The Mid-South Peace and Justice Center is thrilled to announce the completion of the 2011 Memphis Survival Guide (MSG.) MSG is a an updated version of our handheld user-friendly directory of all homeless service providers, runaway services, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, shelter and meal services offered in the City of Memphis.
The guide also includes information on the Memphis/Shelby County Emergency Housing Partnership (260-HOME) as well as a daily schedule of meal services, including some maps and pictures to aid clients in finding the services that they need. We have included information about our friends at Food not Bombs and our discussion group for the homeless who are victims of harassment. As well as Grassroots Organizing Training (G.O.T. Power) program in hopes of helping the homeless to be able to effectively advocate and organize on their own behalf.
In the coming weeks, we will be working to distribute 5000 copies of this guide to various service providers, church congregations, neighborhood and community organizations and directly to those directly homeless themselves in the coming weeks.
This includes organizations and local government agencies who’s work also interacts with those who are unsheltered. This includes the Shelby County Public Defender’s office, Shelby County Division of Corrections, General Sessions Pre-Trial Services, Memphis Emergency Medical Services, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and the American Red Cross.
Not only will this guide help those in need find the services they require, but we also feel it will help service providers by reducing the time they have to spend calling, searching and directing client groups that are outside of their scope of service to other providers. The clients will already know which providers do what and when.
Special thanks to Mairi Albertson with Memphis Housing and Community Development, and Nancy Bailey of the University of Memphis Tiger graphics. Peace and Justice Center Staff and interns, Gio Lopez and Jeremy Herman. Thank you all very much for your hard work.
StreetWatch Initiative
StreetWatch is a project of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center and a team from the Homelessness Caucus of Occupy Memphis to document potential cases of police harassment and highlight the harsh realities of life on the streets of Memphis.
This team of volunteers are all individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness and in the coming weeks, videos of observed instances will be uploaded to our YouTube channel.
This also serves as a potential joint organizing opportunity for H.O.P.E. and Occupy Memphis in preventing/combating the rumored upcoming police sweep of those experiencing homelessness in the Downtown/medical district area that happens almost every holiday season.