Alcorn State University honors Mrs. Helen Godfrey Smith and NCBA CLUSA member Shreveport Federal Credit Union during its 2014 Small Farmers and Women in Business Conference in Jackson, Mississippi.
“This is a wonderful honor and we are proud to be the recipient of the 2014 Cooperative of the Year Award,” said Mrs. Helen Godfrey-Smith upon accepting the award. “I am more committed than ever to the development of more partnerships and projects that help communities grow and prosper, and finding viable solutions to challenges facing residents in the Delta.”
The 2014 Cooperative of the Year Award was bestowed upon the Credit Union for partnering with Alcorn State University Extension Program (ASU) to develop a program under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), to help combat “food deserts” in the Mississippi Delta Region. In addition, the Credit Union has provided access to affordable credit and small business capital to the residents of the Delta. A “food desert” is defined as a census tract with a substantial share of residents who have little or no access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables in their neighborhood. Farming and healthy foods are major priorities for Shreveport Federal’s Delta Division.
