The Contributor
Barbershop Harmony Society celebrates the art of quartets
June 11, 2018
The barbershop singing style isn’t just the hum of a pitch pipe before those men in red and white striped jackets begin harmonizing. For Brian Lynch, who has been a “barbershopper” for the past 21 years, it’s really more of a calling. “For so many people, it starts out as an amusement, turns into a hobby, then it becomes a lifestyle and then a calling,” he says. “I’m way past calling — I’m at discipleship now I think."
The Barbershop Harmony Society, which happens to be headquartered in Nashville, ssys barbershop harmony is thought to be one of the few uniquely American styles of music, right alongside jazz. Barbershop, which is sung in four-part harmony and a capella, is a genre so often overlooked, but for the men and women joining voices, it’s something special.
In April 1938, Owen Clifton Cash got a group of men together for a singing. He’d just come back from Kansas City, where he’d talked with acquaintance Rupert Hall about forming a ‘Song Fest.’ Cash mailed out letters to singers he knew and encouraged them to bring friends.
Read more...
The barbershop singing style isn’t just the hum of a pitch pipe before those men in red and white striped jackets begin harmonizing. For Brian Lynch, who has been a “barbershopper” for the past 21 years, it’s really more of a calling. “For so many people, it starts out as an amusement, turns into a hobby, then it becomes a lifestyle and then a calling,” he says. “I’m way past calling — I’m at discipleship now I think."
The Barbershop Harmony Society, which happens to be headquartered in Nashville, ssys barbershop harmony is thought to be one of the few uniquely American styles of music, right alongside jazz. Barbershop, which is sung in four-part harmony and a capella, is a genre so often overlooked, but for the men and women joining voices, it’s something special.
In April 1938, Owen Clifton Cash got a group of men together for a singing. He’d just come back from Kansas City, where he’d talked with acquaintance Rupert Hall about forming a ‘Song Fest.’ Cash mailed out letters to singers he knew and encouraged them to bring friends.
Read more...
Library combats food deserts with free seeds, gardening program
May 28, 2018
Five years ago, the Nashville Public Library began its Seed Exchange Program, which allows Nashvillians to harvest vegetable, herb and flower seeds for free to grow their own garden. The program began after Detroit-area native and Nashville Public Library Bellevue branch manager Katherine Bryant saw a possible point of intersection between her library sciences degree and issues in her community.
“I’m from the Detroit area, and there are a lot of food deserts there where people can’t access fresh and healthy food,” she says. “While I was in college for my library sciences degree, I started thinking about ways libraries could potentially help address various social issues. Affordable healthy food is something I’ve been interested in since I was in grad school, so when we saw that other libraries were offering workshops and seed exchanges, [we wanted in too].”
Read more...
Five years ago, the Nashville Public Library began its Seed Exchange Program, which allows Nashvillians to harvest vegetable, herb and flower seeds for free to grow their own garden. The program began after Detroit-area native and Nashville Public Library Bellevue branch manager Katherine Bryant saw a possible point of intersection between her library sciences degree and issues in her community.
“I’m from the Detroit area, and there are a lot of food deserts there where people can’t access fresh and healthy food,” she says. “While I was in college for my library sciences degree, I started thinking about ways libraries could potentially help address various social issues. Affordable healthy food is something I’ve been interested in since I was in grad school, so when we saw that other libraries were offering workshops and seed exchanges, [we wanted in too].”
Read more...
Nashville judges explain love for barbecue community
May 14, 2018
According to Nashvillian J.A. Bucy, a good barbecue sandwich starts with one thing: a cheap, white bread bun from a plastic bag. Next comes the meat, which Bucy, who is a Kansas City Barbecue Society certified judge, says usually starts out as a pork shoulder thrown on the smoker. Top that off with some coleslaw and a hot-and-spicy vinegar-based sauce, and voila. You’ve got yourself the perfect pulled pork sandwich.
Bucy has been judging barbecue competitions since 2013, and it's what barbecue means to those eating it that's kept him going. “Barbecuing means a lot of things: a meat, an act, an event. But on some level, it’s about the sociology of eating and being around family and being communal," he says. "That’s what’s important to me — the community of it."
Bucy was invited to take a judging class with friend and fellow KCBS judge Chris Harmon, who served as District 26 Metro Councilmember 2011-2015.
