Keesler Federal Bright Futures Initiative Provides School Supplies for 7,550 Mississippi Gulf Coast Students
Annual community giveback helps local families and schools prepare for the new school year
Gulfport, MS. (July 21, 2026) — Keesler Federal Credit Union is helping thousands of Mississippi Gulf Coast students start the school year ready to learn through its annual Bright Futures initiative, the credit union's largest community giveback program.
This year, Keesler Federal is providing essential school supplies for 7,550 students attending 72 public schools in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River and Stone counties. On July 21, Keesler Federal volunteers will distribute supplies to participating school districts from Coastal Prints in Gulfport.
"Every child deserves the opportunity to begin the school year with confidence and the supplies they need to succeed," said James Hollingsworth, Chairman of the Board of Keesler Federal, who began the effort seven years ago. "Through Bright Futures, we're proud to partner with local school districts to invest in students, support educators and help families across the communities we serve."
Launched in 2019, Bright Futures provides school supplies for public-school kindergarten students throughout Keesler Federal's geographic service areas. The initiative began with 16 public school districts across Mississippi's six coastal counties and has since expanded to communities including Hattiesburg, Jackson, Jefferson Parish, and St. Tammany Parish.
For the 2026–27 school year, Keesler Federal is investing approximately $360,000 to provide supplies for 19,500 students at 201 public schools across Mississippi and Louisiana. Since the program began, Bright Futures has provided essential school supplies to nearly 90,000 kindergarten students entering school.
The initiative is designed to help ease the financial pressures families and educators face during the back-to-school season while supporting students as they begin their academic journeys.
Parents in participating school districts should contact their schools directly for information about receiving Bright Futures school supplies. Supplies are distributed through participating schools and are not available at Keesler Federal branch locations.
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Bright Futures – By the Numbers |
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Mississippi Coastal Region in 2026 |
Across Louisiana and Mississippi in 2026 |
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5 school districts participating |
27 total school districts participating |
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72 Public Schools |
201 Public Schools |
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7,500 Students |
19,500 Students |
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Historical Data – Totals Since 2019 |
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90,000 kindergarten students have received school supplies for their first day of school |
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$2.5 million total investment |
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About Keesler Federal
Established in 1947 in Biloxi, Keesler Federal is the largest credit union headquartered in Mississippi, with more than 390,000 members and $5 billion in assets. Named by Newsweek and Forbes in 2026 as one of the best credit unions in America, the not-for-profit cooperative has more than 50 branches in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the UK. Keesler Federal membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school within its service areas. For more information, visit KFCU.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube.
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