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On May 4, 2025 South Nashville community members were targeted in a coordinated effort between Tennessee Highway Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Many were arrested, and some were released, but others are still anxious over the safety of their loved ones. If you or someone you know were affected, there are resources available:
What should you do if ICE agents knock on your door?
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT), in partnership with Metro Nashville, has also launched The Belonging Fund to support immigrants in Nashville during this moment of crisis. The fund provides financial resources to nonprofit organizations offering emergency assistance. Funds may be used for housing instability, child care, transportation, food insecurity, or other urgent needs – but not legal services. If you are pulled over by the police, TIRRC says to stay calm, keep your hands visible, if you are driving show officers your driver’s license, registration, and insurance. Let the officer know if you don’t understand English.
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TenThirtyFive instills confidence and self-worth to young women through fashion and mentorship. This upscale thrift store allows young women to shop for free with a $100 voucher from community partner programs. They will choose from everyday items for school, work, or job interview attire, and then leave with a bag filled with beauty supplies, with an encouraging note. The programs TenThirtyFive partners with include Youth Villages, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and Morning Star. To fund their charity, the thrift store is open to the public to shop their high-end items, including Michael Kors, Free People, Draper James, Coach, and more. TenThirtyFive also sells high-end formal dresses at affordable prices for a fun prom night, wedding, or other occasions. According to founder Angie Brantley, the thrift store highlights its high-end items with its Styling Confidence for Tomorrow Fashion Show. This year's show will be held on June 1st at the Barn in the Bend in Madison, Tennessee, each model will display her own personal style, modeling the clothes of her choice. As mentioned, TenThirtyFive partners with local schools, one way they do this is by providing items from their overstock inventory to fill their resource closets or by bringing their mobile closet to the schools so parents and students can get the items they need. This non-profit has many ways to boost a young woman's confidence, according to data 70% of girls ages 15 to 17 avoid normal daily activities, including attending school, when they feel bad about their looks. This is one reason why TenThirtyFive works to bridge the gap between what young women can afford and what they feel confident in wearing to school. The organization also accepts volunteers for events; in fact, they see fashion and design majors participate and donate to their cause. Brantley says those interested in volunteering can contact Volunteer Coordinator Cheryl Downing. TenThirtyFive is located at 208A and 209 MaGavock Pike in Donelson. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Photo: TenThirtyFive How was your first legislative session? Are you proud of everything you have accomplished? As the newest member of the body, I think I did the best I could given the circumstances. I had big shoes to fill as Rep. Bill Beck was so beloved by the district and his colleagues, but I think I’ve won most of them over. 😁My experience as an organizer holding the legislature accountable and lobbying for progressive policies set a solid foundation for organizing on the inside: I passed my first bill as a member of the superminority which would ensure that closing daycare facilities notify enrolled and waitlisted families. What are you looking forward to for the next session? Is it strange that I already miss the chaos? 🤣I am currently crafting legislation and scheming to hold the Republican supermajority accountable, challenging their brand and narrative through legislative policy campaigns. I am currently developing a bipartisan bill that has the potential to garner support from many rural Republicans. Finally, I’m excited for fresh faces, post-election year— I plan to invite the new electeds out in my district so we get to know each other before we have time to get mad. Tell me your plans for ending the grocery tax. What inspired you to put this in motion? I fall asleep at night, concocting plans to eliminate the grocery tax. A few weeks ago, I created a power map to map the stakeholders and determine how long it might take to come to fruition…. 2027 is my goal. Voters across the political spectrum are strongly pleading to end the tax, so I plan to ensure that any new electeds in 2025 commit to ending the tax. The idea? Miss Renee, a fixed-income disabled senior across the street, came home one day from the grocery store in tears, upset at the cost of groceries. I also want to credit my friend Jason Freeman, former SEIU political director, who has been working on progressive tax reform in Tennessee. Feeling inflation and the lived reality of struggling Tennesseans coupled with political intentionality led to the idea! Moving to reproductive rights and abortion, I know Democrats had a lot of bills on the table they were trying to get passed to make exceptions to the abortion ban in Tennessee. Do you have any bills you are working on to try and push that further? I should know better, but I was shocked that the Republican supermajority, in an election year, would go even further to criminalize reproductive access. They even passed on codifying the right to IVF! With the recent Vanderbilt poll showing that a slim majority of Tennesseans want the right to abortion, it’s clear the legislature is way out of touch with most Tennesseans. I’ll continue to challenge the abortion ban with our “North Star” bill, which would repeal 19 laws on the books and seek to create a Tennessee of reproductive justice. 
