Keep Memphis Rox Open!

When a group of mothers in Memphis, TN were asked what they needed for their community, they answered, “somewhere our kids can go to keep them off the streets.” Memphis Rox climbing & community center is a 501c3 that answered that call with programs that have changed and supported countless children and their families. Help them keep the doors open at this space that has given hope to one of the most underserved communities in America.

Memphis Rox is a climbing gym that transforms lives and builds community by providing rehabilitation and healing through various programs that bridge relationships across cultural, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. They're revolutionary because they exclude no one from their facilities and programs, regardless of their ability to pay. Their ‘pay what you can’ model has given people with little to no resources access to their gym, food, travel opportunities, mentorship and after school programs.

Like many nonprofits, the pandemic created a lot of challenges for Memphis Rox. Over the last few months, it’s been a struggle for them to continue to provide the support they do for the community. Knowing how absolutely vital this space has become for so many who have nowhere else to turn, we want to do everything in our power to work with the staff to help keep this beautiful place alive. Please join us!

Here are a few of the services they provide:

ROCK CLIMBING CLASSES, YOGA, GYM FACILITIES- Climbing is simply a metaphor for overcoming life’s obstacles. Through weekly training sessions, youth receive mentorship that not only helps them grow on the wall, but instills skills that empower them throughout their lives.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS- Memphis Rox offers no-cost after school programming for youth ages 12-17. With no barrier to entry, working families can trust their children will be supervised in a safe and enriching environment. Kids participate in guided climbing activities and creative arts while also receiving homework assistance and a nutritious meal from their in-house cafe.

JUICE ALMIGHTY- The juice bar and cafe at Memphis Rox provides healthy eating options at reasonable prices, with no one turned away for an inability to pay. This is especially important, as Rox is located in a USDA certified food desert. To date, Juice Almighty has served 48,000 complimentary meals to local youth, families, and guests. Hundreds of meals are served each week to those in need, including a “pay it forward option” for members to buy lunches for others in need, too.

COMMUNITY CLOSET- Memphis Rox offers essentials such as hygiene and household items as well as clothing to those in the community who are in need, so youth and their families do not go without the essentials they need to thrive at home.

PERIOD POWER- Memphis Rox partnered with local non-profit, Sister Supply, to provide menstrual products to women in the community who are unable to afford them. They provide a three-month supply of products to those who sign up for the program as well as free menstrual products in the women’s bathroom at Memphis Rox.