Help Us to Help Others (Homeless)
We are a group of ordinary people, just like you. Everyday in the city of Memphis people go without one of the most basic needs to survive: FOOD. Help us, to help those that are just like you and me.
The goal of the organization is to solidify the funding to obtain and provide interim housing and skills training so that clients become empowered, independent individuals. CCofM's services will be unique in their respectful adoration and care of the public, long-duration transitional housing, and comprehensive empowerment programs. CCofM seeks to make a significant impact on the city of Memphis and desperately need your help to change the lives of so many disenfranchised individuals.
Currently, CCofM feeds the homeless in the downtown area on the corner of Poplar and High St. We also provide youth services, such as a Men of Honor Program for Boys, Prison Prevention Program and a Gang Redirection Program.
As we examine homelessness in Memphis and the effects of the economic downturn, a watchful eye sees people breaking the law, taking penitentiary chances, by panhandling to pay $7 to get into the mission for the night or face the harsh reality of having to eat out of a garbage can, sleep in an alley, abandon building, on a park bench, or under a bridge, and risk being robbed and/or killed just trying to survive the night.
Contrary to popular opinion, most of the individuals on the street are not addicted to drugs or alcohol. They are victims of circumstance who lack the resources or access to the resources to climb out of the proverbial “hole” that is only 3 paychecks way from us all.
Memphis is one of the few major cities that do not have a free homeless facility. There are only a few that take in whole families (excluding the male). Unfortunately, only a few assist with literacy, credentialing, and long term support. Most of the secondary agencies withhold resources from those individuals without a referral that substantiates bouts of homelessness for at least one year. These are some of the things Concerned Citizens of Memphis seeks to address.
Chris Conley, with the Commercial Appeal, reported that Memphis, TN ranked #1 in a national hunger poll stating that 26% of its population could not afford to buy food.
In addition to the challenges confronting the homeless, the economic status for the City of Memphis illustrates the need for Concerned Citizens of Memphis Inc. According to the most recent available data, a staggering 26.2 percent of Memphians live in poverty. The rates are higher for youth, with 30 percent of males and 35 percent of females between the ages of 18 and 24 living in poverty. Additionally, the city’s unemployment rate has been on a continual rise in the recent months. According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s most recent report, the current rate in Memphis is 11.1 percent. While the data is not readily available, rates for youth are undoubtedly higher.
Thus, Concerned Citizens of Memphis is greatly needed as it is a comprehensive program directly addressing the basic needs of some of the most vulnerable people in this community.
The goal of the organization is to solidify the funding to obtain and provide interim housing and skills training so that clients become empowered, independent individuals. CCofM's services will be unique in their respectful adoration and care of the public, long-duration transitional housing, and comprehensive empowerment programs. CCofM seeks to make a significant impact on the city of Memphis and desperately need your help to change the lives of so many disenfranchised individuals.
Currently, CCofM feeds the homeless in the downtown area on the corner of Poplar and High St. We also provide youth services, such as a Men of Honor Program for Boys, Prison Prevention Program and a Gang Redirection Program.
As we examine homelessness in Memphis and the effects of the economic downturn, a watchful eye sees people breaking the law, taking penitentiary chances, by panhandling to pay $7 to get into the mission for the night or face the harsh reality of having to eat out of a garbage can, sleep in an alley, abandon building, on a park bench, or under a bridge, and risk being robbed and/or killed just trying to survive the night.
Contrary to popular opinion, most of the individuals on the street are not addicted to drugs or alcohol. They are victims of circumstance who lack the resources or access to the resources to climb out of the proverbial “hole” that is only 3 paychecks way from us all.
Memphis is one of the few major cities that do not have a free homeless facility. There are only a few that take in whole families (excluding the male). Unfortunately, only a few assist with literacy, credentialing, and long term support. Most of the secondary agencies withhold resources from those individuals without a referral that substantiates bouts of homelessness for at least one year. These are some of the things Concerned Citizens of Memphis seeks to address.
Chris Conley, with the Commercial Appeal, reported that Memphis, TN ranked #1 in a national hunger poll stating that 26% of its population could not afford to buy food.
In addition to the challenges confronting the homeless, the economic status for the City of Memphis illustrates the need for Concerned Citizens of Memphis Inc. According to the most recent available data, a staggering 26.2 percent of Memphians live in poverty. The rates are higher for youth, with 30 percent of males and 35 percent of females between the ages of 18 and 24 living in poverty. Additionally, the city’s unemployment rate has been on a continual rise in the recent months. According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s most recent report, the current rate in Memphis is 11.1 percent. While the data is not readily available, rates for youth are undoubtedly higher.
Thus, Concerned Citizens of Memphis is greatly needed as it is a comprehensive program directly addressing the basic needs of some of the most vulnerable people in this community.
Organizer
Ayele Akibulan
Organizer
Memphis, TN
Concerned Citizens of Memphis
Beneficiary