Are you working on any legislation to safeguard a person's right to birth control? I know a lot are concerned they may no longer be able to access this since we have one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. I’m constantly working with organizers and groups pushing for reproductive access, and I know we’ll bring forth legislation to safeguard a Tennessean’s right to birth control. We did have a win this year to ensure that our state’s Medicaid beneficiaries can receive a 12-month supply of birth control. Opill is the only over-the-counter birth control pill available in the United States. Do you think this is a big step forward for the country to have access to this? Yes, I believe the availability of Opill as an over-the-counter birth control pill is a significant step forward for our country, including here in Tennessee. Making birth control readily available without a prescription helps to reduce barriers for many folks, particularly those who may face challenges in accessing healthcare providers, especially in rural areas. How do you think it will impact those you know, without insurance? The cost and logistical challenges of visiting a healthcare provider for a prescription can be prohibitive for those without insurance. By making birth control available over the counter, we eliminate the need for a doctor's visit, reducing both the financial burden and the time commitment required to obtain contraception. This change ensures that more people, regardless of their insurance status, have access to reliable birth control options. Switching gears, you are out in the District 51 community a lot, what have you heard from constituents about what they want to see happen next session? I’m upset that a few families are leaving my district this year because they don’t feel safe raising their families. Many constituents have expressed fear and frustration over legislation that infringes on personal freedoms and targets vulnerable populations, such as restrictive reproductive health laws, anti-LGBTQ+ measures, and inadequate responses to gun violence. I ran on challenging extremism and fighting to break the supermajority: my constituents know that I’m supporting Democrats running for office all across the state to chip away at their power. It will take time, but I’m in it for the long haul. Hope On The Row was founded in June 2020, Founder Ava Suppelsa says she wanted to help people during a time when many felt helpless. However, the mission to help those on her own turned into serving those unhoused from the back of her car, and has now grown to serve roughly 200 people a week. I sort of accidentally started a nonprofit, and so I ended up doing all the paperwork and becoming a 501, C three, and really embracing this opportunity of people trusting me with their money with their time with their resources, because I had started working with this community just on my own time.
Hope On The Row also partners with local videographer Keith Griner to host fundraiser events called "Spreading Hope." Ava says she and Keith connected during COVID, and she explained to him that she wanted to do a stream fundraiser for her organization. Ava says Keith felt connected to their story, as he had been un-housed at a certain time in his life, and wanted to give back. After the livestream fundraisers went well, and the lockdown was lifted, Keith began planning in-person concert events across Nashville to raise money for Hope On The Row. The series has collectively raised over $30,000 for the organization, and during their last event country artist Zac Brown made a surprise appearance. You can keep an eye out for opportunities through Hope On The Row's social media accounts. If you would like to send a monetary donation you can though Venmo (Hope On The Row through the charities tap) or PayPal (email: [email protected]). More information or volunteer opportunities can be found here. On December 9th, what's believed to be an EF-2 tornado tore though Madison, Hendersonville, an EF-3 is believed to have gone thorough Montgomery County. Our neighbors in Gallatin and Sumner County also received damage from this horrific storm. My heart goes out to everyone impacted, I'm very lucky to say my family and I are safe. (Note, right now organizations are working to identify areas for volunteers, please do not drive into tornado impacted areas on your own to help. I will update this article once officials allow it.) If you or someone you know needs shelter the American Red Cross Tennessee Region is set up in three locations:
The Red Cross says residents can go to these shelters if they are displaced, to report damage, receive food, or go for any medical needs (including lost prescriptions or medical equipment.) The Red Cross also says they have metal health and spiritual care available. Independent Operations include:
The Community Resource Center is accepting monetary donations, they currently need personal hygiene items, clothing, shoes, diapers, totes with lids, batteries, flashlights, and more. You can view the list below.  The Margaret Maddox Family YMCA, located on Gallatin Road, is also accepting donations for those affected by the tornados. They are looking for basic necessities including:
