News

[MBRU members, allies, and supporters packed the room at MATA’s September Board meeting!]

Greetings, transit warriors! Our next member meeting is THIS Saturday, and we want you to join the movement! We know that riders have power when they get together to hold our system accountable. We’ll be talking about the Board meeting, elections, and more on October 13th from 12-2 PM at the Crosstown Concourse (1350 Concourse Ave)! Look for our signs and find us at A Step Ahead Foundation’s office on the 4th floor.

Also, we have another neighborhood town hall coming up soon! We’ll be at the Orange Mound Community Center (2572 Park) on Thursday, October 18th from 5-7 PM. We wanna talk with residents of Orange Mound, Bethel Grove, and surrounding neighborhoods about how to make MATA service work better for you. Hop on the #57 Park bus and join us!

Finally, MBRU leadership has been keeping up the conversation in the media about MATA service cuts. Organizer Justin Davis and Cynthia Bailey went back on the radio Monday for Twana Coleman’s show, Let’s Talk About It! On WLOK, the two talked about Bird scooters and bike lanes, transit racism, and MATA’s upcoming Board meeting on October 25th. Justin also spoke to High Ground news for an article about Memphis 3.0’s plan to get $30 million in funding for transit: “I mean, for us as a city, we need to get out of this kind of trajectory where we cut service, ridership goes down, so more service gets cut and it really creates this dangerous cycle where eventually what we’re left with is a bare-bones system,” he said. “Neighborhood service is really important for many people to get from where they live to where the jobs are.” Read the full article here!

***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!***

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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!

This October 13th, H.O.P.E. is having a Saturday Funday picnic at Shelby Farms from 9:00 am to 5 pm. Since it is a potluck, we’re asking that everyone who attends please bring a dish as well their families and children! We will have games, food, and entertainment! All are welcome but we are particularly asking those who experience homelessness, their families, and those who serve people experiencing homelessness (case workers, therapists, etc.) please attend! We hope that this will great time for everyone to get to know each other without all the red tape and appointments and just relax. We are so glad to have our sponsors, Medtronic, Idlewild Presbyterian Church, St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, and many more! If you would like to donate money or a food item, please contact Tamara Hendrix at 901-254-5964.

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 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 the training 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 our 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

Last Thursday the Juvenile Justice Project  continued our yearly tradition of visiting Austin Crowder’s US Government class at Soulsville Charter School. Mr. Crowder takes a unique approach at teaching government through modern case studies and relating their lessons to the lives of students. As part of that learning process, Mr. Crowder brings us in every year to facilitate our Know Your Rights Theatre workshops with his students, helping them understand the importance of the constitution and how it applies to their day to day lives. We value this partnership and love meeting his students every year. If you are interested in us coming to your school contact Faith Pollan at faith@midsouthpeace.org.

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.

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!

Greeting, transit warriors! Thanks so much to everyone who phonebanked our neighbors, passed out flyers, and pulled comment cards at the MATA Board meeting. The Board has decided to delay their vote on service cuts while they take the community’s feedback and adjust. Here’s some coverage from the Commercial Appeal:

“People packed a MATA meeting room Thursday afternoon, spilling into the hallway and an overflow room. They chanted “stop the cuts,” and some told board members they were out of touch with Memphis residents who rely on bus service to travel to work, church or the grocery store.”

This is a big win for bus riders, but the fight isn’t over! MATA says that will have an updated list of changes before their Board meeting on October 25th.

Also, we want you to join the movement! We know that riders have power when they get together to hold our system accountable. We’ll be talking about the Board meeting, elections, and more at our next member meeting: Saturday, October 13th from 12-2 PM at the Crosstown Concourse! Come talk transit, or ask us how to become a member!

Finally, we have another neighborhood town hall coming up soon! We’ll be at the Orange Mound Community Center (2572 Park) on Thursday, October 18th from 5-7 PM. We wanna talk with residents of Orange Mound, Bethel Grove, and surrounding neighborhoods about how to make MATA service work better for you. Hop on the #57 Park bus and join us!

***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!

This October 13th, H.OP.E. is having a Saturday Funday picnic at Shelby Farms from 9:00 am to 5 p.m. Since it is a potluck, we are asking that everyone who attends please bring a dish as well their families and children! We will have games, food, and entertainment! All are welcome but we are particularly asking those who experience homelessness, their families, and those who serve people experiencing homelessness (case workers, therapists, etc.) please attend! We hope that this will great time for everyone to get to know each other without all the red tape and appointments and just relax. We are so glad to have our sponsors, Medtronic, Idlewild Presbyterian Church, St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, and many more! If you would like to donate money or a food item, please contact Tamara Hendrix at 901-254-5964.

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 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.

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!

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

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.

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!