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Indie Memphis Movie Club hosts virtual discussion with director Robert Townsend

By
Brianna A. Smith
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Indie Memphis Artistic Director Miriam Bale conducts an interview the virtual way with Robert Townsend. (Screen capture)
TSD’s All Over Town columnist Brianna A. Smith.

Although Indie Memphis postponed all upcoming events as a precaution to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, they still found a way to use their resources to educate and support independent filmmakers during this time.

On last Tuesday, Indie Memphis Movie Club held a virtual discussion with actor and director Robert Townsend.

Artistic Director Miriam Bale  lead the discussion; she opened the segment introducing Townsend as the “Godfather of Black Independent Film”.

Over the past 30-plus years Townsend has made a name for himself in black homes across the country as a trailblazing filmmaker who uses his talent to uplift people of color. He is the mastermind behind films such as, Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats, B*A*P*S, The Meteor Man, Holiday Heart, Eddie Murphy Raw, and one of my all -time favorite’s Carmen: A Hip Hopera.

The discussion focused mainly on his debut film Hollywood Shuffle, a satirical look at what it was like to be a black actor in Tinseltown. The film stamped Townsend’s place in the industry as a filmmaker.

“We have a lot of filmmakers tuned in today,” said Bale. “Can you share your experience in creating Hollywood Shuffle?”

Townsend was inexperienced—he didn’t go to film school and hadn’t directed a film—but he was determined to tell a story about being marginalized by the industry.

In 1984, he had a small role in the Oscar-nominated A Soldier’s Story. “I told my agent I want to do more movies like this,” said Townsend. “My agent was like, ‘Robert, they only do one black movie a year. You just did it. Be happy.′”

But Townsend wasn’t satisfied. “I thought my dream of being an artist was dying, because at the time, the only roles I was auditioning for were slaves and pimps and stereotypes of basketball players who couldn’t read,” Townsend says. “It was frustrating.”

“Then I started talking to my good friend Keenan Wayans (actor and filmmaker) about us doing a movie about our lives  and that’s how it all started.”

Townsend and Wayans wrote the script together but because the film didn’t have a studio backing, Townsend was faced with financing the film on his own. “The idea of somebody writing, directing, producing, and starring in a movie, especially a person of color, wasn’t heard of then,” said Townsend.

“Everybody said the bar was so high in Hollywood, you couldn’t get in if you didn’t have millions and millions of dollars.”

Eventually, Townsend raised $100,000 to make Hollywood Shuffle, using $60,000 he earned from acting gigs and $40,000 using credit cards.

Townsend helped to kick the door wide open for black talent in the late 80s—ushering in a fertile period of comedic and dramatic films starring black actors in complex roles that were also directed by black directors.

“I don’t want to take credit, but I just know that we planted seeds that it was okay to be funny, to write-direct-produce,” Townsend said. “When people heard the story of Hollywood Shuffle and how we did it, I think it gave inspiration to a lot of filmmakers to say, ‘If Robert can do it with a credit card, I can do it.’”

The discussion was informative and inspiring to filmmakers.

Bale closed out the conversation asking Townsend what many viewers tuned in to see, “How does someone make a film for less than $100,000 now?”

Townsend replied, “These new iPhone’s don’t need a lot of extra lights. Use your resources, find a location and write the script around that location.”

“Always remember that the acting and story telling is most important when creating a film.”

Check out the discussion here:

 

Real story: How to prepare for a telehealth visit

By
Special to TSDMemphis.com
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By Ali Whittier
BCBSTUpdates.com

Jennifer Brantley was diagnosed with cancer in October 2019. After months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, she had to have a tumor removed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Her surgery was set for March 25 – during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the surgery, Jennifer would also need a follow-up appointment a couple weeks later. When her doctor’s nurse called, she asked Jennifer if she’d be interested in setting up a telehealth visit.

“COVID-19 was a major concern for me due to my compromised immune system, so I jumped at the chance to do a virtual appointment. That way I wouldn’t have to leave my house,” Jennifer says. “It was nice the doctor’s office was open to helping me come up with a ‘plan B’ for my post-op appointment.”

Jennifer says the scheduling process was similar to an in-person visit, but after experiencing her own first telehealth visit, here are 3 things she recommends to help you prepare.

