Mid-South Peace & Justice Center

Tagline

Mobile menu contact icon

Mobile menu contact information

Archives for September 2018

by

Fight Service Cuts THIS THURSDAY! More MBRU in the News! Participatory Budgeting Town Hall!

Thanks again to WLOK’s Twana Coleman for having MBRU on her show, Let’s Talk About It!]
Greetings, transit warriors! This Thursday, the MATA Board of Commissioners will vote on all the service changes that would go into effect this fall. These changes include cutting seven routes, like the 31 Firestone, 46 Whitehaven, and 5 Central, and changing frequency and weekend service on many more. If these massive cuts go through, bus riders all over the city will have their jobs, schools, and livelihoods disrupted. Come to MATA Headquarters on September 27th at 3:30 and tell the Board how service cuts will affect you!
Also, MBRU leadership has been staying in the media talking about the need for more neighborhood bus service. Last Friday, our organizing coordinator Justin and outreach coordinator, Charles Johnson, were on Channel 3’s Live at 9 segment! They got to talk about who’s getting impacted the most by MATA’s plan, and how our vision lines up with bus riders around the country who are demanding more service. Watch the full interview here! This week, MBRU intern Roland Donnelly-Bullington published an article for a new outlet at Rhodes College called The Lynx Liberator: “I, as a person with a conscience, do sincerely hope we can make buses not only equitable but also pleasant to riders. But we cannot sacrifice our current riders to meet that goal…We owe it to our bus riders to provide them with equitable access to the city as is afforded to car owners.” Go here to read their excellent piece on why we should all care about MATA’s upcoming cuts!
Finally, our friends at Our Grass Our Roots have been educating the North Memphis area about participatory budgeting: it’s a new way of thinking about local government that focuses on how the community wants see their money used. Come to OGOR’s upcoming town hall to learn more and get involved! It’ll be Tuesday, October 9th at 6 PM, at the Hollywood Community Center (1560 N. Hollywood). Bus riders can get there on the #32 East Parkway!
***Take MBRU’s new TRANSIT SURVEY! We want to hear from riders all over Memphis about how you use MATA service in your neighborhoods. We’re working on making versions that are accessible for even more Memphians. Take the online version in English here, and here is la encuesta en Español. We’ll also have paper surveys at all our town halls this year!***
—–
MBRU holds meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 12-2 PM; our next meeting is October 13th at A Step Ahead Foundation, in the Crosstown Concourse. If you have any questions, or you’re interested in joining our work, contact organizer Justin Davis at justin@midsouthpeace.org. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see more updates!

by

Community Organizing Skills Training! Give $10 Towards 10K for 10 Years!

Join Mid-South Peace and Justice Center’s Community Organizing Skills Training on November 2, 3 & 4!

Our three-day Community Organizing Skills Training explores the foundational skills to be organizers and create systematic change in a group or community, keeping nonviolence as a foundation. This training is fully interactive and has direct application in each session. We use a combination of popular and experiential education, allowing participasnts to explore in a hands-on, direct manner, while also drawing out the expertise that the individual already has within.

Who should attend this Community Organizer Training?
Experienced and less-experienced organizers,  activists, community leaders and any one who wants to learn what ‘community organizing’ is all about.

Topics covered include:
Roles of Social Change, Campaign Planning, Facilitating Meetings, Working with Media and an intro to Nonviolent Direct Action.

Where: 1870 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104, IBEW Local 474
When: Friday, November 2:  6-9pm
Saturday, November 3:  9am-5pm
Sunday, November 4:   2-6:30pm
****** No partial attendance allowed ******
Cost: If your annual income is:
Less than $15,000             You pay: $30
$15,000-$25,000                             $50
$25,000-$35,000                             $100
$35,000-$45,000                             $150
$45,000-$55,000                             $225
$55,000 -$65,000                             $300
Over $65,000                                  $375
Organizational budget over $65K      $375

REGISTER HERE!

