Door of Hope: Writing a Way Toward a Bright Future

Providing a safe landing for people to come, share a meal and connect with others in the community

“I think that the whole project [The Commons on Merton] is making a difference in the neighborhood and whole community. Door of Hope is just a piece of that, but it is fun being a piece of a bigger whole and a bigger mission.”

This quote is from Andy Jacuzzi, Executive Director of Door of Hope, in reference to his experience as a partner housed in The Commons, a shared-space community operated by the Center for Transforming Communities (CTC). Door of Hope (DOH) is a 501c3 non-profit that works with chronically homeless (a year or longer living on the streets or unsheltered or four episodes of homelessness during a three year period) with disabilities. The organization got its start back in 2005 when a group of individuals from the Midtown area of Memphis came together to seek ways to assist those without shelter who had been displaced from Downtown Memphis to Midtown.

Initially, DOH was a “safe landing” for people to come, share a meal and connect with others in the community. The program has since evolved into an organization that provides support services such as helping people who are unhoused obtain an ID or apply for benefits, as well as offering assistance with job searching and job readiness training. DOH currently owns two facilities. One of them houses 10 guests, each with their own room, and also houses the DOH support center. The other is a similar-style facility that houses 15 men and women.

One of the major assets within DOH is their writing group. It was started by a women named Ellen Pruitt. They meet every Wednesday from 1-2pm at the support center.  Participation is open to everyone.  Each week, the group is invited to write stories around a suggested topic and, for those who feel comfortable, read their stories aloud to the group.

Andy’s initial experience at DOH three years ago was with the writers group. He came in dressed in a suit as he would have in his previous corporate jobs. The topic for the day was ‘write about a time when you were in a situation where you were put with somebody that you felt like you had nothing in common with and write about how you found common ground.’ Andy, a man with a well-established career in business and marketing, having never worked with homeless persons before, found a message for him in this topic.

"I was sitting over there in the corner, uncomfortable being around homeless people and obviously out of place dressed in a suit.  As I listened to stories being read aloud, tears began to form and I was deeply moved.  I was ashamed of the way I felt coming in and just amazed by the stories that were being told.  It felt like a personal message from God to me about being judgmental.  Whatever it was, I was hooked from that day and have been here ever since."

The writing group has not only influenced Andy, it has also significantly impacted those in the community. There’s a newspaper called The Bridge in which all of its articles are written by homeless individuals, the majority being members of the writing group. Writers who contribute to The Bridge submit stories and poems, involve themselves in its publication, and get to keep about 75% of the profits for attending sales rep training and selling the newspapers. DOH has published several of the pieces from members of the writing group in book titled Writing Our Way Out of Homelessness.

Andy has really enjoyed being a shared-space partner in The Commons. What he appreciates the most is the synergy of multiple non-profit organizations coming together to make a difference in the community. Door of Hope has been, and will continue to be, an organization that is investing and changing lives for the better.

If you'd like to learn more, consider joining REP and other partners at The Commons on Merton (258 N. Merton) for an Open House on Dec. 2 from 6pm to 8pm.  Here is the invitation.

This story was contributed by Shalom Intern, Kory Turner a student at Drew Theological Seminary.

REP: Educating, Empowering, and Paving the Way

Meeting the educational needs of refugee children and families 

 

Camela Echols Blackmon, known as “Cam,” is a native Memphian. She got her start working as a social service director for the United Methodist Neighborhood Centers running a thrift store and distributing food baskets and clothes to those in need. Although she worked well with the community, she felt called to do much more than hand out food and clothes. Feeling the call to empower others toward self-sufficiency, she remembers the quote “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.”

Cam’s work with refugees began when she met a lady named Ruth Lomo. Ruth is a Sudanese refugee who settled in the Binghampton area in 2001 with a goal to educate and empower other refugees to lead successful, non-dependent lives. Cam connected with Ruth while Ruth was in search of a place to hold her after school program. At the time, Cam worked in a facility that had available space and Ruth began to use the facility. It was through the sharing of Ruth’s stories as a refugee coming to America that Cam discovered her true passion and joined forces with Ruth to create an empowerment program for refugees.

During our time together, Cam shared a story of an encounter with a refugee mother who could not speak English but was able to gesture what she was in need of. After listening to the woman’s needs, Cam sent her home with toiletries and other household items. Excited about the connection she had made with the woman, Cam shared her encounter with Ruth. Although Cam had made a bond and established a rapport with the lady, Ruth explained the importance of encouraging the mother to enroll in English classes which would enable her to get a job and eventually provide for her family on her own.