Read more...
According to Nashvillian J.A. Bucy, a good barbecue sandwich starts with one thing: a cheap, white bread bun from a plastic bag. Next comes the meat, which Bucy, who is a Kansas City Barbecue Society certified judge, says usually starts out as a pork shoulder thrown on the smoker. Top that off with some coleslaw and a hot-and-spicy vinegar-based sauce, and voila. You’ve got yourself the perfect pulled pork sandwich.
Bucy has been judging barbecue competitions since 2013, and it's what barbecue means to those eating it that's kept him going. “Barbecuing means a lot of things: a meat, an act, an event. But on some level, it’s about the sociology of eating and being around family and being communal," he says. "That’s what’s important to me — the community of it."
Bucy was invited to take a judging class with friend and fellow KCBS judge Chris Harmon, who served as District 26 Metro Councilmember 2011-2015.
Read more...
Social stress: does Instagram contribute to anxiety?
April 30, 2018
For Brianne Kwasnik, mental health has always been a priority. Battling with depression and anorexia has made her hyper-aware of habits that could potentially become harmful, and two years ago when she checked into a hospital for mental health treatment, she was made aware of another habit to keep an eye on—her use of social media.
“One of the rules of the hospital was I was not allowed to have technology, and [when] I found out, I couldn't imagine being without it—not being connected to my friends and what others were doing,” Kwasnik, a Santa Monica-based writer, said. “It ended up feeling really freeing and allowed me the proper time to heal without being influenced by any outside noise.”
Now, she knows that keeping off social media at certain times is an antidote to feeling lonely or like she is missing out.
Kwasnik’s experience falls right in line with recent data presented on the use of social media—Instagram in particular. The popular image-based app was deemed the worst for users’ mental health in a 2017 study by the Royal Society for Public Health.
Read more...
For Brianne Kwasnik, mental health has always been a priority. Battling with depression and anorexia has made her hyper-aware of habits that could potentially become harmful, and two years ago when she checked into a hospital for mental health treatment, she was made aware of another habit to keep an eye on—her use of social media.
“One of the rules of the hospital was I was not allowed to have technology, and [when] I found out, I couldn't imagine being without it—not being connected to my friends and what others were doing,” Kwasnik, a Santa Monica-based writer, said. “It ended up feeling really freeing and allowed me the proper time to heal without being influenced by any outside noise.”
Now, she knows that keeping off social media at certain times is an antidote to feeling lonely or like she is missing out.
Kwasnik’s experience falls right in line with recent data presented on the use of social media—Instagram in particular. The popular image-based app was deemed the worst for users’ mental health in a 2017 study by the Royal Society for Public Health.
Read more...
Report shows hate crimes are on the rise in Tennessee
April 16, 2018
Sabina Mohyuddin was born and raised in Nashville. She's Muslim and wears a hijab — something she's done since she was in the 7th grade. In middle school, one of her classmates tried to rip it off. Now an adult with daughters of her own, Mohyuddin can’t help but be worried that they might experience the same.
“At that time, people didn’t know what to make of me. I was probably the first girl to wear a scarf in the public school system in Nashville,” Mohyuddin says.
“I understand that some people just think it’s an extra piece of cloth, but would you pull off a girl’s shirt walking down the hall? There’s this separation of what is public and what is private. At home, girls don’t wear a scarf, but in a public space, to have it pulled off is humiliating.”
Mohyuddin is with the American Muslim Advisory Council and serves as the Middle Tennessee program manager. Her story is one of countless others in the state and across the country — an incident of unprovoked violence fueled by a perpetrator’s own biases against another person.
Read more...
Sabina Mohyuddin was born and raised in Nashville. She's Muslim and wears a hijab — something she's done since she was in the 7th grade. In middle school, one of her classmates tried to rip it off. Now an adult with daughters of her own, Mohyuddin can’t help but be worried that they might experience the same.
“At that time, people didn’t know what to make of me. I was probably the first girl to wear a scarf in the public school system in Nashville,” Mohyuddin says.
“I understand that some people just think it’s an extra piece of cloth, but would you pull off a girl’s shirt walking down the hall? There’s this separation of what is public and what is private. At home, girls don’t wear a scarf, but in a public space, to have it pulled off is humiliating.”