1. Give yourself enough time for the initial set-up

  • Ask the nurse or staff setting up the appointment what app or website they use for telehealth so you can plan enough time to get your computer or device set up.
  • Download the appropriate app or visit the website before the day of your first telehealth appointment in case you have questions.
  • If the app or site allows, test both your speakers and microphone ahead of time to make sure you can hear and be heard.

2. Prepare others in your home for the appointment

  • Find a quiet place for your visit, and let people in your home know when you need them to avoid interrupting you.
  • Consider sending a reminder message a few minutes before the appointment is scheduled to start.
  • If you have children or pets that might disrupt your conversation or distract you, consider finding a place for them somewhere in your home where they can’t be heard or finding an activity for kids to work on.

3. Treat the appointment like a normal in-office visit

  • Make sure you still have a list of questions to ask your provider during the visit.
  • Wear loose-fitting clothes in case you need to show any incisions, wounds or potential issues to your provider.
  • Have a notepad and pen to write down any instructions provided or consider allowing someone to sit-in on your appointment to help you take notes if you need it.

What are some other things you should keep in mind?

Don’t be intimidated by technology.

Some health care providers have help desks that can walk you through how to download the technology you need for the appointment. Ask for a number to call if you have trouble getting the technology to work when it’s time for your appointment. Most providers will expect the possibility of glitches in the technology and understand the need to restart the visit if this happens.

Ask your provider to send any important treatment or therapy information prior to the appointment.

If you have telehealth visits with providers who need to show you how to perform treatment or therapy at home, you may consider asking them for this information before your appointment. That way when it’s time to discuss these instructions or exercises you have to do at home, you’ll have already had enough time to review and come up with any questions you can discuss together during your appointment.

On the other hand, if the visit concerns a new condition or issue you’re having, you may want to ask your provider if having a photo ahead of time will help them prepare for the upcoming visit.

Think about your privacy needs for the appointment.

You can expect privacy when you visit your provider in person, but is this something you need during a telehealth visit at home, too? Consider your comfort level for the appointment scheduled and plan the location in your home appropriately for your privacy needs.

Remember, your provider can be running late to telehealth visits, too.

Don’t hang up or leave the meeting if your provider isn’t on time. Just like being in a doctor’s office, they sometimes run late so try to be as patient as you can.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members have options for telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic – visits with in-network providers are covered with the same benefits as in-person visits, and PhysicianNow visits are free for many members through June 30.

For the latest information on our response to COVID-19, visit BCBSTupdates.com

Black Restaurants cooking up ways to keep it moving!

By
Terrisa Coreen Mark
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TSD freelance videographer Terrisa C. Mark looks at the challenges faced by African-American restaurants during the pandemic and the creative way many are responding.

Barack Obama will headline televised prime-time commencement

By
TSD Newsroom
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NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Barack Obama will deliver a televised prime-time commencement address for the high school Class of 2020 during an hour-long event that will also feature LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai and Ben Platt, among others.

ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC will simultaneously air the special May 16 at 8 p.m. EDT along with more than 20 other broadcast and digital streaming partners, according to the announcement Tuesday from organizers.

Several high school students from Chicago public schools and the Obama Youth Jobs Corps will join, as will the Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Bad Bunny, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Megan Rapinoe and H.E.R.

The event is titled “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.” It’s hosted by the education advocacy group XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and The Entertainment Industry Foundation.

Obama will reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption of school life, especially for seniors who have missed out on their milestone rites of passage.

Russlynn Ali (Photo: Twitter)

“This high school graduation season will be anything but ordinary — but that’s all the more reason why the Class of 2020 deserves extraordinary advice, heartfelt encouragement, and hard-won wisdom about facing new challenges in an uncertain world,” Russlynn Ali, CEO and co-founder of XQ Institute, said in a statement.

“We are grateful to President Obama for giving this gift to our nation’s three million high school seniors as they #GraduateTogether,” she added.

