BY JENNIFER ALEXANDER
Este informe confirma que los nmigrantes son cruciales para la vitalidad económica y el éxito de las ciudades de todo e país dijo Susan Segal, presidenta de AS / COA “
Los inmigrantes constituyen una proporc ón aún más elevada de los propietar os de negocios de calles principales de as áreas metropolitanas con grandes poblaciones de extranjeros Conforman por ejemplo el 64% de los propietarios de negocios main street en la zona metropol tana de Los Ángeles el 61% en San José; el 56% en Wash ngton DC , y el 54% en M ami Los asiát cos poseen el 49% de los negocios Les siguen los blancos (26%), los hispanos (20%) y los negros (3%) El 10% de los negocios de os hispanos está en manos de mexicanos
No todo fue co or de rosa El loca mexicano tuvo que cerrar David y Vanida y cientos de miles de inmig rantes como ellos son los nuevos dueños de la calle los causantes de una verdadera revo ución, capaz de cambiar el paisaje de las ciudades y revitalizar
zonas desfavorec das Son los negocios de vec ndario, os comerc os de as ca les pr ncipales Hasta ahora se conocía cómo en comparación con las personas nacidas en EE UU, los nmigrantes son más propensos a tener su propio negocio exactamente entre un 10% y un 15% más Sin embargo apenas se había prestado atención al impacto aún más significativo que están teniendo sus tiendas, restaurantes, peluque ías ti to e ías salo es de bel e a y gasolineras en los vecindarios de las área metropol tanas
Soy residente permanente ¿Cuánto tiempo pasará desde que presento mi solicutud de naturalización hasta que rinda juramento como ciudadano? Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración (USCIS) deberá lamarlo para su entrevista de naturalización unos seis meses después de que usted presenta su solicitud Si cu ple todos los equ sitos se á lla ado para su ceremonia de juramentac ón más o menos un mes después
Puede rev sar os tiempos estimados de procesamiento de USCIS en www uscis gov; busque processing times Se recomienda verificar e status: de la N-400 en la Oficina Distrital de USCIS en su localidad La Oficina Distrita de Nueva York calcula el t empo de procesamiento del for mulario N-400, Solicit d de Nat a i ac ón en n eve meses; pero es más frecuente la espera de seis meses
enerse ca lado dar nombre y apel ido entir a acepte l eve documen os falsos velar su s tuac ón migra or a var documentación de otro pa s so de ser arrestado mostrar a Tar eta da (l ámenos si necesi a una) en a Quin a Enmienda de a ción os de echos de guarda s lencio y on un abogado fueron denom nados s Mi anda luego de a decis ón de la Cor e de Jus icia de Estados Un dos en Miranda vs Ar zona 384 U S 436 de 1966
Un informe, que hace referencia a inmigrantes regularizados e indocumentados aporta por primera vez datos que lustran que los extranjeros son el pan y la mantequilla de as economías loca es de los Estados Unidos” De los 4 9 mi lones de dueños de pequeños negocios de Estados Unidos 900 000 son inmigrantes En toda la Unión los inmgrantes conforman e 16% de la población act va y el 18% de los pequeños e p esaios Sin embargo, constituyen el 28% de los dueños de negocios establec dos en los vecindarios En deter minados sectores, alcanzan nive es de representación altísmos Son negocios de pequeño margen, que desempeñan un papel cada vez más importante en el tejido económico loca : generan unos 50 000 millones de ingresos al año de los que 13 000 van a parar a manos de nmigrantes Las cifras muestran que e n EE UU los i ig a tes ep ese ta el 61% de los propietarios de las gasolineras, el 58% de las tintorerías el 53% de las bodegas el 45% de os salones de man cura, el 43% de las l corerías el 38% de los restaurantes y e 32% de las joyerías y tiendas de ropa
El nforme de AS / COA y del Fisca Policy Institute destaca que estos negocios aportan ingresos por vía de impuestos y empleos pero además juegan un papel medular en la revta ización de su entorno urbano, haciendo de onas deprim das l gares atract vos Lo que antes era un área en deterioro se vuelve una comunidad más d námica afirma Los propietarios de este tipo de negocios tienen además unos ing resos anuales medios superiores a los del resto de inmigrantes (49 000 dólares frente a 35 000)
El anál s s de tres áreas metropolitanas que han experimentado crecimiento de población ofrece mportantes lecciones Se trata de Filadel fia Minneapolis-St Paul y Nashville En las tres ciudades a población inmigrante const t ye el 13% del total En 1990 estaban por debajo de a media nacional en este concepto En Nashville una coalición de l deres de la iniciativa privada, los sindicatos y el sector público log ró frenar una in ciativa para que el inglés fuera la única lengua Vanida la dueña de restaurantes ta landeses de Nueva York asegura que cada vez es más comp icado l evar un negoc o en Nueva York Las ayudas son imitadas el alq ile de los locales se ha disparado y el acceso a crédito se restring ó tras la ú tima cris s Es una historia que se repite por toda la c udad , afirmó
Cathy Jennings, Chair Tom Wills, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland
Amanda Haggard • Linda Bailey • Hannah Herner • Jennifer Alexander • Bailey Basham
• Tom Wills • Ridley Wills II • Joe Nolan
• Emily Nonko • Yuri Cunza • Anita S. • John H. • Bill W. • Victor J. • Anthony G. • Maurice B. • Kerry V. • Julie B. • Paul A.
Cathy Jennings
• Tom Wills • Joe First
• Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Ann Bourland • Patti George • Linda Miller • Deborah Narrigan • John Jennings • Barbara Womack • Colleen Kelly • Janet Kerwood • Logan Ebel • Christing Doeg • Laura Birdsall
• Nancy Kirkland • Mary Smith • Andrew Smith • Ellen Fletcher • Michael Chavarria
Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom WIlls Contributor Co-Founders
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Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed. The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate.
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¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?
The Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee was awarded a $10,000 grant to help launch an intergenerational home sharing program in the greater Nashville area.
The grant came from the Golden Cross Foundation, a nonprofit corporation and extension ministry of the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church.
The Council on Aging says home sharing is one solution to the affordable housing crisis with the added bonus of reducing the risks of social isolation felt by many older adults.
The program that the Council on Aging plans to implement would match older adults who want to stay in their homes with graduate students or other eligible adults who need affordable rent. As development and gentrification surge across the United States, a growing number of Americans are struggling to find affordable housing — in a city like Nashville the problem is particularly pronounced.
The organization is working in partnership with local universities, faith communities, nonprofits and government agencies to launch the program in the fall of this year.
“Most of us, as we grow older, want to stay in our own homes,” said COA Executive Director Grace Sutherland Smith. “However, it can become challenging when living on a fixed budget and struggling with rising living costs. The intergenerational home sharing program will match older homeowners who have a spare bedroom with a graduate student or other adult, offering both an economic benefit and social connection.”
The Council on Aging annually serves more than 20,000 older adults, caregivers and professionals through community outreach and education, resources navigation, advocacy and developing collaborative solutions to unmet needs.
While Nashville’s housing market ranked number one in homebuilding prospects in 2019, but that statistic isn’t helpful for many Nashvillians: 28 percent of Nashville homeowners and 50 percent of renters are cost-burdened and paying 30 percent or more of their gross monthly income on housing.
This is compounded by the fact that
people over 65 in the greater Nashville area are in the fastest growing age population.
“According to 2017 census data, there are 26,294 spare bedrooms in Baby Boomer homes in Nashville,” Smith said. “These rooms can be transformed into sources of income and social connection for older adults.”
The Council on Aging is working on solidifying university and community partners for the program’s launch and convening a leadership and advisory team to develop program policies and procedures.
“A number of older adults are serving on the leadership/advisory team,” said Smith, “so that we plan with – not for – older homeowners.”
Program goals include older adults and graduate students reporting reduced housing expenses, satisfaction with intergenerational living, increased sense of security and social connectedness, and providing mutual assistance to one another, such as light housework or transportation in exchange for reduced rent/utility expenses.