Sliding scale based on the individual’s income. If your organization is sending you to the training, use the organizational budget to determine the fee. Please consider that it costs MSPJC $200+ per person to do the training.
Fee includes 14+ hours of training, simple snacks, light breakfast and lunch on Saturday, materials and follow up support from a network of the mid-south’s best organizers and activists.
Some scholarships may be available, please request scholarship application by email.
Donations for workshop scholarships gratefully accepted!

Registration online or by phone is required for all trainings.
For more information call 901-725-4990, email to gio@midsouthpeace.org

———————————————————————————————-

10 for 10! G.O.T. Power started in 2008 with a commitment to growing our community’s capacity through building skills in grassroots organizing, providing support to people doing community work and offering anti-oppression and liberation education. It’s our goal to get $10K, in the next six months, to make sure that this unique and affordable anti-oppression education continues.

Donate $10 or more! https://midsouthpeace.org/10for10

————————————————————————————————-

Please contact us to get more information and schedule a training in your group or community. Fees are negotiable, scholarships are available and donations for scholarships are greatly appreciated. Trainings can be designed specifically for established groups, organizations, campaigns, coalitions, etc. Comprehensive weekend workshops on specific organizing skill sets, issue or community-specific formats are available.

Trainings in Spanish are also available. All trainings are offered in English or Spanish as requested. We work and collaborate with bilingual trainers and facilitators.
G.O.T Poder – Entrenamientos en Español

For more information visit G.O.T.Power or write to GotPower@midsouthpeace.org

≈• Please Let Us Know What You Think ≈•
The Training Department of the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center (G.O.T. Power) would like to hear from the movement community. We want to know what you think about us and how we could better support your work or group! Please take a couple minutes to complete this short survey. This survey is for everyone, whether you have attended a workshop or not! Feel free to list your name or remain anonymous.
G.O.T Power Survey

by

 H.O.P.E.’s New Meeting Space!

This October, the Memphis Center for Independent Living will be moving to East Memphis. H.O.P.E. has had meetings there for at least 5 years but we have decided to keep our up with our constituents in Midtown and look for another space that serves our community. We will be having our first meeting at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on October 3rd, 2018. While we are saddened that we will not see our friends at MCIL as much, we promise to keep in touch and attend all their events. Thank you so much for partnering with H.O.P.E., MBRU, and MSPJC throughout the years MCIL and much success at your new location! We can’t wait to be at St. Mary’s as to increase our membership and better serve those experiencing homelessness. Thank you to Rev. Andy for allowing us to use the space!

GIVE  H.O.P.E. 2018

It’s time for the 2nd annual GIVE H.O.P.E fundraiser! H.O.P.E. is proud to announce our new annual fundraiser where we celebrate the achievements of H.O.P.E with a night full of laughter, food, and fun. The night will consist of dinner, entertainment , door prizes, buttons, t-shirts, and the Bridge street paper for sale and video of the past with H.O.P.E. The tickets are $20 online at eventbrite or at the door, and $140.00 for a sponsored table of 8. The sponsored table also gets notable mention and an ad in the program. The proceeds of the event will go to H.O.P.E’s outreach efforts, including bus passes and shelter vouchers, given to those experiencing homelessness, as well as to St. Mary’s Pop Top Ministry, which provides snack bags to those men and women experiencing homelessness every Saturday. GIVE H.OP.E. will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (700 Poplar) from 3-6 PM. Please come out and celebrate this worthy cause!  ~GET TICKETS NOW~

Project Homeless Connect 2018

It’s getting close! Project Homeless Connect 2018 is right around the corner, and HOPE wants YOU… to volunteer at this day-long service provider fair, where those people experiencing homelessness can access a host of services and resources under one roof. These services often include housing assessments, minor medical clinics, job resources, haircuts, and more.. It is on October 11, starting at 8AM and will be held at the Cook Convention Center. Volunteer registration is now open, and you can choose from a list of duties and time-slots that best meet your availability and specific interest! For more info, and to register, just go to www.cafth.org. Also when you receive a confirmation about your shift, you will get an email to sign up for trainings as well.

