Before we get started: Thanks to my regular bartender Josh I’ve updated my post on my other blog, A Better, Bigger Deal. 30 GB iPod
These are a few of the very impressive organizations that had booths at the Mpact Memphis/Volunteer Memphis Non-Profit Expo last month. All of them, of course, do a lot of good for the community, but I picked out the several listed below as my favorites.
Door of Hope in Midtown, helps the homeless take the first steps back to a normal life. “The purpose,” their brochure explains, “is not to give overnight shelter or feed the hungry.” Other organizations in town fill those needs. Rather, it says, “Door of Hope’s purpose is to offer friendships – one-to-one relationships that are transformative for both participants.” Their mission is “to provide a welcoming place where people living on the streets may come to learn healthy living skills and to build positive relationships with other people.” Having followed The Homeless Guy’s blog for several years, I’ve learned that this is something the homeless need much more than a free meal or a dollar.
What does the Door of Hope request from volunteers? “Make a friend. Play a game of Scrabble.” Share a meal, a conversation, a laugh with the homeless who come in. That’s all. I know a lot of downtowners who read this blog often wonder what they can do that’s positive and constructive to address the homeless problem: This looks like a good place to start. They don’t seem to have a website so I’ll list their phone number (901-725-1140) that you can call for more information. (Hope that’s OK with Door of Hope – if you don’t want your number online let me know and I’ll remove it.)
Kids-N-Technology is a place where kids build their own computers and take them home. It gives kids 8-17 the chance to design, build, configure, upgrade, troubleshoot and repair personal computers, and they get to keep the computers. They also have a program that allows kids to earn certifications in computer technology and participate in a summer internship program. Their mission, stated in their literature, is to “provide an exceptional opportunity for underprivileged children to experience a prestigious pre-college technology program that provides an unparalleled learning experience that will last a lifetime.”
You can volunteer by donating money, volunteering to work with the kids, sponsoring a child, or coming on board as a business partner. Check out their website at www.kidsntechnology.net to get more info or to volunteer.
COMEC, the Commission on Missing and Exploited Children notes that 1.5 million children per year disappear from their homes for various lengths of time. 1 million of these are runaways, and 85% of the children who are sexually or otherwise exploited are missing from home at the time they are victimized. COMEC fights back with educational programs to prevent children from becoming victims, assistance in the location and identification of missing children, and the production of free photo IDs for parents that can be used to assist the police in the event of a search.
For more information and volunteer opportunities, visit their website at www.comec.org. Their literature says they have a Speaker’s Bureau that speaks to public, private and civic groups and PTAs about child abuse, child neglect, parental kidnapping, missing and exploited children, and teen substance abuse, so this might be a really good match for people with speaking and presentation skills.
The man at the South Memphis Alliance table really impressed me with his enthusiasm. He told me about their mission, to build an information network of community organizations to promote better services, education, and civic engagement. He stressed that there has been too much greed and corruption in the city and it’s time for a grass-roots movement to take Memphis back. Programs include a youth intervention project, youth wellness academy, family services, a SafePlace project for youths in crisis, a financial education assistance program, a neighborhood association development program, and a program to help low-to-moderate income people get every dollar of tax relief to which they’re entitled.
If these sound like programs you’d like to work on, the Alliance would be eager to work with you, whether or not you live in South Memphis. Contact them through their website at www.SMAweb.org.
The last organization, the only one I’ve previously mentioned on this blog, is New Path Memphis. New Path encourages young leaders to step forward and become part of the Memphis political scene. A non-partisan group, they support both Democrats and Republicans who believe as they do that “leaders should keep foremost in their minds the needs of their constituents and their role as servants to the people.” They provide services to these candidates including strategic planning, research, marketing, image development, fundraising and campaign management. I remember this organization from its start a few years ago, when they helped a dynamic young woman named Tomeka Hart win a seat on the city school board, ousting a 17-year incumbent who seemed to me to be more interested in his personal aggrandizement than the good of the children.
Within the organization they’re looking for volunteers to do event planning, fundraising, graphic design, member and volunteer recruitment, and technology/website management. On particular campaigns they’re looking for people to do database development/management, door-to-door canvassing, phone canvassing, work at poll locations, and people who will put a yard sign in their yard. Their website is www.newpathmemphis.org.