Ruth, Cam, and a volunteer by the name of Rachelle Pichardo continued this work of advocating, educating, and bringing awareness in the Memphis schools to the educational needs of the children and their families. In 2002, they began an after-school program with 12 Sudanese, Somalian, and Afghani refugee children. The program soon involved to include ESL (English as a Second Language) and Pre-GED courses for parents of the children.

Years later, they began searching for a location where those who were part of the program could have easy access and walk to the location. In 2007, R.E.P. (Refugee Empowerment Program) moved into a then newly-renovated place known as The Commons, a shared space operated by the Center for Transforming Communities, where they have remained. Since its initial start in 2002, R.E.P. has grown from a 12-child after-school program to one that has educates 350 plus refugees comprised of more than 20 different nationalities. 100% of its 18 high school graduates went on to pursue post-secondary education or trade school.

When asked about the future of R.E.P., Cam envisions it as a program for refugees run by refugees. Moving forward, she wishes to establish a transitional school where refugee youth would spend 18-24 months mastering core academic skills such as English and math to better prepare them for success in the public school system.  R.E.P. continues to remain a safe place where all, regardless of religion, nationality, language, or tribe affiliation can come, learn, be empowered, and empower and strengthen others.


If you'd like to learn more, consider joining REP and other partners at The Commons on Merton (258 N. Merton) for an Open House on Dec. 2 from 6pm to 8pm.  Here is the invitation.

This story was contributed by Shalom Intern, Kory Turner a student at Drew Theological Seminary.

The Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of the Parts

Celebrating the strength of coming together at The Commons

There are 21 stained glass windows at The Commons. It’s one of the perks of working here. Walking along corridors, up stairwells, into and out of the old sanctuary – Just about everywhere I go there are stained glass windows

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Sometimes in the late afternoon the light comes through the largest window in the sanctuary and leaves a cascade of soft red and gold and green along the floor and walls. I’ve tried several times to catch this on camera, but the pictures don’t quite do it justice.

And now that daylight savings time has passed, it’s dark when I leave, so I’ve begun to notice just how vibrant our stained glass windows are from the outside. Staff and volunteers at the Refugee Empowerment Program teach ESL classes well into the night, and the stained glass windows in their third floor classrooms shine brightly in greens and reds and purples over Binghampton.

To most people, stained glass windows are associated with church. And of course that’s why we have so many at The Commons. The building we call “The Commons on Merton” was once Everett Memorial United Methodist Church, an anchor of the Binghampton community for almost 100 years.

But, as their membership dwindled and the neighborhood around them changed, the leaders of Everett Memorial made a very courageous decision which resulted in a reimagining of what it means to be “church.” In the early 2000s, they gave up their church building to become The Commons, a shared space community that currently houses 5 nonprofits, 3 churches of various denominations, a food pantry, a local artist’s studio, and a handful of study groups and neighborhood organizations.

In the 6 months that I’ve been with the Center for Transforming Communities, I’ve gotten to know each of these groups – learned about their histories, personalities, and goals. Each one is different, distinct, but each one is also part of a whole, part of The Commons.

In that sense, each group at The Commons is like a pane in a stained glass window. Each is unique, with its own shape and color and texture, but when assembled together they form a pattern that is
infinitely more beautiful than they could hope to be on their own.

This year, the partners at The Commons have agreed to come together for an open house event benefiting the 5 nonprofit partners. Door of Hope, Memphis School of Servant Leadership, Refugee Empowerment Program, Memphis Immigration Advocates, and Center for Transforming Communities are pooling their resources and inviting all of their friends to visit The Commons, learn about the organizations that call this building home, and donate to support our shared vision for improving the Memphis community.
 
I hope you’ll stop by this Giving Tuesday (December 2nd, from 6:00pm-8:00pm) for food, music, and a tour of The Commons.  Because of the generosity of some of our past supporters, we will be able to match any donations given on Giving Tuesday and through the end of the year 2 to 1 – meaning that your $25 will become $75, or your $50 will become $150. What better way to celebrate the holidays than to give back to support five wonderful organizations working to make Memphis a better place for all of us?

For more information about The Commons or our Giving Tuesday Open House, feel free to contact me at kenny@ctcmidsouth.org or 901-324-3005.