TSD COVID-19 Flash! — Clyburn’s oversight role, mask rage, event reminders, numbers, today’s music vibe: Al Green — ‘A Change is Gonna Come’

By
Karanja A. Ajanaku
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The line of cars was long because the need was great in ZIP code 38126 as the Women's Foundation For Greater Memphis spearheaded a COVID-19 relief outreach last Friday. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Rep. Jim Clyburn will lead House Oversight Committee on coronavirus

Rep. Jim Clyburn, a 14-term U.S. Congressman and the dean of the South Carolina congressional delegation, has spent his career working to improve and empower the lives of African Americans. Former President Barack Obama once noted that Clyburn is “one of a handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens.”

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Healthcare and other fraud has run rampant during the current novel coronavirus pandemic and, more than ever, African Americans are being victimized, says Re. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.).

“This pandemic is visiting family after family after family. We know from all of the data that it is being visited more harshly and more prevalent among African American communities, and some Latino communities all over the country.” READ the story

Three charged in killing of store security guard over virus mask

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A woman, her adult son and husband have been charged in the fatal shooting of a security guard who refused to let her daughter enter a Family Dollar in Michigan because she wasn’t wearing a face mask to protect against transmission of the coronavirus.

Calvin Munerlyn was shot Friday at the store just north of downtown Flint a short time after telling Sharmel Teague’s daughter she had to leave because she lacked a mask, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.

Teague, 45, argued with Munerlyn, 43, before leaving. Two men later came to the store.

Teague; her husband, Larry Teague, 44; and Ramonyea Bishop, 23; are charged with first-degree premeditated murder and gun charges. READ more

 

Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Daily Update: May 5, 2020

Total COVID-19 Cases Recovered in Shelby County as of 05/04/2020

Data Source: National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) Note: “Recovered“ is defined as (1) people who are living and have been confirmed to be asymptomatic by the health department and have completed their required isolation period. or (2) are at least 21 days beyond the first test confirming their illness

Shelby County COVID-29 Cases by Race and Ethnicity as of 5/04/20

Shelby County Health Department has added a data page to its COVID-19 webpage: www.shelbytnhealth.com/coronavirus.

 

REMINDER: Christ Community to host free drive-thru testing in Hickory Hill

 Christ Community Health Services — in partnership with the Safety Net Collaborative, the state of Tennessee and the the Health Department — will host a COVID 19 testing at Christ Community Health Services Hickory Hill at 5366 Mendenhall Mall from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday (May 6).  Testing is FREE and open to everyone and it is not necessary to be experiencing COVID 19 symptoms.   Citizenship will not be verified during testing to encourage participation from all communities. 

LATER TODAY:

Gov. Bill Lee will be featured during the Memphis Townhall hosted by The Redwing Report at 5 p.m. CDT today (May 5).

Watch here

TODAY’S TSD MUSIC VIBE:

 

 

Judge rules Tennessee’s voucher law is unconstitutional

By
Associated Press
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Gov. Bill Lee: “There are about 250 families that have actually applied (for vouchers but) those approvals have not been made yet. ... The process is underway.”

by Kimberlee Kruesi —

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge on Monday ruled that the state’s much-debated school voucher program is illegal and cannot be implemented despite education officials receiving thousands of applications from parents hoping to use public tax dollars on private school tuition.

Chancellor Anne C. Martin

Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin said in her order that the voucher law, which Gov. Bill Lee signed into effect last year, violated the Tennessee constitution’s “home rule.” Lee’s administration had backed the legislation during his first year as governor, gaining just narrow support from the GOP-controlled Statehouse and strong opposition from Democratic members and public education advocates.

Plaintiffs in the legal challenge had ranged from Nashville and Shelby County, which includes Memphis; as well as parents opposed to education savings accounts. They had argued Republican lawmakers did not receive local consent when drawing legislation affecting local communities, which is required under Tennessee’s constitution

According to the law, the voucher program would only apply to Nashville and Memphis, the areas with the lowest performing schools and regions with Democratic political strongholds.

The original version of the measure included several other counties, but it was eventually whittled down after Republican lawmakers objected due to uneasiness about launching a voucher program in their own legislative districts.

“The entire process of the General Assembly, including the amendments and ‘horse trading’ associated with changing eligibility criteria to satisfy legislators who wanted their counties excluded, resulted in an act that, in form and effect, is local,” Martin wrote in her 32-page order.

