CHIN - Community Health Improvement Network

10/23/2026

DIABETES AWARENESS LUNCH & LEARN — NOVEMBER 10!

Did you know that approximately 1 in 7 Mississippians is living with diabetes?** Mississippi ranks among the states with the highest diabetes rates in the nation, making education, prevention, and awareness more important than ever.

Join The Montgomery Institute's Community Health Improvement Network (CHIN) on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at noon, at NorthPark Church for an informative Lunch & Learn featuring Dr. David Lott, Endocrinologist.

Dr. Lott will help us better understand diabetes, its potential consequences, and why taking an active role in our health matters.

Knowledge is one of our most valuable tools for building a healthier community!

Mark your calendar for November 10 and RSVP as soon as possible!

Register online at www.tmi.ms or call 601-483-2661 to reserve your place.

We look forward to seeing you as we continue working together for a healthier Meridian and Lauderdale County!



Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Baptist Cancer Center-Anderson Ochsner Rush Health Weems Community Mental Health Center The Free Clinic of Meridian City of Meridian-Government East Mississippi Business Development Corporation Community Foundation of East Mississippi Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam

https://youtu.be/umuuNwrL26A

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

10/21/2026

Thank You for a Successful Breast Cancer Awareness Lunch & Learn!

The Montgomery Institute and CHIN - Community Health Improvement Network extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make our October 20 Breast Cancer Awareness Lunch & Learn a success!

A special thank-you to Dr. Michael Stacy Thaggard, board-certified radiologist at Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center, for sharing his knowledge and expertise about breast cancer awareness, early detection, and advances in treatment. His presentation reminded us that understanding our health, asking questions, and taking preventive measures can make a meaningful difference in our lives.

We also thank everyone who attended! Your participation, thoughtful questions, and commitment to learning help make these community health programs worthwhile.

And we want to give special recognition to our wonderful volunteers, whose contributions often happen behind the scenes. From setting up tables and preparing food for service to welcoming and serving our guests, clearing tables, and cleaning up afterward, these dedicated individuals help make every Lunch & Learn possible. Your generosity, teamwork, and willingness to serve are deeply appreciated!

Community health is about more than sharing information. It's about people coming together, caring for one another, and making our community stronger.

Thank you for being part of the CHIN mission. We look forward to seeing you at our next Lunch & Learn!



Weems Community Mental Health Center Ochsner Rush Health EC-HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program The Free Clinic of Meridian East Mississippi Business Development Corporation East Mississippi HUB for Volunteers and Nonprofits United Way of East Mississippi City of Meridian-Government Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam

10/11/2026

Join us!

RSVP: www.tmi.ms or call 601/483-2661.



Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Ochsner Rush Health The Free Clinic of Meridian The Montgomery Institute EC-HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program East Mississippi Business Development Corporation Community Foundation of East Mississippi Weems Community Mental Health Center City of Meridian-Government The Meridian Star WMOX Radio Supertalk Meridian 103.3 Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam

10/05/2026

Join CHIN for a special Breast Cancer Awareness Lunch & Learn on October 20 at noon at NorthPark Church. Learn about breast cancer risks, screening, early detection, and steps you can take to protect your health. Free lunch provided.

Ochsner Rush Health Baptist Cancer Center-Anderson Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center The Free Clinic of Meridian EC-HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program Weems Community Mental Health Center East Mississippi Business Development Corporation United Way of East Mississippi Community Foundation of East Mississippi Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam



RSVP - tmi.ms
or call 601/483-2661

https://youtu.be/C9_ZJpJ77Zg?si=hOUwe6L39BabTfp8

09/25/2026

It's not too late to RSVP!

Online: www.tmi.ms
Call: 601/483-2661

We'll see you there.

Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Baptist Cancer Center-Anderson Ochsner Rush Health Weems Community Mental Health Center EC-HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program The Free Clinic of Meridian City of Meridian-Government East Mississippi Business Development Corporation United Way of East Mississippi Community Foundation of East Mississippi Aldersgate Retirement Community Brookdale Senior Living The Preserve at Meridian Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam

09/18/2026

You know what to do. Register!!!