For more information about how you can help donate or support HOPE or those who do the work to combat homelessness,or would like to put on a HOPE shirt and volunteer,  contact Tamara Hendrix, (901)725.4990 or  tamara@midsouthpeace.org.

Feed the Movement!

H.O.P.E. would like to thank Marcos Pizza for providing pizzas for the H.O.P.E meetings on the 1st Wednesday of the month! H.O.P.E  is a supportive advocacy group for people with the experiences of homelessness. 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 that day. Also we would like to thank another one of our new sponsors, Hattie B’s! Please give these businesses your service and tell them H.O.P.E. sent you!

How can you help? You can help by donating prepared foods on Wednesdays to our meeting that afternoon. 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. Neither of those options seem feasible for you presently? We are also looking for restaurants willing to donate food to our meetings. As always, all forms of donations are completely tax deductible.

If you would like to discuss how you can offer support to HOPE please call Tamara @ 901-254-5964 or email tamara@midsouthpeace.org.

by

  Become a JJP Partner Today!

Are you part of an organization that offers mentorship, educational opportunities, free vocational skills training, or ways to connect our teens to their community through service? Then we are looking for you!

The Juvenile Justice Project is working with Juvenile Court to build networks of churches and organizations to address our high number of youth offenders and the lack of opportunities for court ordered community service, specifically in the areas of Hickory Hill & Bartlett. We believe that youth are the solution, not the problem so we work with these teens to help them find their place in their  communities through transformative service opportunities. Studies continue to show that punitive measures often lead to a continued life of crime as opposed to seeking more rehabilitative opportunities, MSPJC firmly adheres to the idea of working with those most affected by the issues. Help us build a better Memphis and partner with our youth by signing up today!

The work of the Juvenile Justice Project unfortunately does not fund itself and we need your help! You can donate online at https://midsouthpeace.org/get-involved/donate-now/ and help keep the movement going!

by

JJP Goes to Memphis Buisiness Academy

This week Faith and Paul from MSPJC have been spending the week at Memphis Business Academy in Frayser teaching students about their rights! Joined by Kyresha Goodman, a summer intern who continues to help with the work of the JJP, they are teaching the students what their rights are. Each day they are taking over a different grade’s English class to host Know Your Rights Workshops with the teens. They have had a great time getting to know the students.

Teacher Darren Clark said “It’s great that you’re coming out here. They need to know this. Sometimes they might get angered with police but they need to know how to deal with it until they get home.”

Most of us, even us “woke” folks, have been well schooled on what we think our rights are when it comes to encounters with police officers. Cop dramas and movies have informed many of our beliefs about the way police interact with the public, and often this has shaped the way we engage with law enforcement in real life either consciously or unconsciously. Memphis United and the Juvenile Justice Project (JJP) want to clear up these misconceptions so that we can all be successful when we encounter law enforcement.These unique workshops use interactive theatre to educate young people about their rights and how to better communicate with law enforcement. Participants become the actors playing out real-life scenarios without the real-life consequences of an encounter law enforcement.

We love going all over the city and working with students. Let us come to you! Our workshops are free, interactive, and help tie in the constitution. We can work around your schedule. To bring us to your school, youth group, or other organization reach out to Faith Pollan at faith@midsouthpeace.org or call the center at 901-725-4990.

The work of the Juvenile Justice Project unfortunately does not fund itself and we need your help! You can donate online at https://midsouthpeace.org/get-involved/donate-now/ and help keep the movement going!

by

 Spotlight on H.O.P.E.: Meet Charlotte Turner

Earlier is year, the TN State legislature passed a bill instituting work requirements for individuals who receive benefits like SNAP, WIC, and Families First. Individuals are now, often required to complete 30 hours of community service a week in order to maintain their benefits. The Mid-South Peace & Justice Center and H.O.P.E. have partnered with America Works, the organization tasked with overseeing compliance with this process, to help provide a means for individuals to complete their required hours, and keep their benefits, taking into consideration the hardship this creates for those that already struggle with barriers to mobility and childcare. H.O.P.E. receives applicants from America Works that assist with daily operations. H.O.P.E. has been fortunate to work with a number of wonderful people through this process,but there is one particular one who has stood out, and her name is Charlotte Turner. From day one, she has been a tremendous help, by not only filling in for our secretary position and taking and typing the notes, but even sponsoring a meal from time to time. We appreciate you Charlotte! Thank you for all you do for H.O.P.E.!