The organization is researching best practices and model programs, listening to the interests and concerns of local stakeholders, securing community partners, clarifying all parties’ roles and responsibilities, selecting the right technology platform for matching homeowners/hosts and renters/ guests, and reaching out to United Methodist churches and area nonprofits to garner interest among older adults.
When launched, the program will facilitate matches and provide ongoing support and evaluation when people are sharing homes.
“While there are some vital projects in Nashville addressing the need for affordable housing by constructing new units dedicated to low rent, they are dwarfed by numerous larger, high-rent housing developments,” said Smith. “The new affordable housing construction does not provide for all low-to-moderate income residents’ needs and preferences. COA recognizes that alternative housing solutions such as home sharing must be brought to bear as our city cannot ‘build’ its way out the affordable housing crisis.”
Semaj roots for the Titans and is a big fan of the late Tupac Shakur. These days he has his regular afternoon customers in Franklin at Highway 96 and Royal Oaks Blvd rooting for him. He says he feels “nothing but love” when he’s out selling The Contributor. He says it’s a kind of redemption for the times when he didn’t feel that love as a young child. Semaj been dealing with the effects of abuse he endured as a child, and decided he wanted to speak out about it just in the last year. Here’s his story in his own words.
I was abused as a kid, and I want to tell some of the stuff that actually happened to me. I had a three-year-old brother who died. His name was Jacob. He got ran over by a tow truck. After that point, a year later my stepdad started abusing me, bad. He started beating me and my brother. I was six years old. I was tied up in chairs. I had the back of my head beat. I went to ICU. I tried calling the police. The police said “there’s nothing we can do about it because we have to believe the adults over you.” They told me, “the only thing I can tell you is to just start listening to your parents.” I said, “I’m getting beat, officer.” He’s like “Nope, you better listen to your parents. There’s a reason why they’re beating you.”
1997: There was a birthday party that me and my brother were supposed to go to. It was supposed to be at my Granny Emma’s house. She had a birthday party for both of us, but I couldn’t go. My mom wouldn’t let me go. So I had to stay there with the stepdad who was abusing me. After everybody left, he had a video tape recording me and telling me, “how does it feel? I blame you for your brother’s death.”
1998: I’m still going through the same thing. He put a gun on a broom and beat me with it on the back. It was treacherous in that place. This happened on Second Avenue South, which is right down the road from here. I still remember the kitchen, what everything looks like.
1999: Here’s the ending of that child abuse
story. My uncle came. I would have been dead today if it wasn’t for my Uncle Danny. He and my Granny Emma came in. They took the custody of me and my brother. They were trying to put me and my brother in different places, and my Uncle Danny and Granny Emma said it was not happening. In the years that followed, my brother and I went on vacations. We went to Disney World; we went to Louisville, Kentucky; we went to Six Flags; we went to Atlanta, Georgia. After 1999 it was over with. I was 9 and my brother was 8, they came in and rescued us. The police came in and did their job. They saw the welts.
When children say they’re getting abused, please listen to it. Listen to it. I don’t want any other child in the situation I’m in now. I’m not saying selling the paper is a bad thing, it’s a good thing really, for people who are on disability, people who can’t really live out there. I have a disability, so I can’t keep a regular job like other people can. My mind is not as stable as other people’s are. I’m a little bit slower than the regular person because of the abuse. The Contributor is the only thing I can call on to call my work and call home.
I got a disability check, and yes, it helps me. But this paper really helps me get what I need.
I got a two-year-old now. But for my son, I wouldn’t want him to do this paper at all. I want him to be a doctor or a lawyer or something. I’m hoping this paper will push me to help him do that — to be whatever he wants to be besides this.
In 2012, somebody told me, why don’t you go to The Contributor and apply? Tom [Wills,
co-founder] was on that stage talking, and he said, “If somebody ever tells you to go get a job, you tell them ‘This is my job.’” He said it with such passion, too. I liked that. And ever since then I ain’t looked back no more. I wish The Contributor was out a little earlier, because my mom probably would have been here selling the papers, and we would have been doing better.
My past abuse, I wasn’t letting it go. Last year sometime, I let it go. I told (fellow vendor) Bobby about it and he said that would be a good story for the paper. Telling people about it helped me.
When I’m out there, I love it. I love going out to Royal Oaks and 96. I love just dancing to my music and rockin out there. I’m excited when I’m out there. I like it. When I’m on that corner I just feel nothing but rhythm.
Selling the paper has been a good healer for me because a lot of people are so so nice to me and they show me nothing but love out in Franklin. What I’d like to see is The Contributor in Cleveland, Tennessee, East Tennessee for the first time ever.
I just want to thank the people who raised me in my life, Danny Booker, Marsha Allen, Emma Booker and rest in peace, Granny Josie. What I would tell other people who been through it like I was is I would tell them to keep strong, and keep your head up.
Semaj wanted to include his Granny Emma in his story. Her house in Franklin, just a few miles from where he sells papers now, was the first place he went when he got out his abusive home.
They
so I came up and asked them what was going on. I called close members of [Semaj’s] family and all of them have excuses why they couldn’t take them. So I called my son and I told him what’s going on. I told the officer, “they have an uncle and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want them to go into the system.” The officer talked to my son and he said he’s going to send them to me until he gets off work. We had to go to court, and they signed me and my son custody of them, and they’ve been with us ever since. They were little when they came here!
They’ve grown up to be pretty good boys. Gabe knows how to do a lot of things that people don’t realize he knows how to do. He’s lived in Cleveland, Tennessee, and we all went down there to visit. Gabe knows that he can come home, anytime. When he can’t get back up to Nashville, he comes here to stay. He always calls and asks. And he don’t have to ask. He’s welcome.
He’s giving me a lot of credit. I feel like, if that’s what he likes doing, I don’t see nothing wrong with it. If that’s what he enjoys doing, I don’t have anything to say about it. I believe in helping anybody that need help. Why not? It could have been me — that’s the way I feel. I feel like that. Not only about him being kin. If I can help [Contributor vendors], I’m going to help them. That’s the way I was raised up. And also I was raised up that you ain’t no better than nobody else. Like I tell them, you’re a human being like everybody else. I don’t care if they got a million dollars, they in the White House, they still no better than you. I taught my kids that.
I was told that this, the richest county, don’t want nobody out selling papers or on the streets. I feel like, build affordable houses for them. I know that Gabe won’t be out there on those streets as long as we are living. He’s not going to be on those streets. No kinda way.
The paper you just paid for was bought by someone else first, otherwise it wouldn’t exist. That’s how The Contributor works. A vendor who experienced homelessness paid 50 cents for this paper and then sold it to you. By buying it and taking it with you, you’ve just encouraged that vendor to buy another. BOOM! That’s the solution. Now keep reading. This paper has something to say to you.
Street papers provide income for the homeless and initiate a conversation about homelessness and poverty. In 2007, The Contributor founders met at the Nashville Public Library downtown to form one. In a strike of lightning we named it The Contributor to infer that our vendors were “contributors to society,” while their customers could contribute to their work. But, thunder from lighting is always delayed …
It took three years, but Nashville embraced us like no other city in the world. The Contributor became the largest selling street paper per-capita on the globe. And today 50 percent of our six months or longer tenured vendors have found housing. BOOM! The thunder has struck.
The Contributor is a different kind of nonprofit social enterprise. We don’t serve meals or provide emergency shelter. We don’t hire people in poverty to create products or provide a service. Rather, we sell newspapers to homeless people who work for themselves. We train them to sell those papers to you, keep the money they earn, and buy more when they need to replace their stock.
Our biggest fans don’t always get this. Like lightning without the thunder, they see the humanity of the vendor but misunderstand the model. Case in point: In 2013 during a funding crunch, a representative of one of Nashville’s biggest foundations exclaimed, “I’m such a big fan that I never take the paper!” We responded, “Well, that’s why we are in a funding crunch.” BOOM! Thunder was heard. Taking the paper makes our model work — not taking it breaks it.