Pro-voucher groups had countered that such claims over the “home rule” are moot because they said the provision does not apply to school boards, while the county does not have proper standing to sue over the school voucher program.

On Monday, Martin agreed that Nashville’s school board did not have standing to sue and dismissed the board from the case. However, she said counties had a stake in public education.

“We strongly disagree with the court’s ruling and will swiftly appeal on behalf of Tennessee students who deserve more than a one-size-fits-all approach to education,” said Lee’s spokesman Gillum Ferguson.

Other groups who had petitioned the court to argue in favor of the voucher program also objected to Martin’s decision.

Shaka Mitchell {Photo: American Federation for Children/Joy Asico}

“This is an extremely disappointing decision, and unfairly penalizes the thousands of families who were hoping to utilize the ESA program,” said Shaka Mitchell, Tennessee’s state director for the American Federation for Children. “These families are desperately looking for options to help their children succeed academically.”

American Federation for Children, a school choice group Education Secretary Betsy DeVos once chaired, had said earlier Monday that 2,200 children had applied for Tennessee’s voucher program as of last week.

Other groups that had sued, however, praised Monday’s decision.

“Chancellor Martin’s ruling is an enormous victory for Tennessee public school students,” said Chris Wood, a private Nashville attorney for the plaintiffs. “This unpopular voucher program was forced on two communities without their consent, and it threatened to drain public resources from already underfunded public schools.”

The program — known as education savings accounts — would allow eligible Tennessee families to use up to $7,300 in public tax dollars on private schooling tuition and other preapproved expenses.

State education officials had been working to implement the program in the upcoming school year. Applications for students were already being accepted until early May.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nikole Hannah-Jones’ essay from ‘The 1619 Project’ wins commentary Pulitzer

By
Tri-State Defender National Stories
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The New York Times’ writer Nikole Hannah-Jones. (Photo: mpi43/MediaPunch /IPX)

by Tom Jones — (POYNTER) — 

Of all the thousands upon thousands of stories and projects produced by American media last year, perhaps the one most-talked about was The New York Times Magazine’s ambitious “The 1619 Project,” which recognized the 400th anniversary of the moment enslaved Africans were first brought to what would become the United States and how it forever changed the country.

It was a phenomenal piece of journalism.

And while the project in its entirety did not make the list of Pulitzer Prize finalists, the introductory essay by Nikole Hannah-Jones, the creator of the landmark project, was honored with a prestigious Pulitzer Prize for commentary.

After the announcement that she has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, Hannah-Jones told the Times’ staff it was “the most important work of my life.”

While nearly impossible, and almost insulting, to try and describe in a handful of words or even sentences, Hannah-Jones’ essay was introduced with this headline: “Our Democracy’s Founding Ideals Were False When They Were Written. Black Americans Have Fought to Make Them True.”

In her essay, Hannah-Jones wrote, “But it would be historically inaccurate to reduce the contributions of black people to the vast material wealth created by our bondage. Black Americans have also been, and continue to be, foundational to the idea of American freedom. More than any other group in this country’s history, we have served, generation after generation, in an overlooked but vital role: It is we who have been the perfecters of this democracy.”

Hannah-Jones’ and “The 1619 Project,” however, were not without controversy. There was criticism of the project, particularly from conservatives. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich called it “propaganda.” A commentator for The Federalist tweeted the goal of the project was to “delegitimize America, and further divide and demoralize its citizenry.”

But the most noteworthy criticism came from a group of five historians. ln a letter to the Times, they wrote that they were “dismayed at some of the factual errors in the project and the closed process behind it.” They added, “These errors, which concern major events, cannot be described as interpretation or ‘framing.’ They are matters of verifiable fact, which are the foundation of both honest scholarship and honest journalism. They suggest a displacement of historical understanding by ideology.”

Wall Street Journal assistant editorial features editor Elliot Kaufman wrote a column with the subhead: “The New York Times tries to rewrite U.S. history, but its falsehoods are exposed by surprising sources.”

In a rare move, the Times responded to the criticism with its own response. New York Times Magazine editor-in-chief Jake Silverstein wrote, “Though we respect the work of the signatories, appreciate that they are motivated by scholarly concern and applaud the efforts they have made in their own writings to illuminate the nation’s past, we disagree with their claim that our project contains significant factual errors and is driven by ideology rather than historical understanding. While we welcome criticism, we don’t believe that the request for corrections to The 1619 Project is warranted.”

