Since the start of his freshman year in September 2020, Jackson McArthur has made an extraordinary contribution to Oxford Community Market during his time as an undergraduate student at the University of Mississippi. Jackson reached out to OXCM in 2020 with an interest in working to reduce food insecurity in the LOU community. He then led an effort to reduce food waste on campus by reaching out to sorority/fraternity houses on campus in order to package and distribute their food to in-need communities.
“I have worked with hundreds of UM student and community volunteers over the past decade in my role with OXCM, and Jackson’s service far exceeds any effort I have ever seen from either a student or a community volunteer,” said OXCM director Betsy Chapman.
Through his extensive work with the Market and his outstanding capacity as a student leader, Jackson helped establish the OXCM Flower of Life Volunteer Squad, a community-student collaboration founded September 2020. This group was originally founded in response to the COVID-19 crisis to meet basic needs, address food insecurity, build community connections, and provide educational/enrichment activities in underserved communities.
Since establishing OXCM Flower of Life in 2020, Jackson has lead grassroots community work days every Friday afternoon during the academic year and has made the following impacts:
- Establishing a Food Rescue program to collect food from Greek organizations and systems to deliver meals, fresh produce and household supplies to neighbors in income-based housing neighborhoods
- Establishing and maintaining a neighborhood garden for income-based housing residents
- Establishing ongoing gardening education programs for children in income-based housing neighborhoods
- Establishing the OXCM Student Leadership Board to expand opportunities for UM students to engage in grassroots community work
- Establishing the OXCM Community Connections Committee to engage residents of income-based housing in grassroots community work
Jackson’s hard work and dedication have had tremendous impacts this year alone and have facilitated the following:
- Over 15,000 meals served in three income-based housing neighborhoods
- Over 250 student volunteers engaged
- Over 3,000 hours of collective community engaged service hours from UM students facilitated by his leadership
Jackson has displayed an uncommon level of initiative, reliability, passion for equitable distribution of resources, and commitment to doing the hard work of building sustainable systems and grassroots coalitions to meet community needs. It is thanks to his innovation and drive that organizations like OXCM and their grassroots community are able to work to reduce food insecurity. Thanks to this program’s development and expansion, many local people located in income-based housing receive food every Friday that school is in session. Jackson cares deeply about all people, as evidenced by his efforts, and truly goes the extra mile constantly to ensure everyone’s success. His positive attitude and dependability inspires his peers and mentors.
Jackson, an Honors College and Croft Institute student, graduates in May 2024 and will continue his education as a UM School of Law student in August.
“His steadfast work has touched so many lives and fed so many families in need,” Chapman said.