Online at www.tmi.ms
or call 601/483/2661

We will see you there.



Baptist Cancer Center-Anderson Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Ochsner Rush Health Weems Community Mental Health Center EC-HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program The Free Clinic of Meridian Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam City of Meridian-Government East Mississippi Business Development Corporation Community Foundation of East Mississippi

09/14/2026

Join us!

Register at www.tmi.ms
or call 601/483-2661



Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Ochsner Rush Health The Free Clinic of Meridian EC-HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program City of Meridian-Government Weems Community Mental Health Center Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam NorthPark Church

09/10/2026

Remembering Fannie Mae Johnson: A Life of Service

She fed people. She helped people. She taught others how to serve. And she made her community stronger.

The Community Health Improvement Network (CHIN) and The Montgomery Institute join our community in remembering and honoring Fannie Mae Johnson, a woman whose life demonstrated what it truly means to be a servant.

For decades, Fannie's work at L.O.V.E.'s Kitchen was rooted in a simple but powerful mission: feed the masses.

But Fannie understood that feeding people meant more than satisfying hunger. A nutritious meal could support someone's physical health. A welcoming table could provide connection and encouragement. Treating someone with dignity could help restore hope.

Her service often happened quietly, one person and one need at a time.

That is the Fannie that Beverly Knox, President of The Montgomery Institute and CHIN, remembers—not only the community leader everyone knew, but the woman working behind the scenes to make someone's life a little better.

“Fannie’s instructions about serving food with our Lunch & Learns at Community Health Improvement Network (CHIN) will never be forgotten. We will be forever grateful for her advice and guidance, which still stand today. That was Fannie just being Fannie—protecting us with her ServSafe knowledge. Not only did she teach, but she helped us serve at our Lunch & Learn events.”

And Fannie's definition of service didn't stop at the kitchen door.

Knox remembers working alongside her to meet needs that many people would never see.

“I’m thankful for working with Fannie behind the scenes—whether it was filling the need for a new pair of work boots or getting someone a shower for a job interview. She was a jewel in our community and is already missed.”

Those moments tell us something important about Fannie Mae Johnson.

She saw the person behind the need.

A pair of work boots wasn't simply a pair of boots. It might mean someone could go to work. A shower wasn't simply about getting clean. It could mean walking into a job interview with confidence and dignity. A meal wasn't simply food. It was nourishment, fellowship and the knowledge that someone cared.

That philosophy closely reflects what CHIN works to promote throughout our community: health is about the whole person. Physical health, mental well-being, nutrition, human connection and access to resources are intertwined.

Fannie lived those principles long before they became talking points.

Knox perhaps summarizes her legacy best:

“We thank God for the life of Fannie Johnson, a servant who touched so many lives in our community. Fannie’s exemplary example of servanthood and her legacy will live on through the mission to serve at L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen and through all of us who were blessed to be called a friend of Fannie Johnson.”

Fannie's legacy challenges all of us to look around, notice what another person might need, and do what we can to help.

Feed someone. Encourage someone. Teach someone. Help someone take the next step. Serve without needing recognition.

That is how a community becomes healthier.

And that is how we can continue the work of a woman who spent so much of her life caring for Meridian.

Thank you, Fannie Mae Johnson. You didn't simply feed a community. You showed a community how to serve.

— The Montgomery Institute & Community Health Improvement Network (CHIN)



Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Baptist Cancer Center-Anderson Ochsner Rush Health EC-HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program The Free Clinic of Meridian East Mississippi Business Development Corporation East Mississippi HUB for Volunteers and Nonprofits City of Meridian-Government Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam

09/08/2026

Join us!

Register at www.tmi.ms
or call 693/483-2661

Your healthcare is our mission!



Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Baptist Cancer Center-Anderson Ochsner Rush Health EC-HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program The Free Clinic of Meridian Weems Community Mental Health Center City of Meridian-Government Beverly J. Knox Lacey Williams Richelle Putnam