That was just a portion of the rather lengthy and stern, but respectful response defending the project.

In the end, the 1619 Project — and Hannah-Jones’ essay, in particular — will be remembered for one of the most impactful and thought-provoking pieces on race, slavery and its impact on America that we’ve ever seen.

And maybe there was another reason for the pushback besides those questioning its historical accuracy.

As The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer wrote in December, “U.S. history is often taught and popularly understood through the eyes of its great men, who are seen as either heroic or tragic figures in a global struggle for human freedom. The 1619 Project, named for the date of the first arrival of Africans on American soil, sought to place ‘the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.’ Viewed from the perspective of those historically denied the rights enumerated in America’s founding documents, the story of the country’s great men necessarily looks very different.”

There’s no question that Hannah-Jones’ essay, which requires the kind of smart thinking and discussion that this country needs to continue having, deserved to be recognized with a Pulitzer as the top commentary of 2019. After all, and this is not hyperbole, it’s one of the most important essays ever.

In addition, we should acknowledge the other two finalists in this category: Washington Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins and Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez.

Jenkins continues to be among the best sports columnists in the country. Meanwhile, has any writer done more to shine a light on homelessness than Lopez? This is the third time in the past four years (and fourth time overall) that Lopez has been a finalist in the commentary category.

In any other year, both would be deserving of Pulitzer Prizes. But 2019 will be remembered for Nikole Hannah-Jones’ powerful essay and project.

(Tom Jones is Poynter’s senior media writer. For the latest media news and analysis, delivered free to your inbox each and every weekday morning, sign up for his Poynter Report newsletter.)

Pulitzers honor Ida B. Wells, an early pioneer of investigative journalism and civil rights icon

By
Tri-State Defender National Stories
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At 33, Ida B. Wells, who had become renowned as an anti-lynching crusader, married Ferdinand L. Barnett. A year later, the first of her four children was born. Said Ida B. Wells-Barnett: “I honestly believe I am the only woman in the United States who ever traveled throughout the country with a nursing baby to make political speeches.”

by Barbara Allen — (Poynter) —

In granting a posthumous citation to Ida B. Wells, the Pulitzer Prizes honors one of America’s earliest and most intrepid investigative reporters.

Pultizer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones on Twitter:

 

Ida B. Wells was born a slave in Mississippi in 1862. She became a writer and publisher who crusaded against lynching and for civil rights in the deep South after the Civil War. It was death-defying work for a black woman, who spent months journeying through the Southern states, investigating the lynchings of black men through records research and in-person interviews — a process that laid the groundwork for modern investigative techniques.

At 30, and as the co-owner and editor for The Memphis Free Speech and Headlight, Wells took on that most famous work, attempting to investigate the trope that lynchings usually followed the rape of white women by black men. She discovered, of course, that this was patently false: “Nobody in this section of the country believes the threadbare old lie that Negro men rape white women,” Wells wrote.

Instead, she wrote, the horrible violence — and threat of that violence — were simply a means for white citizens to terrorize and oppress African Americans. Her writing was published across the United States and abroad, and included the pamphlets-turned-books “Southern Horrors” and “The Red Record.”

She continued her career as a journalist and advocate for civil rights, even after her life was threatened and she was forced to flee Memphis, her newspaper offices plundered and her presses destroyed. She is considered one of the founders of the NAACP and her later advocacy included organizing boycotts, the suffrage movement and anti-segregation activism.

She died in Chicago in 1931 of kidney disease. She was 68.

Wells was among the first people recognized when The New York Times launched its “Overlooked” series of obituaries — people whose deaths did not merit a writeup at the time. Said her Times obit writer Caitlin Dickerson, “As a journalist, I’m grateful that in investigating lynchings of black men, Ida B. Wells pioneered reporting techniques that remain central tenets of modern journalism.”

Most recently, The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, established in 2016, is “a news trade organization dedicated to increasing and retaining reporters and editors of color in the field of investigative reporting.” It was founded by journalists Ron Nixon, Topher Sanders and Nikole Hannah-Jones, who also was named a Pulitzer winner today.