We Come

A creative expression of Binghampton United Methodist Church

An original poem by Kory N. Turner, Shalom Intern

Sometimes broken, sometimes weary
But we come

Binghampton United Methodist Church

Sharing the value of the human experience
We come

We come bringing our gifts with prayers we lift
Our hearts to one another

Laying aside our titles, moving beyond our age, gender, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status,
We come.

We are brothers and sisters in Christ
Striving together to do God’s will

We come
Breaking through the darkness
Acknowledging the light that’s deep within each of us

Binghampton United Methodist Church

We come
With hearts full of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing

We come and we gather at the table
For a love feast that binds us
Together as one

We come
So that ALL
Might be able to come




Binghampton United Methodist Church is one of the partners housed at The Commons of Merton.
They worship every Saturday at 4:30pm at 258 N. Merton followed by a community dinner. 

Come!

Writer:  Kory N. Turner
Kory is a seminary students at Drew Theological Seminary. 
He is serving as a Shalom Intern at Center for Transforming Communities this summer.

A Most Difficult Concept for Christians

Leading to the joys and fruits of authentic, relational ministry

One of my favorite resources for Communities of Shalom is the book titled, Building a People of Power by Robert Linthicum.   Within the book, Linthicum gives a great introduction to a key concept that churches need to apply if they are serious about working for the common good of their community and seeking the shalom of the neighborhood where they worship.

This concept is often referred to as the Iron Rule:  Never do for others what they can do for


Members and neighbors from Trinity UMC

themselves.  Or put another way, the people who are best able to deal with a problem are the people most affected by the problem.

Linthicum writes, “I have discovered in more than 50 years of ministry that this concept is the single most difficult insight for Christians to grasp and apply in their ministry.” 

Why is it so difficult? 

One way to answer is to consider that there are three general ways in which a church responds to its neighborhood.  They either have ministry in a community, for/to a community or with a community.

• A church in a community does not see itself as being part of that neighborhood.  This is a church with its building in a neighborhood but with no relationships with the neighbors and other stakeholders.  Most of the members commute to the church, and all activities are designed to serve the membership.
• A church for a community develops programs to serve people outside the walls of the church.  Often this church is motivated through its faith teachings to help people less fortunate, even if they do not attend the church.  Sometimes a church who is doing programs for the community is motivated because it is a shrinking congregation who hopes that reconnecting to the neighborhood might help it grow.  There is great potential in this approach and this approach has a flaw.  The flaw is that, more often than not, the church decides what is best for the community.  Well-intentioned church-folk develop programs to help or fix the people outside the church.  The people outside the church are viewed as deficient and unable to solve their own problems. 
• A church with a community respects and perceives the people of the community as people with great wisdom and potential.  The church does not develop programs for people, but instead partners with the people in dealing with their own issues and pursuing their own aspirations for their community.  A church with the community participates in the community’s struggles and dreams, allowing both to shape the church.

Primera Iglesia Metodista prepares for asset mapping

Being a church in ministry with the community is difficult to do because it goes against our problem-solving tendencies.  It means we may have to give up our timetables and operate at the community’s (sometimes slower) pace.  It might even mean that we have to allow our church to be influenced by the community! 

Once a church embraces the notion of being in ministry with the community, the real journey (and work) of change and transformation begins…for the community and the church.  The activities of the church move away from relief and quick fixes to lasting and sustainable community transformation. The reward are the joys and fruits of authentic, relational ministry.

Imagining the fruits of ministry with

This summer, Center for Transforming Communities has used this framework to help five churches in Nashville imagine ways that the church can grow in its relationship with the community.  We have been exploring the principles and tools of Asset Based Community Development as one approach to doing ministry with the neighborhood.

If you or your church would like to learn more about doing ministry with your neighborhood, I hope you will contact us at info@ctcmidsouth.org. 

-Amy Moritz, Director of Center for Transforming Communities.

Photos courtesy of Nate Paulk, Trinity UMC in Nashville, TN.  Nashville trainings sponsored by the Turner Center at Vanderbilt.

Servant Leadership: Living, Loving, and Learning in Community

Making a difference through radical love and inclusion

Not too long ago, I had the privilege of sitting down and talking with Floridia Jackson, a Memphis native who has most recently become the Director of the Memphis School of Servant Leadership. Floridia has been active with this school for several years. She started off with The School while in seminary. At the time, she was seeking a group of people that were “like-working” in that they shared in a common mission to make a difference in the world through radical love and inclusion, and work against oppression and other injustices. She was encouraged to move forward in this mission in the classes that she took on “the call” and “racism to reconciliation” at Memphis School of Servant Leadership.

