourced 10 new metal trash cans and two park benches from MAGCOR — an organization in Jackson that employs inmate labor to build public-use furniture. Former CU Director of Community Sustainability, Martha Claire Bullen, now serves as MAGCOR’s Chief Reentry Officer. The new receptacles were placed throughout the uptown area.
“When I drove by recently, I didn’t see any trash on the ground,” she said. “That’s a huge win. When you give people a place to put trash, most will use it.”
The results have sparked a ripple effect. After the Christmas lights went up, one business updated their sign, and another repainted their storefront.
“No one wants to be the ‘bad business on the curb,’” Tillman Donovan said.
“Small changes inspire pride. It inspires people to take better care of their space.”
Plans are already underway for future improvements. CU is working with local partners to develop tourism opportunities and explore the creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program. CU is preparing to launch an innovative housing initiative in the Mississippi Delta, with Humphreys County selected as one of two locations. Stay tuned for a full announcement later in 2025.
Meanwhile, Tillman Donovan hopes to secure grants to sustainably revamp the area’s existing parks and even add a pickleball court — something local kids have already shown interest in by drawing their own makeshift courts in driveways.
“Progress makes me happy, but more than that, I want people to be happy here and come back,” “We have an aging population,” she said. “We need young people to return. If we can make it a place they love, maybe they’ll choose to raise families here.”
“I just want to see this place thrive,” Tillman Donovan said. “That’s all I want — for the people here to thrive, not just survive. I’m incredibly grateful for the partnership with Communities Unlimited and the support from private philanthropy that’s giving us a real chance at that.”