YAIPak Outreach in Clarksville is opening their warehouse daily this week (posted 12/10/23) from 8AM-4PM for volunteers and donations. They are accepting basic necessities, along with small generators, work gloves, plywood, hammers, nails, and rope. Other businesses are also collecting donations including Artlink Clarksville, Sanctuary on Main, Holistic Health Center, and Sunny Day Studios. For those with pets, Pawster Nashville is providing temporary care for animals. You can contact them at [email protected], text 615-434-4913, or complete an intake form by clicking here. To report a lost or found pet, you can contact Metro Animal Care and Control or Friends of MACC. Nashville Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster have also been activated. If you need assistance now or during the recovery process you can visit their website through this link. Nashville VOAD says right now it will take them 72 to 96 hours to get back to requests. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and United Way of Greater Nashville are also setting up funds to help victims. You can visit their websites for more information and/or to sign up to volunteer. If you have been displaced or need food assistance, The Store is offering help. You can give them a call at 615-460-8331 or email [email protected]. The Rearden Barn Company is offering free tree removal, roof tarping, clean up, and more. Contact Jake Rearden at 629-888-7663 or at [email protected]
This year and years prior In Your Community, Tennessee has spoken to many wonderful non-profits and organizations that are striving to help Tennesseans. To end 2023, wow that's weird to say, I have compiled a list of 6 recent interviews if you need assistance, looking to join or volunteer to make a difference in your community. Operation Stand Down Tennessee focuses on engaging, equipping, and empowering military veterans and their families through their crisis, career, and connection services. Federal funding allows this organization to help Veterans with temporary financial assistance if they struggle with rent, utilities, and security deposits. Operation Stand Down also offers some services to surviving spouses, however, federal money cannot be used for that. CEO Eden Murrie says their biggest goal is to connect veterans with other veterans. Murrie says they hold events just for that, such as going to a brewery, a picnic, or gun range. She knows some vets want that connection, and some don't, but even if you do not want to meet up every day or at every event, occasionally talking about the past and going to events can be nice. Mundito Spanish is a language and culture learning organization for children. Founder and Lead Teacher Casey Cabbage says the program targets kids in grades K through five. The program consists of 90-minute sessions, in the first 35 to 40 minutes the kids will learn vocabulary, and numbers, and just work towards objectives, next during a break the children will have traditional Spanish food as a snack so that they can learn more about the culture. The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga helps people of color, women, and other disadvantaged persons achieve economic self-reliance, parody, power, and civil rights. According to Candy Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, the organization has three empowerment centers they offer to residents. This includes the Center for Education, Workforce, and Family Empowerment; the Center for Economic and Black Business Success; and the Center for Equity and Inclusive Leadership. The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga also cares about the health of those in the community, they have created a pre-diabetes prevention program that uses the curriculum of the CDC. East Nashtivists began with the craving for community, togetherness, and advocacy. The group has since expanded, making its name known across Middle Tennessee. The group attends legislative sessions at the Capitol but has partnered with other organizations like Inclusion Tennessee and the Tennessee Equality Project to fight for LGBTQ+ rights. East Nashtivists meets the second Wednesday of every month at East Nashville Beer Works from 5 PM until 8 PM. Even if you are not in the East Nash area, you are encouraged to come and join and help make a difference in the community. ArtsBuild's mission is to build and encourage a stronger community through creativity and learning through the arts. Art conveys with children beginning at a young age, and the non-profit encourages their creativity through their "Imagine" program. Through this they provide a field trip in the arts for every child in Hamilton County Schools. According to ArtsBuild President James McKissic, they conducted 14 thousand field trips for 14 thousand students in 2022. Another way this organization supports dreams is through the Racial Equity Grants for Individual Artists (REGIA) program. This program renews grant-funded support for artists of color, building on ArtsBuild’s Equity in the Arts grant program. Emerge Tennessee is a premier training program for