GIVE  H.O.P.E 2018

It’s almost time for the 2nd annual GIVE H.O.P.E fundraiser! H.O.P.E. is proud to announce our new annual fundraiser where we celebrate the achievements of H.O.P.E with a night full of laughter, food, and fun. The night will consist of dinner, entertainment , door prizes, buttons, t-shirts, and the Bridge street paper for sale and video of the past with H.O.P.E. The tickets are $20 online at eventbrite or at the door, and $140.00 for a sponsored table of 8. The sponsored table also gets notable mention and an ad in the program. The proceeds of the event will go to H.O.P.E’s outreach efforts, including bus passes and shelter vouchers, given to those experiencing homelessness, as well as to St. Mary’s Pop Top Ministry, which provides snack bags to those men and women experiencing homelessness every Saturday. GIVE H.OP.E. will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (700 Poplar) from 3-6 PM. Please come out and celebrate this worthy cause!  ~GET TICKETS NOW~

Project Homeless Connect 2018

It’s getting close! Project Homeless Connect 2018 is right around the corner, and HOPE wants YOU… to volunteer at this day-long service provider fair, where those people experiencing homelessness can access a host of services and resources under one roof. These services often include housing assessments, minor medical clinics, job resources, haircuts, and more.. It is on October 11, starting at 8AM and will be held at the Cook Convention Center. Volunteer registration is now open, and you can choose from a list of duties and time-slots that best meet your availability and specific interest! For more info, and to register, just go to www.cafth.org.

For more information about how you can help donate or support HOPE or those who do the work to combat homelessness,or would like to put on a HOPE shirt and volunteer,  contact Tamara Hendrix, (901)725.4990 or  tamara@midsouthpeace.org.

Feed the Movement!

H.O.P.E. would like to thank Marcos Pizza for providing pizzas for the H.O.P.E meetings on the 1st Wednesday of the month! H.O.P.E  is a supportive advocacy group for people with the experiences of homelessness. 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 that day. Also we would like to thank another one of our new sponsors , Hattie B’s! Please give these businesses your service and tell them H.O.P.E. sent you!

How can you help? You can help by donating prepared foods on Wednesdays to our meeting that afternoon. 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. Neither of those options seem feasible for you presently? We are also looking for restaurants willing to donate food to our meetings. As always, all forms of donations are completely tax deductible.

If you would like to discuss how you can offer support to HOPE please call Tamara @ 901-254-5964 or email tamara@midsouthpeace.org.

by

MATA Votes on Service Cuts in 2 WEEKS! MBRU Meeting Recap! Transportation Utility Fee Proposed!

Greetings, transit warriors! In 2 weeks, the MATA Board of Commissioners will vote on service changes that would go into effect this fall. These changes include cutting seven routes, like the 31 Firestone and 5 Central, and changing frequency and weekend service on many more–read the full list here. If these massive cuts go through, bus riders all over the city will have their jobs, schools, and livelihoods disrupted. Come to MATA Headquarters on Thursday, September 27 at 3:30 to see the Board vote on these changes!
Also, we had a great time at our September meeting! We talked about strategies for expanding our outreach, planned for upcoming town halls, and weighed some of the pros and cons of a transportation utility fee. We also welcomed some new members and guests–we’re always looking for folks who are invested in better transit, so tell a friend to come join us!  Our next meeting will be Saturday, October 13th from 12-2 PM at A Step Ahead Foundation (Suite 451 in the Crosstown Concourse). 
Finally, we want to highlight the conversation happening in City Council about a transportation utility fee. Councilman Edmund Ford, Jr. has proposed adding a flat fee to MLGW bills that would go to fixing potholes and sidewalks, and potentially create a dedicated funding source for MATA. MBRU is waiting to see what a full proposal for this fee would look like, and how it would impact working-class Memphians. Check out this article by Maya Smith in the Memphis Flyer.
***Take MBRU’s new TRANSIT SURVEY! We want to hear from riders all over Memphis about how you use MATA service in your neighborhoods. We’re working on making versions that are accessible for even more Memphians. Take the online version in English here, and here is la encuesta en Español. We’ll also have paper surveys at all our town halls this year!***
—–
MBRU holds meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 12-2 PM; our next meeting is October 13th at A Step Ahead Foundation, in the Crosstown Concourse. If you have any questions, or you’re interested in joining our work, contact organizer Justin Davis at justin@midsouthpeace.org. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see more updates!

