An abandoned hotel off Highway 49 is being transformed into a community resource center for individuals experiencing homelessness and for others who are in need of support.
Reona Burnett, founder of the Mississippi Hub Complex, said the building will serve as a day center and community hub. Plans include showers, case workers, a therapist, legal services, a laundry room, pantries and a day center for those seeking assistance.
Burnett’s husband, Eric Burnett, who manages donations for the complex, found the space and purchased it with the goal of turning it into a facility that meets the needs of underserved populations.
Reona Burnett said the complex will also include an event space available for rental, and a restaurant to help fund the facility’s operations. The couple refers to the dining component as “dine-in with a cause.”
“The restaurant and the event space, we believe in thinking outside of the box, and we don’t want to depend on anyone to fund us,” Reona said. “Our whole journey has been self-funded since we started back in 2020, and so we want to continue that and not be obligated or having to depend on grants.”
The project will span three years and is divided into six phases. The first phase includes opening offices to begin offering services as soon as possible, particularly ahead of rising summer temperatures and potential storms.
Plans for the initial phase also include operating showers, installing mailboxes so individuals can use the address for benefit applications, and adding lockers for safe storage of personal belongings.
The Burnetts are encouraging involvement from University of Southern Mississippi students and the Hattiesburg community. They are seeking volunteers, sponsors, and donations, including clothing, hygiene products, undergarments and cleaning supplies.
“There are all kinds of ways the community can get involved to get it up and running,” Reona said. “They can volunteer, of course, they can donate, and they can sponsor a room.”
The couple is also asking for help with painting the building and assisting construction crews during upcoming renovations.
“We’re going to do all the painting ourselves,” Eric said. “The contractors won’t do any painting, so we want the community to come in and grab a brush and roll paint. I think that’ll be fun.”
Additional volunteers are needed to support marketing efforts and act as ambassadors to spread awareness about the project.
“You know, the biggest thing right now is that the community know what we are trying to do, but there are a lot of community members that don’t know,” Reona said. “So, we want to bridge that gap with our marketing team and get them out, and our ambassadors get them out, and just letting people know what we’re doing and how this is going to impact and benefit those in need.”
More information on how to get involved is available on the group’s Facebook page, “MS Hub Complex.”
