Our Work
By teaching kids and inspiring families, Operation Shoestring ensures we all rise together.
Project Rise currently serves about 150 children every day, and we work closely with their 141 families from our community. For example, we’ve developed a robust education program for our kids in grades pre-Kindergarten to fifth grade that’s focused on academics, social-emotional learning, stress management, and just plain having fun. With the help of a wide array of local partners, children in our programs have access to art classes, computer coding lessons, healthy cooking classes, and field trips across our state. And all of this is entirely free to their families!
Afterschool and summer programming helps keep kids safe, inspire learning, and give their parents peace of mind. Through afterschool and summer programs like Operation Shoestring, kids can discover who they are and what they love to do, make smart choices, and avoid risky behaviors. The children and parents served by Operation Shoestring report that they feel safe and validated while here at through our programming.
We’re in frequent and regular contact with Shoestring families just to check-in, listen, and assess needs that inform how we serve them. For example, when there’s a crisis, like the 2022 Jackson water crisis when families went without potable water for weeks, we quickly contact each Shoestring family to assess their needs and concerns in order to be better able to connect families to helpful resources.
Operation Shoestring’s commitment to community-driven programs is reflected in our programming for parents. Based on feedback and data from our community, this work has evolved over the years to center on family wellness. In order to connect families with the health services prioritized by families, we partner with clinical health providers, community health organizations, food systems, and other key stakeholders to help create an ecosystem of support for the families in our neighborhood.