by

 Give $10 Towards 10K for 10 Years!     

 

Check the newsletter every week for curios details of this 10 years of G.O.T. Power

10 for 10:We are raising 10K for G.O.T. Power, Grassroots Organizers Training for Power’s 10 anniversary!

10 Years: G.O.T. Power started in 2008 with a commitment to growing our community’s capacity through building skills in grassroots organizing, providing support to people doing community work and offering anti-oppression and liberation education. Using Popular and Direct Education methodology that directly confronts and challenges the current system of injustice and oppression. Direct Education is about liberation and empowerment and going to the direct source of wisdom: the community itself!

$10: We need your support to continue offering affordable training opportunities for people who are doing great work in our communities. Your donation will help us provide scholarships for people of color, training materials, increase our reach, advertise, and more. We are asking you to give $10 in honor of our 10 years of training in the Mid-South.

10K: It’s our goal to get $10K, in the next six months, to make sure that this unique and affordable anti-oppression education continues.

Donate $10 or more! https://midsouthpeace.org/10for10

———————————————————————————————-
Community Organizing Skills Training: November 2-4, 2018!

Join Mid-South Peace and Justice Center’s Community Organizing Skills Training on November 2, 3 & 4!

Our three-day Community Organizing Skills Training explores the foundational skills to be organizers and create systematic change in a group or community, keeping nonviolence as a foundation.

This training is fully interactive and has direct application in each session. We use a combination of popular and experiential education, allowing participasnts to explore in a hands-on, direct manner, while also drawing out the expertise that the individual already has within.

Who should attend this Community Organizer Training?
Experienced and less-experienced organizers,  activists, community leaders and any one who wants to learn what ‘community organizing’ is all about.

Topics covered include:
Roles of Social Change, Campaign Planning, Facilitating Meetings, Working with Media and an intro to Nonviolent Direct Action.

Where: 1870 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104, IBEW Local 474
When: Friday, November 2:  6-9pm
Saturday, November 3:  9am-5pm
Sunday, November 4:   2-6:30pm

****** No partial attendance allowed ******

Cost: If your annual income is:
Less than $15,000             You pay: $30
$15,000-$25,000                             $50
$25,000-$35,000                             $100
$35,000-$45,000                             $150
$45,000-$55,000                             $225
$55,000 -$65,000                             $300
Over $65,000                                  $375
Organizational budget over $65K      $375

REGISTER HERE!

Sliding scale based on the individual’s income. If your organization is sending you to the training, use the organizational budget to determine the fee. Please consider that it costs MSPJC $200+ per person to do the training.
Fee includes 14+ hours of training, simple snacks, light breakfast and lunch on Saturday, materials and follow up support from a network of the mid-south’s best organizers and activists.
Some scholarships may be available, please request scholarship application by email.
Donations for workshop scholarships gratefully accepted!

Registration online or by phone is required for all trainings.
For more information call 901-725-4990, email to gio@midsouthpeace.org

———————————————————————————————-

———————————————————————————————-
G.O.T. Power at Campaign Non-Violence Memphis: Week of Action!

This September 15-23, 2018, Campaign Nonviolence is organizing its week of action where peace and justice groups across the world are planning marches, events, civil disobedience, etc. to stand in solidarity. G.O.T. Power will be there, providing a Nonviolent Communication Training with our Training Director, Gio Lopez; Monday, September 17th, 6 – 8:30 pm (Location to be announced.)