Mohyuddin is with the American Muslim Advisory Council and serves as the Middle Tennessee program manager. Her story is one of countless others in the state and across the country — an incident of unprovoked violence fueled by a perpetrator’s own biases against another person.
Read more...
Tin Pan South gives the writers behind the hits their due praise
April 2, 2018
Jennifer Purdon Turnbow remembers her mom getting aggravated with her for humming too loudly through the aisles of the local grocery store. Turnbow has always loved music—she grew up on 80s pop music and still loves it.
But back in 2005, when was preparing to walk across the stage at Vanderbilt’s commencement and step into the working world, a career in music was far off her radar. Turnbow, who describes herself as someone with no background in music and absolutely no musical talent, majored in mathematics. Like most soon-to-be college graduates, she was searching for a job when she came across a posting for finance director with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
She hit ‘send’ on her application and almost 15 years later, she’s the Senior Director of Operations with NSAI and also serves as the brains behind the largest songwriter festival in the world, co-directing Tin Pan South.
“I’ve found such a love for songs and songwriters, for hearing the stories behind the songs I hear on the radio. I truly believe that my passion found me as opposed to me finding it,” said Turnbow.
Read more...
Jennifer Purdon Turnbow remembers her mom getting aggravated with her for humming too loudly through the aisles of the local grocery store. Turnbow has always loved music—she grew up on 80s pop music and still loves it.
But back in 2005, when was preparing to walk across the stage at Vanderbilt’s commencement and step into the working world, a career in music was far off her radar. Turnbow, who describes herself as someone with no background in music and absolutely no musical talent, majored in mathematics. Like most soon-to-be college graduates, she was searching for a job when she came across a posting for finance director with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
She hit ‘send’ on her application and almost 15 years later, she’s the Senior Director of Operations with NSAI and also serves as the brains behind the largest songwriter festival in the world, co-directing Tin Pan South.
“I’ve found such a love for songs and songwriters, for hearing the stories behind the songs I hear on the radio. I truly believe that my passion found me as opposed to me finding it,” said Turnbow.
Read more...
Vendor Spotlight: Tim S.
March 12, 2018
It’s been over 13 years since Tim S. had to leave New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Packing up all he had and leaving his home was hard. He’d lived there all his life. Being forced out brought fear.
He went first to Chattanooga before he settled on Nashville where he moved around a bit.
“At first it was kind of scary [to leave New Orleans] because I didn’t know where I was going to go, and having to leave my hometown was new. I’d live there all my life, and I had to up and move out at 45. For a 45-year-old man to have to leave his home, that was scary,” he said.
Tim, who had been homeless for the past nine years, celebrated his 58th birthday and 15 years of sobriety this year. But in February, things took a turn when he was diagnosed with liver cancer. Tim has been undergoing weekly treatment for his illness and, through it all, remains positive.
“In 2016, I had two heart attacks, and in January of this year, I found out I have liver cancer. But I’m not letting that pull me down. I’m looking at it positively. Even though I live with cancer, I’m living my own way, and if God wants to take me home, I’ll come running,” he said. “You’ve got to stay in that positive mindset or it’ll get you.”
Tim has been with The Contributor since June of 2015 when some friends encouraged him to get involved.
Read more...
It’s been over 13 years since Tim S. had to leave New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Packing up all he had and leaving his home was hard. He’d lived there all his life. Being forced out brought fear.
He went first to Chattanooga before he settled on Nashville where he moved around a bit.
“At first it was kind of scary [to leave New Orleans] because I didn’t know where I was going to go, and having to leave my hometown was new. I’d live there all my life, and I had to up and move out at 45. For a 45-year-old man to have to leave his home, that was scary,” he said.
Tim, who had been homeless for the past nine years, celebrated his 58th birthday and 15 years of sobriety this year. But in February, things took a turn when he was diagnosed with liver cancer. Tim has been undergoing weekly treatment for his illness and, through it all, remains positive.
“In 2016, I had two heart attacks, and in January of this year, I found out I have liver cancer. But I’m not letting that pull me down. I’m looking at it positively. Even though I live with cancer, I’m living my own way, and if God wants to take me home, I’ll come running,” he said. “You’ve got to stay in that positive mindset or it’ll get you.”