The citation comes with a bequest of $50,000, said Dana Canedy, Pulitzer administrator, with details to come.

(Barbara Allen is the director of college programming for the Poynter Institute. She can be reached at ballen@poynter.org or on Twitter at @barbara_allen_)

How Tennessee food banks are keeping hunger at bay

By
Special to TSDMemphis.com
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From BCBSTUpdates.com 

The rise of COVID-19 has caused Tennessee’s food banks to be overwhelmed by first-time visitors, while also seeing increased need among populations they already serve.

To help support these organizations as they assist Tennesseans in need, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation recently donated $3.25 million to six food banks across the state, providing more than 7 million meals.

“Every day, families count on food banks for help — and that’s especially true now,” said JD Hickey, M.D., CEO of BlueCross and chairman of the BlueCross Foundation. “Tennesseans can get through these challenging times by coming together, and we’re expanding our support for food banks statewide as another way to bring peace of mind to our neighbors.”

Here’s an inside look at some of the challenges our partner food banks are facing and how they’re putting our donations to work.

Mid-South Food Bank, Memphis

Donation: $750,000 = 1.7 million meals

Before COVID-19, the Mid-South Food Bank was distributing 1.4 million pounds of food per month to Memphis  and surrounding areas. In March, that nearly doubled, growing to 2.2 million.

According to president and CEO Cathy Pope, that rate of growth is unprecedented, and the funding from the BlueCross Foundation arrived at a critical time.

“We serve 300 local food pantries, soup kitchens and other agencies, and our job is to get food out to them,” Cathy says. “On March 12, Tennessee declared a state of emergency — the same day Shelby County closed its schools. Our volume has been growing dramatically ever since.”

The $750,000 donation has allowed the Mid-South Food Bank to:

  • Place larger food orders
  • Pay for leasing trucks, drivers and warehouse workers to manage expanded inventory
  • Deploy food deliveries in new ways

“A lot of the pantries we supply are closing, so we’re doing more mobile pantries in partnership with the YMCA and Shelby County schools,” Cathy adds.

For distribution, trucks drive food into a neighborhood, and volunteers take boxes to recipients who remain in their cars so there is no contact. Each truckload can serve between 250 and 500 households per site, and efforts are focused on neighborhoods that were already experiencing difficulties with food access.

“We used to do two mobile pantries per day during the week,” Cathy says. “Now we’re up to six per day, including Saturdays.”

The BlueCross Foundation has also given $75,000 to support COVID-19 testing and treatment, or other health-related services, for uninsured residents in the Memphis area.

Regional Inter-Faith Association, Jackson

Donation: $250,000 = 19,600 meals

The Jackson area has more than 12,000 residents who are hungry every day, even before COVID-19 hit.  The Regional Inter-Faith Association, known as RIFA, works to address those needs through its food bank, community outreach programs and soup kitchen, among other efforts, says Lindsay Dawkins, marketing and events coordinator.

“With the onset of COVID-19, demand has been growing dramatically,” Lindsay explains. “In just two weeks we saw a huge increase in people coming to our facility for help. Most are not our usual clients, but people who’ve been laid off and are not sure when they’ll be working again.”

In addition to the increased demand, RIFA faced challenges when social distancing guidelines forced the closing of its soup kitchen, which fed around 225 people a day and served more than 518,000 meals in 2019.

The money from the BlueCross Foundation has allowed RIFA to buy more inventory for its food bank so it can have items on hand to distribute to the growing population in need.

 

“This donation will help us make sure our warehouse is stocked up so that people who are coming through our doors, either for the first time or as a regular part of their life, get what they need,” Lindsay says.

“We never want to turn anyone away for lack of food, and this will show our clients that we are going to be here for them in the weeks and months ahead, that we are there for them in this time of crisis.”

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, Nashville

Donation: $750,000 = 3 million meals

“With COVID-19, the demand for our services increases every day,” says Ally Parsons, senior director of marketing and communications at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “Many people are out of work and turning to a food bank for help for the first time.”

As schools and businesses remain closed, the need in Middle Tennessee continues to grow. In recent weeks, demand for Second Harvest services has increased more than 60 percent.  At the same time, their food donations are decreasing.

