For more than a decade, the Essie B. and William Earl Glenn Foundation for Better Living, also known as the Glenn Family Foundation (GFF), has worked to build thriving communities across generations. GFF is a sibling-inspired, family-focused, community-based nonprofit. Its work centers on the rural Mississippi, and the Delta in particular, where economic poverty, chronic disease, hunger, food insecurity, and limited access to care threaten the health and futures of families.

Perinatal health is at the heart of our mission. GFF supports pregnant and postpartum women across ten Delta counties, advancing maternal and oral health equity so mothers and babies get a healthy start.

Workforce development anchors everything we do. GFF through our Annual ACES Awareness Symposiums has trained and credentialed health care providers, licensed professional counselors, social workers, educators, including community health workers, to serve their own neighbors. These residents deliver community education and health literacy, help feed hungry and food-insecure families, and connect mothers, children, youth, and elderly family members to resources that educate and support them. Our community-engaged participatory research treats residents as true partners. Together we identify needs, shape solutions, and measure what works, so our programs reflect the lived experience of the families we serve. This approach meets immediate needs while building lasting local talent and economic mobility.

GFF is anchored in deep community trust, guided by rigorous evaluation, and managed with strong fiscal discipline. This makes us a high-impact partner for donors, funders, and public agencies investing in healthier, more economically resilient Mississippi communities.