And selling the paper twice doesn’t just fund the paper, it funds housing and change. BOOM! Our vendors report their sales to qualify for subsidized housing and even for standard housing deposits and mortgages. They don’t consider your buying the paper a “donation.” It is a sale. When they sell out, they buy more and build the paper trail of a profitable business. Until making these sales, many of our vendors had never experienced the satisfaction of seeing their investment pay off. And when it does, it liberates! They have become “contributors” to their own destiny. And Nashville has become a city of lightning and thunder. BOOM!
Now that you are a SUPPORTER , become an ADVOCATE or a MULTIPLIER
You are already a SUPPORTER because you know that taking the paper makes the model work. You bought the paper and you are reading it. Now your vendor is one copy closer to selling out, which is exciting!
Now you can become an ADVOCATE when you introduce your friends to your favorite vendor, follow us and share our content on social media, contact us when you witness a vendor in distress or acting out of character, or explain why others should pick up a copy and always take the paper when they support a vendor.
And, you can become a MULTIPLIER when you advocate for us AND directly donate to us or become an advertiser or sponsor of The Contributor. Our income stream is made of 50-cent- at-a-time purchases made from our vendors, matched by contributions, ad sales and sponsorships from multipliers like you. Because our vendors are business owners, your donations are seed-money investments in their businesses and multiply in their pockets. Every donated dollar multiplies four-to-seven times as profits in the pockets of our vendors. Thanks for contributing.
El periódico que usted acaba de pagar fue primeramente comprado por alguien mas, de otra manera no existiría. Así es como funciona The Contributor. Un vendedor que está sin hogar pagó 50 centavos por este periódico y después se lo vendió a usted. Al comprarlo y llevarlo con usted, usted animo a este vendedor a comprar otro. BOOM! Esa es la solución. Ahora continúe leyendo. Este periódico tiene algo que decirle. Los periódicos vendidos en la calle proveen ingresos para las personas sin hogar e inicia una conversación sobre lo que es la falta de vivienda y la pobreza. En el 2007, los fundadores de The Contributor se reunieron en una librería pública en Nashville para formar uno. Y como golpe de un rayo, le llamamos The Contributor para dar a entender que nuestros vendedores eran “contribuidores para la sociedad,” mientras que los consumidores podrían contribuir a su trabajo. Pero, el trueno siempre tarda más que el rayo. Nos llevó tres años, pero Nashville nos acogió como ninguna otra ciudad en el mundo. The Contributor se volvió uno de los periódicos de calle más vendido en el globo. Y hoy el 50 por ciento de nuestros seis meses o más de nuestros vendedores titulares han encontrado casa. BOOM! Ha llegado el trueno.
JENNINGSThe Contributor es una empresa social sin fines de lucro muy diferente. Nosotros no servimos comida or proveemos alojo de emergencia. No contratamos gente en pobreza para crear productos or proveer un servicio. En vez, nosotros vendemos periódicos a las personas sin hogar para que ellos trabajen por ellos mismos. Nosotros los entrenamos como vendedores, ellos se quedan el dinero que se ganan, y ellos pueden comprar más cuando necesiten reabastecer su inventario.
Nuestros mas grandes aficionados no entienden esto. Como un rayo sin trueno, ellos ven la humanidad de el vendedor pero no comprenden el modelo. Un ejemplo: En el 2013 durante un evento de recaudación de fondos, uno de los representantes de una de las fundaciones más grandes de Nashville, exclamó: “Soy un gran aficionado, y es por eso que nunca me llevo el periódico.” Al cual nosotros respondimos: “Y es por esa razón por la cual estamos recaudando fondos.” BOOM! Y se escuchó el trueno! El pagar por el periódico y llevárselo hace que nuestro sistema funcione, el no llevarse el periódico rompe nuestro sistema.
Y el vender el papel dos veces no da fondos para el periódico, pero da fondos para casas y causa cambio. BOOM! Nuestros vendedores reportan sus ventas para calificar para alojamiento subvencionado y hasta para una casa regular, depósitos e hipotecas. Ellos no consideran el que usted compre el periódico como una “contribución” pero más lo consideran como una venta. Cuando se les acaba, ellos compran mas y asi logran establecer un negocio rentable. Hasta que lograron hacer estas ventas, muchos de nuestros vendedores nunca habían experimentado el placer de ver una inversión generar ganancias. Y cuando logran hacer esto, da un sentido de Liberación! Ellos se han vuelto contribuidores de su propio destino, y Nashville la ciudad de el trueno y el rayo. BOOM!
Ahora que te has vuelto nuestro SEGUIDOR, vuelve te en un ABOGADO o un MULTIPLICADOR. Ya eres nuestro SEGUIDOR, porque sabes que al llevarte este periódico sabes que esto hace que nuestro modelo funcione. Compraste el papel y lo estas leyendo. Ahora nuestro vendedor está a una copia más cerca de venderlos todos. Que emoción!
Ahora que te has vuelto nuestro ABOGADO cuando presentes a tus amigos a tu vendedor favorito, siguenos y comparte nuestro contenido en social media, contactanos cuando seas testigo de un vendedor actuando de manera extraña o fuera de carácter. O explicale a tus amigos porque ellos deben de llevarse el periódico cuando ayuden a un vendedor.
Te puedes volver un MULTIPLICADOR cuando abogues por nosotros, Y directamente dones a nosotros o te vuelvas un anunciador o patrocinador de The Contributor. Nuestra fuente de ingresos consiste en ventas de 50 centavos hechas por nuestros vendedores, igualadas por contribuciones, venta de anuncios, y patrocinios de multiplicadores como usted. Porque nuestros vendedores son dueños de negocios, las donaciones que den son dinero que es invertido y multiplicado en sus bolsas. Cada dólar donado se multiplica de cuatro a siete veces en la bolsa de nuestros vendedores.
Gracias por Contribuir.Many Nashvillians have heard of Shackle Island, but have no idea where it is and what made it important. An article in The Tennessean on March 29, 1964, carried the headline “Shackle Island Is Pure Middle Tennessee.” To reach Shackle Island head north on I-65. Get off at the Long Hollow Pike exit and drive northeast on that road through the hills and past stone fences and a branch of Drake’s Creek. In time, you will reach the old Beech Church, Drakes Creek and Shackle Island — all timeless landmarks of rural Sumner County.
This fertile, well-watered and long-settled country is five miles south of a great ridge, which divides Sumner County into two parts: the northern part is on the Highland Rim while Shackle Island is in the Middle Tennessee basin half way between Goodlettsville to the west and Gallatin to the east. A natural question is how
Shackle Island got its name. The most generally accepted story is that a man named Shackle, with his family, operated a grist mill on Drakes Creek for William Montgomery, who lived near the creek. A small island near his home came to be known as Shackle Island.
William Montgomery, a surveyor, completed his big, brick house in 1804, using bricks made on the place. Rafters were numbered and pegged together. Woodwork around the fireplace at “Old Brick” is credited to Robert Taylor, a local craftsman. Of yellow poplar, ornamental woodwork was later painted white. Old Brick remained in the Montgomery family for 138 years until it was sold to Jim Ralph.
The other historic site you must see at Shackle Island is “Old Beech” Cumberland Presbyterian Church and its ancient cemetery. Initially, the site of a campground and a log church, Old Beech
was organized as a Presbyterian Church in 1795 by the Rev. Thomas Craighead. It became a Cumberland Presbyterian Church in about 1810. The present stone building with walls three feet thick was built in 1828. Fire has twice destroyed the interior of the church, but each time, it was rebuilt. One of the oldest graves in the cemetery is that of a Revolutionary War soldier, John McMurtry, who was born in 1752 and died in 1841.
Dr. Robert N. Buchanan, Jr., a physician, who lived on Belle Meade Boulevard before his death a number of years ago, grew up on a farm near Shackle Island. He once told me that he went to Goodlettsville High School before attending Vanderbilt, where he was competing with boys, many of whom went to private prep schools, who were academically ahead of him. He caught up, however, and had a long and distinguished career as a Nashville physician.
Dr. Buchanan’s father, Dr. Robert N. Buchanan Sr. had a farm near Shackle Island and practiced medicine there for forty years. He was a graduate of the University of Nashville Medical School in 1905. His brother Thomas Buchanan graduated from Bethel College in McKendree, Tennessee, and went on to become a Cumberland Presbyterian minister. Thomas was pastor of “Old Beech” Church early in the 20th century. He was killed when he was hit by a lightning bolt in about 1913.