“We have amazing relationships with our grocery partners, but they are all struggling to keep food on their shelves, so that means there is a significant decrease in the donations we would typically receive from them,” Ally says.

“Also, individuals are donating less food as they stay in their homes or are simply unable to afford to donate at local grocery stores.”

The $750,000 from the BlueCross Foundation has allowed Second Harvest to:

  • Purchase more food so it can serve the rising demand in its 46-county service area
  • Expand the agency’s Emergency Food Box program, which provides food boxes with 2-3 days of staples to anyone who lives in Davidson or Wilson County

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee, Kingsport

Donation: $500,000 = 560,400 meals

As a warehouse distributor of donated food, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee is both a hub to pick up and distribute food to agency partners, as well as a mobile provider, says Rhonda Chafin, executive director. While the organization was already working to provide more mobile deliveries based on the needs of the population it serves, COVID-19 has accelerated those efforts.

“We knew people would be stuck at home and would not have access to food assistance,” Rhonda says. “Even though we knew people would be out of work, we didn’t realize how large those numbers would be. It has been very emotional talking to people and realizing the magnitude of the disaster we are going through now.”

The $500,000 donation from the BlueCross Foundation has allowed the food bank to ramp up its partner agency’s delivery and distribution system, so that its network of about 150 “mega pantries” can count on more frequent replenishing.

“This donation provides Second Harvest with additional food, manpower and fuel for our trucks to be efficient and effective ,” Rhonda says.

“There are so many people — small business owners, waiters and waitresses, hairdressers, home health care workers — who lost their jobs from this. The BlueCross funding was an answered prayer; it could not have come at a better time.”

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, Knoxville

Donation: $500,000 = 1.5 million meals

Before COVID-19, the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee supplied emergency food boxes from their warehouse to 70 people a month. Since the outbreak, that number has increased more than 600 percent.

“We’ve now provided 450 emergency food boxes directly from our warehouse,” says Rachael Ellis, Second Harvest director of development. “We are also building 500 to 1,000 emergency food boxes a day to send out to our agency partners for those in need.”

Second Harvest partner agencies are seeing usage increases of 50 to 100 percent , especially by young families in need of assistance. That puts a strain on agency finances as more food needs to be purchased and more volunteers are needed to help pack boxes.

Rachael and her team are already hard at work putting the BlueCross Foundation funds to use.

“The incredibly generous $500,000 donation from BlueCross was the largest we have ever received specifically for food operations in our 37-year history,” she says. “It is providing 1.5 million meals to our East Tennessee neighbors in need.”

Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Chattanooga

Donation: $500,000 = 351,700 meals

Since the onset of COVID-19, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank has seen a 30 percent increase in need.  That adds up to roughly $400,000 in extra costs each month.

“We are having to purchase a lot of the food that normally would have been donated,” says Sophie Moore, director of community outreach and health care partnerships. “It’s a pretty scary prospect.”

The BlueCross Foundation funds make the future less uncertain, allowing for larger purchases and more frequent, innovative distribution efforts.

The donation has allowed the Chattanooga Area Food Bank to order prepacked boxes of nutritious, shelf-stable items and produce, so there are resources that can be quickly deployed to those in need with less volunteer labor, reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The food bank is also planning 20 additional food distributions over the next three months as a result of the gift.

The donation is providing more than 350,000 meals, or 422,000 pounds of food, and will serve 20,000 families.

“BlueCross has been a wonderful friend and partner to us, but this generous gift at this time is truly an answer to our prayers,” Sophie says.

The BlueCross Foundation has also given $50,000 to support COVID-19 testing and treatment, or other health-related services, for uninsured residents in Hamilton County.

How you can help

While more Tennesseans are facing food insecurity as a result of COVID-19, many others are looking for ways to make a difference. Community members who want to help can find and donate to their local food bank or at FeedingAmerica.org.

‘38126 COVID-19 Response Project’ brings food, supplies and smiles

By
Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell
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0
(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

“I prayed last night and asked the Lord to please let people come out to our event,” said Ruby Bright, president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM).

Talk about answered prayer!