Democratic women in the state and part of a national organization called Emerge America. According to Executive Director Freda Player, they have trained around 5,000 women nationwide, and more than 1,000 were elected to office. In Tennessee, Emerge has trained nearly 150 women, and 40 have been elected or appointed to office. Through Emerge Tennessee's signature candidate training program, women will go through a six-month, 70-hour program that will teach them how to fundraise, spread their story, find their win number, use digital media, and more. Women will speak to a variety of campaign and election experts, along with other women who have been elected or appointed to office. All previous articles are linked, along with their websites if you would like more information. Happy Holidays!  Emerge Tennessee is a premier training program for Democratic women in the state and part of a national organization called Emerge America. According to Executive Director Freda Player, they have trained around 5,000 women nationwide, and more than 1,000 were elected to office. In Tennessee, Emerge has trained nearly 150 women, and 40 have been elected or appointed to office. How does Emerge Tennessee recruit women who want to run, but may not know how? According to Freda, when the program began, they sought out those who had run before but did not have all the tools in their toolbelt. As the program progressed, and after the 2016 election, they say more women came forward wanting to become more involved and do something to help their communities, to help other women who are struggling. Now as women go to them, they continue to reach out to those who are advocating within the city council or their local school board and just have a conversation with those women about government, if they are ready to run, and if they are considering running, what they will need help with. As women decide to run for government, or if their decision is still under consideration, they can go through one of Emerge Tennessee's three Candidate Training programs. Through Emerge Tennessee's signature program, women will go through a six-month, 70-hour program that will teach them how to fundraise, spread their story, find their win number, use digital media, and more. Women will speak to a variety of campaign and election experts, along with other women who have been elected or appointed to office. Some people have a very specific image of a candidate and even us as women.  For those with a partner and children, running to become an elected official can be difficult. Emerge will bring in spouses of candidates and elected officials and speak on what it was like to go through the process, being on that side of the campaign, how they supported their partner, and how they made the decision as a family to go through this. Some women may not want to commit to the Signature Training program but still want to learn, this is where the Step Forward program comes in. This program helps women figure out their path to political leadership and how to get started. Studies show that women in office are more involved with their community and gender-salient issues such as healthcare, the economy, education, and the environment. Women are natural leaders, they're leaders in their community, whether it's in their neighborhood association, HOA, PTO booster, church group, you know, their local advocacy group, they've already doing it, and that's where their network in their base comes from. And so they've already had that experience before they run. And that's usually the foundation where a lot of it starts Freda says women tend to be overqualified compared to men. She says it takes seven times to talk a woman into running for office, but if you speak to a man once, he is more likely to say yes. Freda says as women are already taking on roles in different groups they already have the experience to run because leading and networking is usually the foundation of where campaigns begin. If you don't think you're like this polish lawyer, businesswoman come from this pedigree of family or this political legacy, people are tired of that they don't want that they want to know that you have struggled and overcome. I also spoke to Freda on seeing names like Tennessee Senator London Lamar, Senator Heidi Campbell, and council women who have gone through the program, ran for office, and were elected. She says it's like a sense of accomplishment that these women are speaking truth to power and real authentic stories. This reaffirms our belief in democracy. You become like a proud sister and saying, like, that's my family, that's my person. That's my girls doing out there, and doing great and wonderful things. And yeah, it's the best feeling in the world. That the reason I still do this job is for that very reasons that we you see those light bulbs go on. You see people go through the trials and tribulations of running for office and they succeed. According to researchers from LinkedIn, globally less than a third of leadership positions are held by women. They say in the United States only 37% of leadership positions are held by women, even though women make up 47% of the workforce.