Thomas and Robert Buchanan were the sons of John Price Buchanan, who was governor of Tennessee from 1891 until 1893. His ancestor, Major John Buchanan, had a stockade beside Mill Creek where one of the most remarkable Indian battles of the old Southwest was fought.
Today, Robert N. Buchanan III is a Nashville attorney and president of the Tennessee Historical Society.
Piedmont Natural Gas partners with the Metro Action Commission to donate $10K for overflow shelter supplies
The Metropolitan Action Commission has partnered with Piedmont Natural Gas to donate $10,000 toward the cost of ensuring the city’s overflow shelter has necessary supplies to serve unhoused and unsheltered people in Nashville.
“The city’s overflow shelter provided a safe place for more than 600 people when the temperatures dipped to dangerous levels during the fi rst 11 days of this winter season” said Dr. Cynthia Croom, executive director of the Metropolitan Action Commission. “Mobilizing resources within our community is one of the founding principles of the Metropolitan Action Commission. We also have a responsibility to all residents of Davidson County to support the health and wellbeing of all.”
The Metro Overflow Shelter
is opened to accept the additional guests who need overnight sheltering when temperatures reach 28 degrees or lower. Metro Action partnered with Piedmont to generate the contribution toward supplies such as blankets, toiletries and food.
Metro Action receives funding from Piedmont’s Share the Warmth program to help Davidson County residents with home utility payments. The agency requested Piedmont’s help to expand its support to keeping unhoused and unsheltered residents warm.
“Piedmont Natural Gas has a long history of supporting neighbors in need within our communities,” said Stephen Francescon, community relations manager for Piedmont . “One way we do this is our ‘Share the Warmth’ program, offering assistance to those needing help with their energy bills, regardless of their energy provider, through Metro Action. Being able to direct
some of Piedmont’s contributions to the overflow shelter, which will help people who do not even have a home and are just trying to stay warm, is a phenomenal feeling.”
State senate passes bill allowing religious foster care programs to exclude LGBTQ parents
On the fi rst day of the Tennessee General Assembly’s legislative session, the state senate voted to give protections to adoption agencies who discriminate against LGBTQ couples.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Paul Rose from West Tennessee, did not have the support of the body’s Republican leader Lt. Gov. Randy McNally. Gov. Bill Lee has said he will not veto the bill.
The measure got national attention: The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, LGBTQ civil rights organization, condemned the Tennessee legislature for passing HB 836.
“Lawmakers in Tennessee used some of the first minutes of their legislative session to enshrine discrimi-
nation into law,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “These legislators are disregarding the best interests of kids in the child welfare system to create a ‘license to discriminate’ against qualified, loving prospective parents. Th is bill does nothing to improve the outcomes for children in care, shrinks the pool of prospective parents and is a blatant attempt to discriminate against LGBTQ Tennesseans. It is shameful that one of the fi rst orders of business in Nashville was to target LGBTQ people.”
Tennessee Department of Health: Keep your New Year’s resolutions
Getting healthier, quitting smoking and spending more time with friends and loved ones are all popular New Year’s resolutions. Those resolutions could add up not just for a person’s health, but for their finances, says the Tennessee Department of Health and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Studies have shown that living a healthy lifestyle can save money on insurance
costs and bills from the doctor.
“After the holidays each year, many consumers often make resolutions to improve their health and their finances,” said TDCI Commissioner Hodgen Mainda. “I urge Tennesseans to stick with their resolutions this year in order to create a healthy lifestyle that could result in lower premiums on consumers’ health insurance and life insurance policies.”
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and the Tennessee Department of Health are partnering to remind Tennesseans about the benefits to Tennesseans’ lives and finances when they make positive lifestyle changes in 2020.
“Tennesseans who quit smoking can increase their quality of life, improve their personal finances and strengthen our state’s economy,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey. “Health care expenses directly caused by smoking cost Tennesseans more than $2.6 billion every year, and individuals who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day can personally save about $1,850 per year by quitting smoking.”
It is the same for all of us. We are each given one life – just one. But there the similarity ends, because no two lives are the same. Each of us is unique – even identical twins have different personalities.
We develop our own relationships and skills. We make choices that determine how our lives will unfold.
Also, we are open to the ‘unknown’ – things that happen to us. We cannot choose how others will react to us, or select how many welcome or unwelcome circumstances may come into our lives. These things affect us all as individuals – and we react in different ways.
We each develop preferences – things we like or dislike, find helpful or unhelpful. Yet however we develop, we only have one life.
We all experience that moment when we realize, “Life is not a rehearsal. This is the only life I’ve got.”
It’s the same for all of us. What
hour, this minute...
Editor’s note: This story was produced in partnership with Law @ the Margins through a Community Based News Room (CBNR) series that examines homelessness issues across the United States. The eight-part series is supported by a Solutions Journalism Network grant.
BY JENNIFER ALEXANDER
Acold, late-winter rain was falling at the spot where Anita sold street papers to people passing in cars when she first felt a crushing pain in her chest.
“I’ve had some pains in my life, and I’ve had some stuff happen to me, and I’m just like, ‘Oh, I gotta keep going,’” Anita remembers. “I was in so much pain I was crying.”
It wasn’t until she had sold all of her papers, the whole time racked with pain, that she made her way to a local grocery store where she was able to take her blood pressure.
“It was 200 something over 90. And I was like, ‘OK, Lord, I get the message. I’m not going home. I’m going to the hospital.’”
Health-care woes often lead to homelessness, but once a person is homeless, getting health care gets even harder for the most vulnerable.
There was a time when Anita would have resisted the idea of going to the hospital. But she had been approved for TennCare medical benefits and didn’t have to worry if they would treat her or not. She wouldn’t have been alone in that worry. The U.S. Census Bureau finds that more than 10 percent of Tennessee citizens are medically uninsured.
The doctors told her she was having a heart attack and would need surgery to clear a 70 percent blockage in a main artery. The surgery went well, and Anita was discharged three days later and told to rest.
Just a few days after her release from the hospital, Anita was at The Contributor office getting more papers because she didn’t have any money and she had bills to pay. She feared losing the little she had worked so long to get.
“I was consumed with my fear of being homeless again and my overwhelming anxiety and health issues,” Anita says.
Anita had been chronically homeless for many years. She had experienced mental illness troubles and a heart condition. And because she had no medical insurance, her health had deteriorated year after year.
“[F]or many years, I had nothing and couldn’t show them I was vulnerable enough,” Anita says about her efforts to get disability benefits.
Like many who apply for TennCare, she tried many times to get coverage and isn’t quite sure what tilted her into coverage status. One day, she got a letter in the mail that she had been approved.
Today, Anita is doing well and continues to work hard, despite all of the obstacles in her path, to maintain her health, her dignity, her housing. Like so many of our most vulnerable neighbors, she perseveres.
“You know, it’s amazing, and I thank God that I’m in housing because I am able to take care of myself a lot better,” she says. “It really is a blessing and so much easier to care for this body when I have a roof over my head.”
Individuals are pushed into homelessness for any number of reasons. If you’ve met one homeless person, you’ve met just one homeless person. Each person has their own unique story that contributes to why they became homeless, but near the top of the hierarchy of reasons is the lack of dependable, accessible, affordable health care.
I once had to make a decision about whether to keep my apartment or pay enormous medical bills.
I felt as though I had been backed up to the edge of a cliff with bill collectors in hot pursuit. I remembered the scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where Butch is trying to convince
Sundance that they should jump from the cliff’s edge into the river far below to escape. “Who are those guys?” Sundance asks. He doesn’t want to jump because he can’t swim. Butch laughs and says, “Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill ya.”
So I jumped.
I slept rough, as they say, throughout the summer and continued to work. Now, I live in public housing. But that was interesting. When the weather turned cold and the place I was spending the night locked the bathroom I had been using to keep myself clean, I knew I had to find a better solution to my problem. I headed for a big city where I thought I could find help. I had not been killed by my jump, but I was in pretty rough shape.
