H.O.P.E. is a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center-sponsored organization whose members are exclusively people have formerly or are currently experiencing homelessness. Over the past several months, members have been working diligently to develop the structure and process of our organization in order to better address the issues that face our communities. HOPE has also developed different projects to address and deconstruct specific dimensions of what is a dynamic problem that continues to affect so many in the Mid-South and beyond.
For meeting times & dates: 901-300-0006.
Street Wise INK
Over a year ago, H.O.P.E. members embarked upon a project to start a worker-owned and operated t-shirt printing business to help provide income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. Dubbed “Street Wise INK”, members spent months developing bylaws and a business plan, and were awarded a grant from the Spark Plug Foundation to aid with the cost of training, supplies, and equipment. The group has been printing H.O.P.E. t-shirts and has taken on a few small orders, but one thing we have been missing is a permanent space to begin operating in a professional capacity.
Members of Street Wise INK and H.O.P.E. are thrilled to announce that this project has finally found a home at First Congregational Church, and will be moving in and preparing the space throughout this month. We would like to thank Julia Hicks, Director of Missions, and the Mission Development Committee at First Congo. Our members are no strangers to the church, which supports a number of diverse community projects and organizations. We are excited about being part of the First Congo community and know that this will be a great fit for the development of this project!
Point in Time Count
H.O.P.E. would like to thank all of our members, supporters and friends who volunteered for the the annual Point in Time Count last month. The Count is an annual survey of people experiencing homelessness on one given day of the year. This is required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to retain federal funding for important programs that address homelessness.
Results from the count also provide an accurate reflection of homelessness in Memphis, helping The Community Alliance for the Homeless better connect those in need to services and programs that can break the cycle of homelessness. It can be eye opening experience for many. Learning more about what others in our city experience on a daily basis helps tear down barriers to understanding and solidarity. Thanks especially to folks who were hitting the streets, clipboards in hand, at five in the morning! Results from the Count should be in soon. Watch this space for updates.
Women’s Caucus
The Women’s Caucus, co-sponsored by theCenter for Research on Women was formed to address the distinct experiences of our members who identify as women, confronting issues of domestic violence, Sexual assault, and the lack of adequate shelter and housing assistance for women experiencing homelessness.
The group meets regularly for “Dinner and Discussion,” out of which a core group of organizers emerged to focus on the unique challenges they face. One initiative discussed by the group is preparing care packages to conduct outreach specifically to women experiencing homelessness. These packages would be small, but would contain essential sanitary items that can be hard to come by for many women who are without shelter. If you would like to donate to support this initiative, you can make a donation to HOPE Women’s Caucus HERE. Any amount is sincerely appreciated. Stay tuned for more updates!
Street Watch
Last year, HOPE launched Street Watch, a campaign to confront and address numerous instances of police harassment of people experiencing homelessness and began hosting monthly ‘Know Your Rights’ workshops to educate the community on their rights and how to assert them. In October, we filed official complaints with internal affairs in response to the unjust arrests of Ashley Moore and Paul Garner, who were handcuffed while filming police who were attempting to unlawfully enter the Manna House, a local hospitality house for people experiencing homelessness. Their phones were confiscated and held as evidence, although all charges were later dismissed. Among other numerous complaints of harassment we have received from the unsheltered, are allegations that licensed vendors of The Bridge: the Memphis Street Paper, have been harassed while trying to sell papers, with one vendor being arrested.
Street Watch arranged a meeting between representatives of H.O.P.E., The Bridge, Manna House, Memphis Center for Independent Living and law enforcement officials at the Crump precinct to open a dialog with Memphis Police Department about these issues and suggest positive solutions that could prevent situations like this in the future, such as sensitivity training for officers, and the reinvigoration of a Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) that could provide better accountability and transparency to the community in the complaint process.
Street Watch is now working in conjunction with Memphis United Coalition around a broader spectrum of issues of racial discrimination, police harassment, and misconduct. Representatives will be meeting with elected officials about the need for an Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board. We met with staff members of Mayor A C Wharton’s office and will be working with them to set up a meeting with a delegation from our coalition to meet with the Mayor to find real solutions to these issues.
Feeding the Movement
H.O.P.E would like to once again thank Memphis Center for Independent Living for providing us with space for our meetings while we seek a permanent location.We would also like to thank Just for Lunch & Trolley Stop Market for providing some delicious food for our meetings. There are lots of ways to feed the movement, and we would like to thank all of our allies for their continued support. For more information about how you can support H.O.P.E. or our different project areas, please contact Paul Garner (901) 725.4990, or paul@midsouthpeace.org. Like H.O.P.E. on Facebook!