Floridia Jackson, Director,
Memphis School of Servant Leadership

According to Floridia, the Memphis School of Servant Leadership is a school that seeks to “raise up Christian servant leaders for the church and the world.” All classes are free as the school recognizes that not everyone might be able to pay. Each individual in the classroom, whether teacher or student, are on a journey together. The teachers are referred to as companions instead of facilitators/teachers to reflect this principle.

Instead of a board of directors, the Memphis School of Servant Leadership has what is referred to as a ‘mission group’. In addition to managing the business and order of the school, this group meets together for spiritual development. The mission group gathers every two weeks to pray with each other about the direction the school should be going, shifts and changes in their personal lives as a result of their connection to the school, and ways in which spirit is calling them to work against oppressive and racist structures.

Floridia has enjoyed being a partner in The Commons, the shared space operated by Center for Transforming Communities. Every day at the office provides an opportunity to experience the God in others, be it someone reminding her of what’s going on in God’s global world, updates on the work other partners of The Commons are doing in the community, or an African woman nursing her child as she waits for her two other children who are in the Refugee Empowerment Program classes, reminding her of the way in which God loves and nurtures us.

In her own words, Floridia states that “Community is when we stop to pause, to see, to witness that God-life, God-force/energy in one another.” Imagine a world where people acknowledge and carry out the call to serve and live in true community. This is the work that is being done through the Memphis School of Servant Leadership.

Namaste’ (The divine in me acknowledges the divine in you)

Author:  Kory N. Turner

Kory is a seminary students at Drew Theological Seminary.  He is serving as a Shalom Intern at Center for Transforming Communities this summer.

A Community Clothed in Compassion

Community Clothes Closet of the South Memphis Shalom Zone

I had the opportunity to shadow Center for Transforming Communities (CTC) Director, Amy Moritz, on a Friday afternoon in February in the South Memphis Shalom Zone. In the prior week I had begun learning about the community group capacity building and sustainable social change work that CTC engages in, so this opportunity to see the fruit of such labor was a  welcomed one. Amy invited me to join her on a visit to the community’s Clothes Closet and we were sincerely welcomed by several volunteers, including Toni Hines who has a lead role in the operation of the Clothes Closet. Stepping further into the store, we could see several customers being escorted around the store and warmly assisted with selecting items. I could see that people were comfortable there and the volunteers were enthusiastic about the work they were doing. Ms. Hines gave us a tour, discussed daily operations, and shared with us some potential opportunities for growth.

 

The South Memphis Shalom Zone Community Clothes Closet is located on the property of Centenary United Methodist Church (UMC). Six churches constitute this Shalom Zone but Centenary UMC, Greater White Stone, and Greater New Salem are central to the operation of this service project.  First conceptualized in August 2012, the Clothes Closet has been operating since June 2013 and has served 300 people.  Community members are welcome to “shop” at the Clothing Closet on Monday or Friday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.  People from any neighborhood in Memphis can visit once per month and will be greeted by a volunteer to assist them with shopping for their one dress outfit, two tops, two bottoms and incidental items.

The work that most significantly impacts the community around the Clothes Closet is being noticed from afar. Donors include church members as well as unaffiliated individuals.  Ms. Hines stated that they have donations waiting at the door or have “donations made by people who have just heard about what we do.” The Clothes Closet is also on a referral list for the local Red Cross, and as a result, this Shalom Zone has been able to assist families that needed clothing due to the tragedy of a fire. Although the Clothes Closet has mainly served people within the community of the project site, Ms. Hines expressed a desire to expand their reach as well as improve operations and add services.

Due to the efforts of the supporting churches, various donors and about 20 regular volunteers, those in need of clothing have a welcoming place to have their need met in South Memphis. Desiring to address more than just immediate needs, Ms. Hines and other volunteers are having intentional conversations about how to grow their services to meet the underlying needs of their patrons. This Shalom Zone hopes to be able to     facilitate seminars for patrons focusing on topics like personal budgeting and how to get rights reinstated post incarceration.

Through this visit, I was able to see the Shalom principles in the work of those involved with the Clothes Closet and in the project itself. This shadowing experience gave me a greater appreciation for the capacity building support that CTC provides Shalom Zones in the Mid-South as well as the power of compassionate community group.

Author: Sydney D. McGhee

Sydney will be graduating in May with a Master of Public Administration from the University of Memphis.  She is passionate about service and social change.