The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation

  • The Babcock Foundation’s mission is to help people and places move out of poverty and achieve greater social and economic justice. MRBF recognizes that poverty is complicated and multi-faceted. They believe in the need for significant changes in the systems and structures—laws, behaviors, attitudes, policies and institutions—that make a difference to people and their communities.

    We have been a proud partner to capture and develop stories that bring deep connection and understanding to their work.

    We’ve traveled extensively through Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky creating pieces to fill their ‘story bank’.

  • Strategy

    Photography

    Film Direction & Production

    Post-Production/Editing

    Activation/Communication Strategy

On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and within hours became one of the costliest and deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. 3,000 homes were destroyed by the wall of water that swept through Biloxi, Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina. Of the remaining 3,500 homes, all sustained damage from the storm. Communities like Biloxi, Mississippi are struggling with what has been left undone for Katrina survivors. However, in the face of immense challenge, the social justice infrastructure in Biloxi has never been stronger. Sustaining Hope: Rebuilding Biloxi profiles local efforts to recreate a just and vibrant community. With interviews from members of Hope CDA and the Mississippi Center for Justice, alongside community stories from local homeowners and fishermen, this video is a portrait of the local organizations working to bring Biloxi back. The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation has a long-term commitment to the people and places of the Gulf Coast. They believe that rebuilding efforts must address the historic inequalities laid bare by the storm, while bringing forward new strategies for equitable community and economic development.

The Center for Heirs’ Property began as a project of the Coastal Community Foundation (CCF) in 2002 with input from heirs’ property owners, attorneys, judges, nonprofit service providers and funders. In 2005, The Center was established as its own nonprofit to  meet the overwhelming need from low-income heirs’ property owners for free educational and direct legal services. The Center prevents land loss among low-wealth heirs’ property owners by helping them obtain clear title and keep their family land through legal education, legal and mediation services, community empowerment and free wills clinics. The Center also promotes sustainable land use for increased economic benefit to low-wealth family owners. Their work helps protect rural, family-owned land against urban sprawl and development, preserves the unique cultural heritage of Lowcountry communities, sustains the region’s diverse ecosystems, increases land value and income through sustainable forestry and agro-forestry management, and engages under-represented groups in land use dialogue and the value of land stewardship. This video introduces some of the clients The Center for Heirs’ Property is helping. 

Hurricane Katrina spawned the need for new construction and a skilled workforce all over the Gulf Coast. It also exacerbated already dire economic situations for low-income women in Mississippi. The Moore Community House, which serves low-income women and children in east Biloxi, found a way to address both of those needs when it launched its Women in Construction (WinC) program in 2008. Since then, the initiative has grown significantly to include training and certification in general construction, shipbuilding, welding, green jobs, disaster relief and other trade skills. More than 260 women have graduated so far, and through partnerships with companies across the Gulf Coast, 70 percent of them have gained employment or continued their educations in construction-related fields.