H.O.P.E. (Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality) will erect Tent City at Morris Park (747 Poplar Avenue) on THIS SATURDAY, May 5, 2018. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition is planning a National Housing Week of Action to bring awareness affordable housing for low-income recipients, and H.O.P.E is joining the fight! Currently the City of Memphis doesn’t invest anything in direct homeless services. The funding that is allocated for housing service providers in Memphis, comes largely from Federal grants, and in uncertain times like these, and with Presidential administrations and Congress being what they are, we think it’s incumbent on our Mayor and City Council People make a compassionate investment of local funding to address homelessness in the ‘City of Good Abode.’ Many people don’t even realize that Memphis doesn’t have a free shelter. The ones that do exist, are dangerous, often require participation in religious ceremonies as a prerequisite for services, and don’t comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. H.O.P.E’s Tent City will dramatize the plight of Memphis’ most vulnerable residents, and call on local officials to do more to address Memphis’ growing housing crisis.
At 2PM, we’ll begin with a rally, then there will be a community cookout, and to finish the evening, there will be a movie. H.O.P.E would like to make sure that this event serves our community and those directly affected by homelessness, so we chose Morris Park on Poplar Ave, where hundreds of those without homes, and those made poor by an unjust economic system, come in search of a meal on any given Saturday, provided by area churches.
How can the community help? We’re looking for tents, as well as a donations of bottled water and snacks for the actual day. We also need monetary donations to purchase National Low Income Housing Coalition’s stickers and t-shirts to wear In addition, we need volunteers to pass out snacks and to help with sign making. If you can donate to H.O.P.E.’s Tent City or volunteer, please contact Tamara by cell at (901) 254-5964 or by email at tamara@midsoutheace.org
Support H.O.P.E. – Feed the Movement!
One of the ways we learn about the needs of the homeless community and strategize around ways to best support one another, is through our weekly Wednesday meetings in which we invite people experiencing homelessness to fellowship, share, and brainstorm.For many groups and organizations offering free food at meetings is a plus for their attendees, but for H.O.P.E. it is a necessity due to the fact that most often the meal offered at H.O.P.E. meetings, may be the only meal they will have all day.
If you are an individual or a restaurant, you can help by donating a prepared meal, once a month, for our Wednesday afternoon meetings. Don’t have time to cook or buy prepared foods and bring them to our meeting space? We also accept monetary donations towards this cause.We’d like to give a special shoutout to Marco’s Pizza on Belvedere & Madison Ave for providing our meal, one week out of every month! As always, all forms of donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
If you have questions or would like to support to HOPE by making a donation, please call Tamara @ 901-254-5964 or email tamara@midsouthpeace.org.