If you would like to would like to learn more about Emerge Tennessee you can visit their website by clicking here. ArtsBuild's mission is to build and encourage a stronger community through creativity and learning through the arts. Art conveys with children beginning at a young age, and ArtsBuild encourages their creativity through their "Imagine" program. Through this they provide a field trip in the arts for every child in Hamilton County Schools. According to ArtsBuild President James McKissic, they conducted 14 thousand field trips for 14 thousand students in 2022. He says children visited local museums, the ballet, plays, and the symphony, all at no cost to the children; he says the organization will also cover the costs for a substitute teacher to stay with children who do not go on the trip. ArtsBuild also advocates for the arts during election season. McKissic says the organization holds forums related to the arts for the candidates, where artists will ask those seeking office how they will support the community in their administration. One of their biggest advocacy efforts is related to the Tennessee Specialty License Plate Program. When someone purchases a specialty plate, some of the funds from that purchase will go programs that support the arts, including ArtsBuild.  Photo: ArtsBuild I asked McKissic how someone can get assistance through the non-profit, and he told me they have different grants throughout the year for individual artists and organizations, and you can view those here. Another way ArtsBuild supports dreams is through the Racial Equity Grants for Individual Artists (REGIA) program. This program renews grant-funded support for artists of color, building on ArtsBuild’s Equity in the Arts grant program. McKissic says a couple of years ago, they looked into how their funding is being equitably distributed. He says the realized funds for artists of color were going to organizations led by BIPOC individuals. They then instituted this grant to change that, and now nearly 40% of the grant is going towards artists of color, syncing with the city's population.  Photo: ArtsBuild According to ArtsBuild President James McKissic ArtsBuild also has support through the City of Chattanooga, specifically with the Office of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, as well as the Hamilton County government. One way the community can support this non-profit is by donating and volunteering to be one of their grant reviewers. ArtsBuild will also host their first large gala, called 'The Intermission' on September 14th. McKissic tells me this will be a celebration of the arts in Chattanooga, and honor this year's recipients of the Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Awards. Tickets are limited and are on sale now, and the celebration does feature a very special guest.  Urban League of Greater Chattanooga: Empowering People of Color and Striving for Social Equality5/3/2023 The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga became a part of the community 40 years ago as an economic development-focused organization that helps people of color, women, and other disadvantaged persons achieve economic self-reliance, parody, power, and civil rights. According to Candy Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, the organization has three empowerment centers they offer to residents. The first is the Center for Education, Workforce, and Family Empowerment. In this program, the Urban League has after-school and youth development programs and the family prosperity imitative that will help 100 families out of poverty. Next, is the Center for Economic and Black Business Success. This program is designed to not only support African American business owners, but all minorities, and all of those who are facing challenges and barriers to owning and accelerating growth within their business. Johnson says the Urban League has two signature programs, one for businesses just starting out and the other with a little more experience. The final empowerment center is the Center for Equity and Inclusive Leadership. This center engages and empowers diverse community members to promote a shared understanding of racial, social, and economic equity. Under this center they have two more programs, the first being the Inclusion by Design Executive Leadership Development Program. Through this program, the non-profit works to help women of all races gain the knowledge, skills, and networks to thrive in an executive role. To date, there are 58 alumni from the program, as well as a 58% success rate of those who have been promoted into senior-level leadership roles within their companies and also executive roles. The program lasts around nine months, and several local corporations participate. The young professionals are also part of this empowerment center. The goal here is for those 21 to 40 to gain leadership experience, no matter their nationality. At the end of the day, Johnson says they hope Young Professional members grow as leaders in the community, but also understand what it means to be civically involved give back, and the importance of voting and exercising your right to vote. As the midterms approach, the Urban League will play a role in getting the community out to vote through the Young Professionals program. Individuals will phone bank, door knock, and campaign. However, the