Like me, many hourly workers who
families resorting to bankruptcy after medical issues and bills.
“A single-payer system of health care in this country would break the connection between employment and health care, allowing people to get care without suffering bankruptcy,” says Barbara DiPietro, the senior director of policy at the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.
As it stands, employees who are not abe to work because of physical limitations or are seen as an inconvenience by employers, can lose their job and insurance.
through a Medicaid 1115 waiver known as Amendment 42.
By passing Senate Bill 118/Briggs, the Tennessee legislature has asked Washington to allow the state to secede from the rules and regulations that currently govern Medicare/Medicaid and the Social Security Act and make their own rules.
Though some argue that the flexibility would be used against people experiencing homelessness and others in poverty, the measure’s advocates say it would allow for more policy innovation.
live paycheck to paycheck are often one accident or one serious illness away from being on the street. Even if they are fortunate enough to have health insurance — high deductibles, arbitrary uncovered procedures, copays and medication often ruin them financially. According to a 2009 report from The American Journal of Medicine, 62 percent of people who filed bankruptcy in 2007 did so because of medical bills, and 92 percent of that number had more than $5,000 in medical debt.
Little has changed in a decade. A recent study reported in the American Journal of Public Health found that medical bankruptcy is still common despite the Affordable Care Act, with 66.5 percent of bankruptcies linked to medical issues and an estimated 530,000
“This illustrates part of the vicious cycle by which people can potentially lose employment — then housing — through health conditions,” says Rick Brock, communications director for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. “Poor health is itself a major cause of homelessness, and once someone loses employment, what began as an illness or injury can quickly lead to loss of housing.”
As long as the cost of health care is allowed to escalate beyond the ability of even the average person to afford, state legislatures will insist that state medical aid is unsustainable and the poor, sick, and disenfranchised will be the first to suffer.
The Tennessee legislature wants to change how the federal government allocates money to the state to provide health care to vulnerable segments of the population. It requests this change
“We need the flexibility to determine what is best for our citizens instead of continuing down the path of a one-size-fits-all program from Washington, D.C.,” Tennessee State Sen. Paul Bailey says.”
The bill cites the federal government’s desire for states to become “laboratories of policy experimentation” and Tennessee’s “history of policy innovation in Medicaid” as reasons for this change.
One of Tennessee’s long-standing “policy innovations” has been to refuse Medicaid health-care insurance expansion under the federal Affordable Care Act to working people with incomes of less than 138 percent of the federal poverty line. Over the past few years, the state has refused federal funding for Medicaid expansion that would allow more people in poverty access to health insurance.
And while seniors who receive medical benefits through Medicare/ Medicaid are supposedly exempt from the block grant proposal, care for the elderly in nursing homes and for the disabled in Tennessee fall under this TennCare proposal. It is unclear how these vulnerable groups will fare once their benefits are subjected to the petri dish of Tennessee “policy experimentation.”
In a letter from the National Health Care for the Homeless Council to TennCare deputy commissioner and director Gabe Roberts, the organization advocated against Amendment 42, calling it a “dangerous and ill-advised approach” for people in poverty.
The letter also said the block grant proposal “is not in the best interests of Tennesseans, and may have deadly consequences for the most vulnerable people.”
The block grant proposal estimates that there are currently 5,000 people waiting for approval of their disability designation in Tennessee. No indication has been given whether disabled citizens will still be eligible for medical benefits under the proposed funding scheme if it’s approved by the Dept. of Health and Human Services.
How would Anita have fared out on the cold, wet street that day if she had not gotten her disability coverage?
“I have been able to maintain my insurance, but the system scares me and the political games around it scares me,” Anita says. “You never know with what’s going on at the state level that you’re going to still have it.”
She still worries about her ability to continue to receive medical insurance through TennCare.
“I have been able to maintain my insurance, but the system scares me and the political games around it scares me,” Anita says. “You never know with what’s going on at the state level that you’re going to still have it.”
Tennessee’s ask for a block grant with a 1115 waiver from Medicare/ Medicaid is unprecedented. They asked for this change in how monies are distributed to states for the care of certain low-income populations — while 1115 waivers are available to all states, waivers are typically granted or denied based on whether they’ll help the communities that need it most.
The difference between every other state’s waiver is that, as in the California case, Tennessee’s waiver says nothing about care. It asks that Tennessee be released from the rules that govern how Medicare/Medicaid funds can be spent — to make up their own rules. In a state where Medicaid expansion was refused, does it seem probable that the powers that be in Tennessee are going to properly determine what is best for low-income people?
So what is the solution to the myriad obstacles faced by those who find themselves homeless and suffering on the streets of our nation?
Once a person finds themselves on the street, there are no neon signs with arrows and flashing lights to direct them to where they can find health care and other social services. It can be especially daunting if they have never had experience navigating state aid agencies.
Remember, many homeless individuals become separated from their documents.
“An additional barrier is not having ID/documentation,” DiPietro says. “Without an ID, you can’t even get into most state/federal buildings to apply for benefits. So it can be a catch-22 for folks.”
And to get a Social Security card, a person must present two proofs of residence. How does a homeless person prove residence?
Most homeless shelters around the country only offer rudimentary, temporary shelter during cold-weather months. And while shelter from the elements is welcome and often life-saving, it doesn’t put the homeless any closer to getting off the streets.
There are programs springing up around the country that are taking a comprehensive, holistic approach to the problems of homelessness — often incorporating health-care services as part of a broader effort toward ending homelessness by providing wraparound services.
In California, Whole Person Care is a state-funded, Medicaid 1115 waiver program that seeks to weave an effective safety net of medical and social service professionals to better care for the homeless and those living in low-income communities who have been “identified as high users of multiple systems but continue to have poor health outcomes.” Whole Person Care is an example of a program funded by a similar block grant to the one Tennessee is trying to implement.
Whole Person Care recognizes that this population of California citizens has medical and sustainability problems that are caused or made worse by poverty. Factors such as poor nutrition, lack of safe and stable housing, incarceration, substance use, unemployment and chronic anxiety of
Some private, nonprofit organizations in Tennesse also have established ways to help homeless individuals get off the streets. While they still are far from the type of wraparound services (which include health-care services) needed to fill the gaps for people in poverty, their compassion is welcomed.
For example, Room In The Inn, a nonprofit, has in-house programs. And in partnership with other agencies around Nashville, it provides ongoing support that focuses on employment, education, sobriety, mental health and permanent housing.
Boy, was I wrong. Through the unbelievable generosity of my Nashville neighbors who buy and read the paper, I continue to make a living, pay down my medical bills, and stand on my own two feet.
Just like Room In The Inn, The Contributor didn’t save me. But it has given me all the tools I need to save myself. I will be forever grateful.
And across the way from Room In The Inn in downtown Nashville is Neighborhood Health, the closest thing to a health-care solution for people experiencing homeless in Nashville.
income insecurity are making these communities sick.
This program creates a central clearinghouse of information about each at-risk person that can be shared among state and private agencies to more effectively target state services and prevent wasteful overlap of often limited Medicaid resources.
When a homeless person in a Whole Person Care community goes to the emergency room because they are sick or injured, a team of dedicated medical and social service professionals virtually follows them out the door. If Tennessee’s block grant proposal went through, this model could ameliorate some of the state’s health-care issues — though it’s worth noting Tennesee’s political climate and governance is much different than California.
I was fortunate enough to stumble into Room In The Inn one cold November night. Desperate, sick and wounded, I had become detached from everything that sustained me throughout my life.
Through the patience, guidance, and genuine loving kindness of the Inn’s amazing staff and volunteers and all of the communities of faith that took me in night after night, I was able to heal and get back up on my own two feet.
Room In The Inn didn’t save me. But it provided me with all the tools I needed to save myself. I will be forever grateful.
Once I was able to secure housing, I had no idea how I was going to pay the rent. That’s when the good people of The Contributor came into my life. I couldn’t imagine that selling newspapers on the street would generate enough income for me to pay my rent and pay down my tall stack of medical bills.
