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.
Welcome Aboard!
H.O.P.E. is pleased to welcome Jim V. Brown as our new AmeriCorps VISTA organizer. Jim is a Tennessee native, from Chattanooga. He moved to Nashville where he worked with Nashville Homeless Power Project, an organization that H.O.P.E. has looked to as an example of what we are trying to build here. Jim relocated to Memphis last fall and immediately began working closely with H.O.P.E., attending meetings, getting to know our members, leading outreach efforts, and learning the lay of the land. He has been an outspoken advocate for people experiencing homelessness for many years and we are excited that he will now be working with H.O.P.E. in a full time capacity. Its going to be a great year of grassroots organizing!Welcome aboard, Jim!
Women’s Caucus
The Women’s Caucus, co-sponsored by the Center 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. This Month, the WC were joined by Melinda Spiegel of the DeNeuville Learning Center, whose mission is to empower women to improve their lives through education and community. Melinda shared information with H.O.P.E. ladies about the different programs offered by the Center which are all a part of a comprehensive, holistic approach that focuses on educational, social, emotional, spiritual and economical needs of women in the community. We would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who has provided support to this effort both materially and financially! If you would like to donate to this worthy cause you can do so here: midsouthpeace.org/hopewomen
Another initiative being taken on by the group is the assemblage of care packages to conduct outreach specifically to women experiencing homelessness. These packages would contain essential sanitary items that can be hard to come by for many women who are without shelter, as well as a few special touches.
We want the women we share the care packages with to feel pampered, to know that some one does care about them,
said C.C. one of the organizers of the Women’s Caucus.
Special thanks this month to: Melinda Spiegel, The DeNeuville Learning Center, Rachel McCook, Ace Madjlesi, The Center for Research on Women at The University of Memphis, and the Memphis Center for Independent Living!
HOPE Garden Crew
HOPE Garden Crew is a member-led project of H.O.P.E. that is focused on developing community gardens. We are working to establish relationships within the community to beautify our neighborhoods and to educate ourselves on food security. The HOPE GC is proud to announce this month, that they have just received a New Community Garden grant from Grow Memphis to provide the GC with all the tools, supplies, and services they need to develop their community garden!
If you’d like to get involved with the HOPE Garden Crew, the best way is to join us in the garden! We meet every Saturday at the corner of Court & Watkins and you’re sure to see us with our shovels in hand! If you have additional questions or concerns, contact our project coordinators, Dallas or Julia.
Feeding the Movement
H.O.P.E would like to once again thank Memphis Center for Independent Living forproviding 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!