WFGM’s Ruby Bright greets one of the hundreds who were served by the COVID-19 Response effort in 38126. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

WFGM – a high-profile social service organization – kicked off its “38126 COVID-19 Response Project” on the grounds of the old Georgia Avenue Elementary School on Friday. One measure of the response was the long line of cars that snaked along the side street of the parking lot.

Drawing from mountains of food and hygiene supplies, a force of masked volunteers filled each vehicle with a bounty of staples. Hundreds waited patiently to turn onto the parking lot, where cheerful, happy helpers loaded them up.

“We wanted to do something for the community,” said Bright. “Our foundation has long been concerned about the people in this South Memphis area. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic all but ravaged an already impoverished community struggling to stay afloat,” she said.

“Our assessment of what the more dire needs are right now inspired this giveaway of food and household supplies. It’s so wonderful to see everyone coming out today.”

Bright stood waving at drivers and occupants who waved back and yelled “Thank you,” before driving off.

WFGM got by with a help from friends – lots of generous, caring friends who wanted to make a difference with a positive gesture of concern. The foundation was joined by volunteers from the FedEx Global Citizenship Department, Heart to Heart International, and International Medical Corps.

“We are a part of the FedEx disaster response team,” said Rachel Kesselman, the community advisor of FedEx Global. “We go all over when help is needed, and this event today was one we are very proud to be a part of.”

FedEx donated the hygiene kits, along with Heart to Heart and International Medical Corps, as part of its “FedEx Cares 50 by 50” initiative. The company is looking to positively impact 50 million people around the globe by its 50th anniversary in 2023.

“In times of crisis, we mobilize our network quickly to help the communities where we live and work,” said Adrian Pomi, director of FedEx Global. “At FedEx, keeping the world connected in good times and during periods of great need, is who we are and what we do every day.”

International Paper was an integral part of the event, providing the huge boxes vital to the massive giveaway.

“International Paper recognizes that our corrugated boxes are essential for the generous projects of our community organizations, said Dynisha Woods, global citizenship coordinator of Community Engagement.

“This event was so important because it casts a wide safety net for those most in need during this pandemic. We are pleased to mobilize our products to aid this community, and we are proud to support the Women’s Foundation for Greater Memphis.”

ZIP code 38126 has the highest rate of poverty in Memphis and Tennessee. WFGM is involved in a multi-year effort to reduce poverty in the South Memphis community. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

The giveaway is the first of several initiatives to come, according to Bright. May 1 carried with it a special significance for the foundation.

“May 1 would have been the day we hosted our annual luncheon,” said Bright. “It is our major fundraiser for the year. “But of course, the COVID-19 pandemic made that impossible.

“We understand that other nonprofits have also been unable to access their normal funding opportunities. Nevertheless, our work in 38126 this year has only just begun. We’re taking a holistic approach to meeting the needs of this community.”

Bright said was important to “acknowledge and address that this pandemic has inflicted great trauma everywhere, but especially for impoverished communities, such as those in 38126. Our children don’t have the access to an online device in the household to keep up with their studies. Many parents don’t know how to go about setting up a home school situation to help their children,” she said.

“We are concerned that the digital divide will be a digital chasm whenever students return to school. We are reaching out to our partners to help us address this very important need.”

WFGM wanted to ensure that at least 500 families benefited from this first “38126 COVID-19 Response Project” event. Mission accomplished.

“We will keep working to address the needs of 38126,” said Bright. “There will be no big fundraiser this year, but we will continue doing the work. As our public and private partners see what a great need there is, we just believe they will step up to do their part. I believe God will make sure we have everything we need.”

Other partners who contributed to Friday’s outreach effort included Mid-South Food Bank, Shelby County Schools, Bare Needs Diaper Bank, Urban Strategies, RISE Foundation, SCORE South City, Emmanuel Center and First Baptist Church-Lauderdale.

Spearheaded by WFGM, the relief effort benefitted from many helping hands. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

WFGM seeks to encourage philanthropy and foster opportunities for leadership among women and to support initiatives that uplift women and children to reach their full potential, said Bright.

One recipient loaded down with food and supplies captured the spirit of the event:

“Y’all just don’t know what this means to us, to help us feed our children,” she said. “It’s good, so good having something like this. It’s a true blessing, and we thank y’all so much. We thank God.”

 

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