Every year, Neighborhood Health cares for more than 30,000 patients, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay, their medical history, nationality or insurance status. The clinic is in part funded by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and acccording to Brian Haile, the CEO of Neighborhood Health, 17,000 of its 30,000 patients are uninsured, and 5,100 are experiencing homelessness.
Neighborhood Health provides care to people experiencing homelessness at all 13 of its neighborhood clinics in the city, providing lab tests, prescriptions and physicals for people of all ages and backgrounds. The organization’s downtown and Nashville Rescue Mission clinics are focused on homeless services.
“When I came to neighborhood health, I had some picture in my mind about what homelessess was — people who hang out at the library or people who line up at Room In The Inn — but the idea that homelessness is concentrated to downtown is far from the whole story,” Haile explains. “We have our downtown clinics, but patients routinely tell us that they are grateful that they’re able to get care no matter where they are in the city. We try to be where people are.”
Two important questions remain unanswered. Could Neighborhood Health’s model become a state program? And would larger policy innovations help more vulnerable people? Time will tell.
For now, Haile and his team are filling the gap for patients without health insurance, a large number of whom are homeless. Health care is something that people should be able to get at any time, he believes, not something they have to rely on in an emergency room when things get really bad — like in the case of Anita’s heart attack.
“The best thing we can do is to help people achieve a quality of life that should be available to everyone,” Haile says. “That needs to be our focus this year and next year and every year.”
They’re doing what they can with what they have.
I’m a big fan of Nicolas Cage. His academy-award-winning performance in Leaving Las Vegas is timeless and tragic, and his chance taking — from choosing roles to reading lines — makes him imminently watchable. The psychedelic biker horror fi lm Mandy was one of 2018’s best and most bonkers. The film elevated a B-movie revenge plot — complete with a hippie cult high on LSD and giant wasp venom – into high art with hallucinatory atmospherics, over-the-top-violence, and an especially unhinged performance from our man, Nic.
Now Cage is reunited with Mandy ’s SpectreVision production team in Color Out of Space — an otherworldly tale of alien invasion based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft.
The Color Out of Space was published in 1927. An unnamed narrator pieces together the mysterious decline of the “blasted heath” community in the hills west of Lovecraft’s fictional town of Arkham, Mass. Turns out a meteorite poisoned the place, mutating the
plants, driving animals mad, killing people one-by-one. The story’s been adapted for fi lm a number of times beginning with 1965’s fantastically titled Die, Monster, Die! In the 21st century this alien-invasion-via-meteorite reads like evergreen, bedrock sci-fi . Color Out of Space is set in contemporary rural Massachusetts and it’s told in present tense, but otherwise it’s a fi lm dedicated to its source material, and SpectreVision is already developing other Lovecraft projects with an eye towards a future trilogy.
Fans of science fiction and fantasy might be attracted to Color Out of Space’s Lovecraft connection, but fi lm buffs will also be curious because this project marks a return to movies for South African co-writer/director, Richard Stanley. Stanley has developed a reputation as a cult fave for his groundbreaking music videos and his feature fi lm debut, Hardware (1990) — a low-budget slasher about a post-apocalyptic robot rampage. Stanley is most infamous for
being fi red from the production of The Island of Doctor Moreau (1996) and replaced by John Frankenheimer after only one week of shooting. The resulting fi lm was a disaster that found opposing camps blaming either the maniac auteur or the studio interference that stifled Stanley’s misunderstood genius.
Color Out of Space is Stanley’s first feature fi lm since the Moreau disaster and it’s got a lot of strong points: a fun nostalgia for essential space invaders sci-fi permeates the fi lm and the story, production design and practical effects recall loads of classic flicks from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) to Creepshow (1982) to The Thing (1982). Color Out of Space is set in the 21st century, but its references make it feel like a part of the recent 1980s-throwback trend, and fans of the Stranger Things universe will find a lot to like here. I like that this fi lm and its horrors are nebulous and not explicitly explained. Lovecraft’s writing is much stronger on atmospheres than plots, and Color Out of
Space’s reliance on spooky lighting — sound and visuals over tension-fi lled story points makes it feel like a bookend to the supremely poetic and hallucinatory Mandy.
Color Out of Space’s meteorite invader affects or attacks everything and everyone anywhere near its impact, and this gives Stanley and co-screenwriter Scarlett Amaris license to do whatever they please: poisoned water, monster attacks, weird flowers, lost time, erratic behavior – it’s all because of the meteor. The results are chaotic and indulgent, but also visually striking and shot-through with a manic charm thanks to both Stanley and Cage.
Color Out of Space opens at the Belcourt Theatre on Friday, Jan. 24. Go to www.belcourt. org for times and ticket.
Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/ songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.
When someone becomes homeless in Memphis, Tennessee, it’s likely that one of the first places they will visit is Hospitality Hub, a low-slung brick building on the corner of North 2nd Street and Jefferson Avenue downtown. There, a team of caseworkers and volunteers are known for customized care that connects newly homeless people to resources, counselling and housing. This first visit, the organization believes, is an opportunity for clients “to begin their journey out of homelessness.”
As Hospitality Hub has expanded to more holistically provide this service, a major challenge emerged: “We don’t have enough room for everybody to sit,” says Kelcey Johnson, executive director. Recently the nonprofit leapt at the opportunity to expand into the former Memphis Inspection Station about five blocks away. They also saw an opportunity.
“You just have to Google homeless shelters or homeless plazas to see they’re very unattractive,” Johnson notes. “We didn’t want to bring a beautiful service to the community, but have it look ugly.”
Hospitality Hub collaborated with a local artist, architect and builder to relocate their headquarters and build a women’s shelter while also prioritizing the surrounding public space. The plaza was designed not only as a public amenity, but a welcoming space for people experiencing homelessness where Hospitality Hub can conduct outreach.
“The guests need to feel comfortable, safe and secure; there needs to be a sense of community; they need to feel celebrated,” architect Brad Schmiedicke says of the design goals.
The ambitious project marks a big step for an organization that has steadily expanded since its 2007 founding. Back then, the Downtown Churches Association wanted to centralize information and services for homeless residents of Memphis and Shelby County. Now the Hospitality Hub is a well-known intake center that conducts street outreach and offers over 20 services that include a “Work Local” job program and helping clients secure state IDs or birth certificates.
The Hub estimates that 96 percent of Memphis’ newly homeless come to the nonprofit for assessment. Last year, they saw nearly 1,600 clients for the first time.
The Hub started fundraising for an expansion roughly three years
ago and then began working with the city and county governments to secure more funds and a new location.
The result was a public-private partnership to renovate the vacant, city-owned Public Service Vehicle Inspection Station into a headquarters and 32-bed women’s shelter. The building is surrounded by an expanse of vacant land, which will be transformed into a 10,000-square-foot plaza.
The development team wanted the plaza to serve a number of roles. Homeless shelters and homelessness are often stigmatized and feared, so it was envisioned as a public offering “that would attract homeless people, while also being a good neighbor to residents and businesses of the community,” says Johnson.
But the plaza needed specific amenities that would benefit homeless individuals, at a time American cities criminalize homelessness with laws that prohibit camping or sleeping in public, loitering, asking for money, sleeping in vehicles or even sitting or lying down in particular public places.
“Too often, our public spaces are not made for someone to lie down and rest, charge their phone, use a restroom, things like that,” says Schmiedicke, an architect with the Memphis firm A2H. “If you’re using a park or a library as a means of last resort, you don’t feel welcome.”
Insight from Hospitality Hub clients and staff — some of whom are formerly homeless — intimately informed the plaza design. There were the major quality of life concerns, like a safe place to nap or eat, alongside smaller, everyday needs, like having a place to charge your phone and access to a bathroom without having to make a purchase.
The final plaza design includes different elements of shade and shelter — fire pits, grills, community benches and shaded structures — plus a stage, community garden, community table and space for food trucks, a dog park and pop-up shops. Distinct public areas mean visitors can pick how they want to interact with others.
“If we have bench seating around a firepit, that’s a conversational zone,” says Schmiedicke. “If there are benches further apart with a fountain in the middle, that’s a different feeling. We want them both.”