Urban League does not promote or endorse a specific candidate or party as they remain nonpartisan. Their goal is to make sure community members know who is on the ballot and to actually get out and vote. Johnson says through the years they have held candidate forums and will continue to do so to gain new voters. In 2022 the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga released a detailed report on the State of Black Chattanooga to inform the community where there are gaps, and allow employers to use data gathered to help those who are being impacted. Local leaders, including Mayor Tim Kelly, have also used the report to help guide his initiatives for the communities of color, this comes as the report states Black Chattanoogans only receive 60% equality compared to white people in the community. Johnson says at the end of the day they ultimately want to promote and achieve racial, social, and economic equity. The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga also cares about the health of those in the community, they have created a pre-diabetes prevention program that uses the curriculum of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The goal of the program is to help provide a healthy lifestyle for people of color and women. If you'd like to volunteer with the Urban League, Johnson says they are always looking for professional guest speakers, those who would like to serve in their quality youth mentorship program for elementary and high schoolers, as well as volunteers for their Income Tax Program. In this program, volunteers will help those in the Chattanooga-Hamilton County area. Volunteers will complete 9,000 to 10,000 tax returns, so the Urban League says they are always searching for retired CPAs, those in the finance industry, or people who just like to do taxes. There are also opportunities to volunteer with big companies such as EPB, TVA, BlueCross, and Unum. You can check out the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, all linked below, or check out their website linked here. East Nashtivists: A Community Fighting For Reproductive Rights & A More Inclusive Tennessee3/7/2023
When it comes to bodily autonomy, it's not just for reproductive rights, we've seen that it affects all of us. And so they start taking our rights away to decide, you know, whether we're going to get pregnant. And then they're taking away the right to decide what kind of medications or treatments you're going to give to your children. - Katrina Green, Emergency Physician/East Nashivists leadership team East Nashtivists attends legislative sessions at the Capitol but has partnered with other organizations like Inclusion Tennessee and the Tennessee Equality Project to fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The Equality Project has held phone banks, organized protests, and press conferences, and encouraged advocates to show up when anti-LGBTQ+ are voted on. However, these organizations are also encouraging those in the community to take care of themselves, and know they have a shoulder to lean on when things are tough. It's also been a tough fight for reproductive rights, in 2022 the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which enacted Tennessee's trigger law banning abortion, with no exceptions, it only includes an affirmative defense for doctors. This means the medical professional must prove the abortion was medically necessary. Since the ban, advocates for reproductive rights have taken to the streets in protest and made their concerns heard at the Capitol, and now the legislation is stalling to modify the ban. Folks are hurting right now, there are pregnant people that are suffering, because there are delays in care, there are doctors who are leaving the state, because they're afraid to practice in this kind of environment. And that's gonna affect all of us, right, like fewer doctors means worse health care for everybody. And so even people who are pro life are really anti choice, is what we like to call them, they should be concerned about this situation, too, because fewer doctors means worse health care means higher maternal mortality. - Katrina Green, Emergency Physician/East Nashivists leadership team Right now, Tennessee is ranked 44th in the country for overall health, we were in the same position in 2019, so not much has changed, but it needs to. One way East Nashtivists is trying to make change is by encouraging Nashvillians to get out and vote, the organization will be at several events this year for voter registration, as they partner with local groups as well as going door to door around the community. If you'd like to get more involved, East Nashtivists meets the second Wednesday of every month at East Nashville Beer Works from 5 PM until 8 PM. For the first hour, they host a happy hour, giving people a chance to show up, mingle, and socialize. Then, from six to eight is when they have their speakers. The week of March 13th, (On Sunday) they are holding a community engagement event at a vegan bipoc lesbian-owned, bakery called Yellow and Lavender. Even if you are not in the East Nashville area, you are encouraged to come and join and help make a difference in the community. |
AuthorMy name is Jess and I love telling other peoples stories and bringing awareness to the community. Archives
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