For more info, visit: cnvmemphis.org

Please contact us to get more information and schedule a training in your group or community. Fees are negotiable, scholarships are available and donations for scholarships are greatly appreciated. Trainings can be designed specifically for established groups, organizations, campaigns, coalitions, etc. Comprehensive weekend workshops on specific organizing skill sets, issue or community-specific formats are available.

Trainings in Spanish are also available. All trainings are offered in English or Spanish as requested. We work and collaborate with bilingual trainers and facilitators.
G.O.T Poder – Entrenamientos en Español

For more information visit G.O.T.Power or write to GotPower@midsouthpeace.org

                                                ≈• Please Let Us Know What You Think ≈•
The Training Department of the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center (G.O.T. Power) would like to hear from the movement community. We want to know what you think about us and how we could better support your work or group! Please take a couple minutes to complete this short survey. This survey is for everyone, whether you have attended a workshop or not! Feel free to list your name or remain anonymous.
G.O.T Power Survey

 

by

MBRU Meeting THIS Saturday! MATA Votes on Service Changes in 3 Weeks! Transportation Utility Fee Proposed!

Greetings, transit warriors! It’s almost time for our next member meeting! This will be on Saturday, September 8th from 12-2 PM at A Step Ahead Foundation (Suite 451 in the Crosstown Concourse). We’ll go over MATA’s proposed service changes, debrief on the campaign so far, and talk more about strategies bus riders are using to make change around the country. We’re always looking for new members, so tell a friend to come join us!
Also, we’ve been concerned about MATA’s proposed round of service changes that would go into effect this fall. These changes include cutting seven routes, and changing frequency and weekend service on many more–read the full list here. With this many changes in the works, we need to make sure riders’ needs are represented before MATA votes on them at their September Board meeting. Come to MATA Headquarters on Thursday, September 27 at 3:30 to see the Board vote on these changes!
Finally, we want to highlight the conversation happening in City Council about a transportation utility fee. Councilman Edmund Ford, Jr. has proposed adding a flat fee to MLGW bills that would go to fixing potholes and sidewalks, and potentially create a dedicated funding source for MATA. MBRU is waiting to see what a full proposal for this fee would look like, and how it would impact working-class Memphians. Check out this article by Maya Smith in the Memphis Flyer.
***Take MBRU’s new TRANSIT SURVEY! We want to hear from riders all over Memphis about how you use MATA service in your neighborhoods. We’re working on making versions that are accessible for even more Memphians. Take the online version in English here, and here is la encuesta en Español. We’ll also have paper surveys at all our town halls this year!***
—–
MBRU holds meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 12-2 PM; our next meeting is September 8th at A Step Ahead Foundation, in the Crosstown Concourse. If you have any questions, or you’re interested in joining our work, contact organizer Justin Davis at justin@midsouthpeace.org. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see more updates!

by

Give HOPE 2018!

It’s almost time for the 2nd annual GIVE H.O.P.E. fundraiser! H.O.P.E. is proud to announce our new annual fundraiser where we celebrate the achievements of H.O.P.E with a night full of laughter, food, and fun. The night will consist of dinner, entertainment , door prizes, buttons, t-shirts, and the Bridge Street Paper for sale and video of the past with H.O.P.E. The tickets are $20 online at eventbrite or at the door, and $140.00 for a sponsored table of 8. The sponsored table also gets notable mention and an ad in the program. The proceeds of the event will go to H.O.P.E.’s outreach efforts, including bus passes and shelter vouchers, given to those experiencing homelessness, as well as to St. Mary’s Pop Top Ministry, which provides snack bags to those men and women experiencing homelessness every Saturday. GIVE H.OP.E. will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (700 Poplar) from 3-6 PM. Please come out and celebrate this worthy cause! GET TICKETS NOW!

 

Want to help transform your community? Join our monthly giving program #MyMSPJC Sustainers!