The team also wanted to create a sense of privacy around the plaza without building a wall or barrier. Memphis artist Tylur French, of Youngblood Studio, came up with a creative solution: a colourful art wall that integrated private space where individuals could lie down and rest.
For these resting vestibules, French will manipulate 8-foot-long concrete pipes into a “rudimentary bunk system,” he explains. “It’s enough room to
walk in, stash some stuff, and lay down out of the elements.” He adds that the six-inch-thick concrete walls moderate temperature, staying cooler in daytime and warmer at night. The other side of the “bunk,” which faces the street, is a wall of colourful, concentric circles designed as a piece of public art.
Amenities the Hub already provides will expand to the plaza, like cell phone chargers and lockers for public use. To address the pressing monetary needs of many clients, the plaza includes space for an onsite car wash where clients can work to earn cash.
Open, clear lines of site will be maintained between Hospitality Hub’s new headquarters and the outdoor space to promote safety. The women’s shelter will be elevated and accessible by an elevator to give a sense of safety for the women inside. Those residents will have access to a roof deck with views of the plaza below.
“There’s an advantage to walk to the edge, be visible and engaged with what’s going on down below, or step back and be secure and safe, while still feeling like you’re part of the community,” says Schmiedicke.
A temporary plaza is opening soon; Hospitality Hub recently received a placemaking grant from the Kresge Foundation to fund the full design. The goal is to begin site construction by the end of 2019,
with the brand new Hospitality Hub opening by the end of 2020.
Once Hospitality Hub’s headquarters is linked to the plaza, case managers will start conducting extremely local outreach.
“We’ll have case management services right there, asking why people are outside and helping them get indoors — first with shelter and next with transitional housing or applying for permanent housing,” Johnson says.
French points out that when individuals enter shelter or housing, it can diminish the community created among residents who experience homelessness. He envisions the plaza as a space that community can be maintained, alongside other local residents, activities, food and art.
“It’s pretty exceptional, I think, that Hospitality Hub is addressing more than just necessity,” he says. “It’s given they’ll address physical and counselling needs, but they’re saying that people who are homeless should also be around things that are beautiful, and should feel safe.”
This article was originally published by Next City, a non-profit news organization whose journalism amplifies solutions and helps spread them from one city to the next city. Support its work at www. nextcity.org
“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.
Esta es una historia que para nosotros que somos inmigrantes nos suena familiar David Bank nació y creció en Tailandia Allí empezó a trabajar en la cocina del restaurante de la familia de su mujer, Vanida, a hora y media de Bangkok Hace dos décadas, este chef emigró a Estados Unidos en busca de fortuna Su sueño era abrir su propio local Pero antes tuvo que lavar muchos platos La suerte quiso que entre plato y plato se topara con Jean Georges Vongerichten y Tadashi Ono, dos de los cocineros más reconocidos en Nueva York, con los que trabajó
Tuvieron que pasar otros diez años de duro trabajo para que, junto a su mujer, David decidiera abrir su primer local en Upper West Side Land Thai Kitchen fue un éxito A los dos años replicaron el modelo en el Upper East Side Más tarde llegó otro negocio en Hells Kitchen y uno de cocina mexicana No todo fue color de rosa El local mexicano tuvo que cerrar
David y Vanida, y cientos de miles de inmig rantes como ellos, son los nuevos “dueños de la calle”, los causantes de una verdadera revolución, capaz de cambiar el paisaje de las ciudades y revitalizar
zonas desfavorecidas Son los ne gocios de vecindario, los comercios de las calles principales
Hasta ahora se conocía cómo, en comparación con las personas nacidas en EE UU, los inmigrantes son más propensos a tener su propio negocio, exactamente entre un 10% y un 15% más Sin embargo, apenas se había prestado atención al impacto, aún más significativo, que están teniendo sus tiendas, restaurantes, peluquerías, tintorerías, salones de belleza y gasolineras en los vecindarios de las área metropolitanas
Soy residente permanente ¿Cuánto tiempo pasará desde que presento mi solicutud de naturalización hasta que rinda juramento como ciudadano?
Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración (USCIS) deberá llamarlo para su entrevista de naturalización unos seis meses después de que usted presenta su solicitud Si cumple todos los requisitos, será llamado para su ceremonia de juramentación más o menos un mes después
Puede revisar los tiempos estimados de procesamiento de USCIS en www uscis gov; busque “processing times ”
Se recomienda verificar el “status: de la N-400 en la Oficina Distrital de USCIS en su localidad La Oficina Distrital de Nueva York calcula el tiempo de proces a m i e n t o d e l fo r mu l a r i o N - 4 0 0 ,
Solicitud de Naturalización, en nueve meses; pero es más frecuente la espera de seis meses
Un informe, que hace referencia a inmigrantes regularizados e indocumentados, aporta por primera vez datos que ilustran que los extranjeros son “el pan y la mantequilla de las economías locales de los Estados Unidos”
De los 4,9 millones de dueños de pequeños negocios de Estados Unidos, 900 000 son inmigrantes En toda la Unión, los inmigrantes conforman el 16% de la población activa y el 18% de los pequeños empresarios Sin embargo, constituyen el 28% de los dueños de negocios establecidos en los vecindarios En deter minados sectores, alcanzan niveles de representación altísimos Son negocios de pequeño margen, que desempeñan un papel cada vez más importante en el tejido económico local: generan unos 50,000 millones de ingresos al año, de los que 13,000 van a parar a manos de inmigrantes
Las cifras muestran que e n EE UU los inmigrantes representan el 61% de los propietarios de las gasolineras, el 58% de las tintorerías, el 53% de las bodegas, el 45% de los salones de manicura, el 43% de las licorerías, el 38% de los restaurantes y el 32% de las joyerías y tiendas de ropa
“Este informe confirma que los inmigrantes son cruciales para la vitalidad económica y el éxito de las ciudades de todo el país”, dijo Susan Segal, presidenta de AS / COA “
Los inmigrantes constituyen una proporción aún más elevada de los propietarios de negocios de calles principales de las áreas metropolitanas con grandes poblaciones de extranjeros Conforman, por ejemplo, el 64% de los propietarios de negocios main street en la zona metropolitana de Los Ángeles; el 61% en San José; el 56% en Washington DC , y el 54% en Miami Los asiáticos poseen el 49% de los negocios Les siguen los blancos (26%), los hispanos (20%) y los negros (3%) El 10% de los negocios de los hispanos está en manos de mexicanos
El informe de AS / COA y del Fiscal Policy Institute destaca que estos negocios aportan ingresos por vía de impuestos y empleos, pero, además, juegan un papel medular en la revitalización de su entorno urbano, haciendo de zonas deprimidas lugares atractivos “Lo que antes era un área en deterioro se vuelve una comunidad más dinámica”, afirma Los propietarios de este tipo de negocios tienen, además, unos ing resos anuales medios superiores a los del resto de inmigrantes (49 000 dólares frente a 35 000)
El análisis de tres áreas metropolitanas que han experimentado crecimiento de población ofrece “importantes lecciones” Se trata de Filadel fia, Minneapolis-St Paul y Nashville En las tres ciudades la población inmigrante constituye el 13% del total En 1990 estaban por debajo de la media nacional en este concepto
En Nashville, una coalición de líderes de la iniciativa privada, los sindicatos y el sector público log ró frenar una iniciativa para que el inglés fuera la única lengua Vanida, la dueña de restaurantes tailandeses de Nueva York , ase gura que cada ve z es más complicado llevar un ne gocio en Nueva York “Las ayudas son limitadas, el alquiler de los locales se ha disparado y el acceso a crédito se restringió tras la última crisis Es una historia que se repite por toda la ciudad”, afir mó
enerse callado dar nombre y apellido entir a acepte/lleve documentos falsos velar su situación migratoria var documentación de otro país so de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta da (llámenos si necesita una) e n l a Q u i n t a E n m i e n d a d e l a ción, los derechos de guardar silencio y on un abogado fueron denominados s Miranda luego de la decisión de la Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en Miranda vs Arizona, 384 U S 436, de 1966
Once you die every truth is known, stuff leave you and stuff begin. Broken pieces, broken lies it shouldn’t be a surprise!!! Did you love me while I was here or is it just a surprise!!!! I spoke, you...didn’t listen. I tried to make you smile you never glisten!!! You thought that having your way was the best way of all. I and you too never picked up the phone to call. Now I hold your picture in my tight grip and hold your memories so dear. I wished I had fought a little bit harder for the pains in the toils I feared. Oh how I miss you. I miss you so much. If only I could kiss you and give you one more with a hug and a touch. I dedicated to my loved ones especially my Mother Hazel L (Barbee) Helene R. Smith my Sister And grandson D’wonn Marcus, (Smith) Miles BAIT
JOHN H.You don’t tell me what to do, is what you recommend I speak wisdom, in a friendly way, somehow you can’t comprehend You’re young and think the world’s yours, won’t take advice I’d love to introduce you to my friend Jesus Christ
Many Americans hear what sounds good and not the real truth What makes it worse is we teach this trash to our youth Maybe one day we’ll teach them to love, and not to hate So Satan can stop using our future leaders as bait
What happened to me just ain’t right.
