Welcome, Wanda Manning

Reprinted with permission from East Carroll Banner

A retired East Carroll Parish teacher was recently named the new director of Together for Hope, a nonprofit based in Lake Providence that works with East Carroll organizations, congregations, schools and individuals to foster community development.

Wanda Manning grew up in Lake Providence and, after getting her education degree at Northeast University, now ULM, taught elementary school for almost 33 years. She retired in 2020 and immediately joined Delta Interfaith, a coalition of congregations and organizations working across race, socio-economic and religious divides to build relationships, foster leadership skills and achieve change on issues affecting the health and well-being of folks in East Carroll Parish. 

Manning joined a Delta Interfaith task force researching how to get better internet for East Carroll residents, especially people who live in the rural areas. Manning immediately went to work as a digital navigator.

“Digital navigators assist people with digital problems as a way to bridge the digital divide in the community,” she said. “I go to homes or get on the phone and help people with technology issues they’re having. Doing this, we build trust and relationships. That's the glue that holds us together.”

Manning plans to continue building relationships and trust through Together for Hope. In past years, Together for Hope has organized a Bags of Hope program, which offers each child in the East Carroll community a district-approved mesh or clear backpack filled with school supplies. The organization also received a grant, due to the work of previous director Leah Lucas, to place a book vending machine at Southside Elementary. Children earn tokens for positive behavior and spend the tokens by selecting a book from the vending machine. Other past work has included tutoring, high school equivalency test prep, and other literacy activities.

Manning thinks literacy is the biggest challenge for East Carroll. “From pre-K to the 12th grade, with reading, and reading comprehension, there’s nothing a person can’t do. Even in math, you’ve got to read and you’ve got to understand.”

Thankfully, tutoring is a strength in the community, she said. “They’re going beyond the classroom to make sure the child gets what they need, and that’s extra help.”

Manning looks forward to “getting back into the schools, interacting with the children, helping and assisting where I’m needed. I desire to see the East Carroll community thrive.”