I loved my place. It was tight. Gallatin Rd. had everything you need. Now I have to ride a bus for my mission to succeed. I am lucky the market is down the street. But for everything else a trip I must take.
It’s not right for 10 men to live in one house. Everything is always a mess. Ten personalities none the same. They think they are slick but I’m on top of the game. Can’t drink can’t smoke, what else is left?
Do my chores, follow the rules, and stay to myself. My only solitude is stacking my cash so I can get out! I’m grateful for the help that they give.
After all, I can cook, wash my clothes, and I have somewhere to sleep. These A.A. meetings is kicking my ass. Seven meeting a week is a big waste of time. That’s seven hours a week I could be at work. Let’s not forget the 3 hours of community service I must do. That makes 10 hours I could be making cash.
I figured out a way for community service to be easy, I collect cash and cook a big meal every Sunday. We watch football, eat a meal like my mother used to make. I like some of the guys, and we have fun. But there’s always that one who messes up the day. He has my name and our personalities are the same. He tries to bully me and I don’t back down. My name is Anthony, mess with me and you end up on the ground. I’m not afraid to fight but I’m too smart for that. I run to the man and tell him what’s going on. I’m not going to lose my bed over a fool. It’s too cold outside and I can’t afford a hotel by myself. So I’m stuck in this mess, and I’m pissed off! That’s what this poem is all about.
VICTOR J.
People in life don’t know what to do or how to do it.
But you can look at the book of life and learn, heal, teach.
ANTHONY G.
It’s the first of the year and the time is here.
I am grateful for the help OSD gave but it’s time for me to disappear.
I’ve got to get my paperwork together so my keys will appear HUDvash-voucher, financial record and background check. 35 dollars application fee and that’s a fact.
It takes time to accomplish all of this.
But to get some keys, I’ll make it happen you wait and see. Last time I got some keys I shed some tears.
Gentrification is what got me here.
It’s causing people to be on the street. What’s Nashville going to do, don’t they see?
People going to jail on purpose, checking into hospitals just to have a place to be warm, and have a place to eat and sleep.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again.
For every yuppie tower or house, Two affordable housing units need to be built!
A CARTOON BY WILD BILL “Lash, this year will be perfect for eyeballs!” “How so, Hazel?”
JOHN H.
Whether we go to the East or West
The love of God will always be the best To love our brothers and sisters is his command In God’s world this command will always stand
Many think they can love whomever they choose If it’s heaven they’re looking forward to they’ll always lose That’s why good parenting is a good start This way love will always be in your heart
Love will always be a beautiful thing
The more love we make the angels sing May it be a great year, just don’t hate Love God and your neighbor, always keep the faith
She came from the harsh living areas in Milwaukee Wis., and for a brief time lived in Michigan. A strong-minded woman who is a three time college graduate and seems to have fallen upon hard times here in Tennessee. But because she refuses to settle for less she continues to strive to find the ways out.
She has two beautiful daughters, so challenges are added. The cost of living here is a major factor. A minimum wage job is not the answer. That molehill is one that she refused to accept, so while holding her 24-hour responsibility of motherhood job down she started cleaning wealthy people’s bathrooms in Green Hills.
After building her reputation as a trustworthy go-getter she moved on to cleaning commercial buildings.
Everything has a process and time is of the essence, but she remained firm through some more hard times in her life and stayed constant on her understandings of the preachings and teachings she received from her family.
With her own conscious contact with our almighty God by staying in prayer that His will be done and not hers, she pressed forward with an idea that would make her daughters feel special when she dropped and picked them up at school.
The idea was to create a nice ride. She liked mustangs and was able to find an ol’ school mustang and she began the process of building the nice ride starting with regular spray paint from Walmart. As time evolved, she added decals and the interest of the mustang grew. The more she added the more outstanding things became.
There came a point in time that as they rolled around in the mustang, mouths would drop and heads would turn as if Elvis Presley was dancing or Michael Jackson had tossed his magical glove. Yes, that nice ride is known as Miss Kitty Mus-
tang, and this achievement has inspired her to create The Rychus Rydz Kar Klub.
Rychus Rydz is an organization known to understand the feelings, and the concepts of the sticks, the bricks the blocks, the concrete jungles of life. Many live with the thought process that there is no way out, but Rychus Rydz do what they can to make changes by housing some homeless people (even some non-violent offenders), participate in tidying up communities, and feed and clothe as many people as possible.
They also have blood drives to save lives and assist organizations such as Matthew 25, Muscular Dystrophy, Red Cross, Second Harvest, Nashville Rescue Mission and others. For the last seven years they’ve participated in the Walk for Breast Cancer, hosted comedy events, car shows, Rock the Mic talent shows, Kids Power wheel events, and Stop the Violence events where they provide a part of the proceeds to assist other righteous events or avenues and needed.
They also remember the seeds that we plant for our future — the target being our youth that seem to be in trouble. Kia started Hello Miss Kitty to brighten up the life of her daughters as she took and picked them up from school. They strive to reach out to more and more of the youth. Their intention is to provide more educational opportunities such as vocational training.
They promote positive living through activities such as community service, and weekly discussions where youth observe and respect the development/growth of a sense of responsibility. Being a part of something positive usually brings about positive aspects. They also host a radio station called Rychus Talk Show. It’s all about real issues and real answers. Check them out at Gospel 760 on the AM dial. It’s (ALL RYCHUS).
BY JULIE B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
I think if we didn’t have Relay For Life, we wouldn’t be able to raise money for cancer. It gives us a voice and gives us the opportunity to meet others that are like us, but it also gives us the opportunity to fight for something that needs to be cured. Relay For Life is doing that one step at a time. It is a way to remember the ones that have died from cancer, and the ones that are going through cancer, and be there for the ones that need it. Relay For Life is the best thing that ever happened to me. If I didn’t have them, I don’t know what I would do. It is about being there for other people. It is to be a voice for the ones that have died. This is a way to say that we are not going to let cancer win. This is a way of saying we are fighting back against cancer. It is a way of saying that cancer it not going to beat us, but we are going to beat cancer. As long as we have Relay For Life, the fight against cancer will go on.
BY PAUL A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
I feel Metro needs to find a way of getting another grant, and a bigger grant to put more force into getting people affordable housing. They need to work on that, research it, or somebody does. It’s going to hurt a lot of people. You’re going to find more homeless out there than what there is now.
On the city, the county, the state and the federal level, the question should be asked: Why are they cutting the budget like that when they should be putting more into it? I feel that there’s more behind it.
Some of the funding that they do get helps people pay their rent and other services. With the budget being cut, that’s going to affect and hurt a lot of people. I feel that the crime rate is going to go up. I’ve thought about it, and I don’t know what to do about it.
I think it should be a priority because I feel with affordable housing and job services that are out there — and the budgets are probably being cut on that — that the more people get affordable housing, it gives them a sense of sense of confidence, and more worth, security, dignity, pride. It gives them incentive, if they can, to get out and try to find a job so that they can be more self-sufficient. I think it’s worth it.