Tim has been with The Contributor since June of 2015 when some friends encouraged him to get involved.
Read more...
Young dancers tell the story of black history in America
Feb. 26, 2018
You’ve seen them before: images of human barriers, locked arms, hands raised in the air as if to say ‘Don’t shoot.’ Those powerful pictures, along with the ones of snarling dogs, riot gear and hoses spraying the backs of black men, were projected on a screen at the Fourth Story Theatre in the West End United Methodist Church. African drum songs filled the air, followed by gospel hymns and spiritual work songs. This was Saam Psalms: Together Songs, an original ballet performance by the Rejoice School of Ballet.
Aimed at exploring the complicated history of slavery and racism, the performance was done by 24 pre-professional dancers ages 8-17 years old. Produced and created by Gerald Watson, Rejoice faculty member and dancer at the Nashville Ballet, in concert with Rejoice founder and executive director Patricia Cross, its purpose was to create space for a conversation about a difficult history.
According to Watson, it was also to equip the young dancers with a deeper understanding of how the past relates to the present.
Founded by Cross in 2000, Rejoice exists to provide dance instruction to students from diverse racial, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds—78 percent of Rejoice dancers are from low-income families.
Read more...
You’ve seen them before: images of human barriers, locked arms, hands raised in the air as if to say ‘Don’t shoot.’ Those powerful pictures, along with the ones of snarling dogs, riot gear and hoses spraying the backs of black men, were projected on a screen at the Fourth Story Theatre in the West End United Methodist Church. African drum songs filled the air, followed by gospel hymns and spiritual work songs. This was Saam Psalms: Together Songs, an original ballet performance by the Rejoice School of Ballet.
Aimed at exploring the complicated history of slavery and racism, the performance was done by 24 pre-professional dancers ages 8-17 years old. Produced and created by Gerald Watson, Rejoice faculty member and dancer at the Nashville Ballet, in concert with Rejoice founder and executive director Patricia Cross, its purpose was to create space for a conversation about a difficult history.
According to Watson, it was also to equip the young dancers with a deeper understanding of how the past relates to the present.
Founded by Cross in 2000, Rejoice exists to provide dance instruction to students from diverse racial, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds—78 percent of Rejoice dancers are from low-income families.
Read more...
Prime bidding: Will Nashville win Amazon HQ2?
Feb. 12, 2018
The billion-dollar question: Will Nashville win the bidding war for Amazon’s HQ2?
Music City is one of 20 markets currently contending for Amazon’s second corporate headquarters. In its proposal for HQ2, the online retail beast has offered a $5 billion construction investment, 50,000 high-paying jobs and a possible $38 billion surge to the host city’s economy. It’s a lot to take in. Amazon reviewed 238 proposals from across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and, with its It City status, strong assembly of young talent, business-friendly reputation and comparatively inexpensive cost of city living, Nashville made Amazon’s Top 20 list. But what makes Music City a contender? And what would the headquarters mean for this ever-growing town?
See story in print
The billion-dollar question: Will Nashville win the bidding war for Amazon’s HQ2?
Music City is one of 20 markets currently contending for Amazon’s second corporate headquarters. In its proposal for HQ2, the online retail beast has offered a $5 billion construction investment, 50,000 high-paying jobs and a possible $38 billion surge to the host city’s economy. It’s a lot to take in. Amazon reviewed 238 proposals from across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and, with its It City status, strong assembly of young talent, business-friendly reputation and comparatively inexpensive cost of city living, Nashville made Amazon’s Top 20 list. But what makes Music City a contender? And what would the headquarters mean for this ever-growing town?
See story in print
Figure skating celebrates 100th Olympic year
Jan. 29, 2018
It’s 2018, and Tonya Harding is on everyone’s minds.
It was 27 years ago that she won her first national title, becoming the first American woman to land two triple axels in competition. She went on to place fourth at the 1992 Winter Olympics and later earned a gold medal at the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. But the Harding story became one of intrigue after she was stripped of her gold medal under a plea bargain for hindering the prosecution in the assault of figure skater Nancy Kerrigan.
According to a 2014 Reuters article, the two nights of that 1994 competition rank amongst the 20 most-watched sporting events in U.S. television history.
The sport of figure skating, which will celebrate 100 years since it first appeared in the Olympics, is no stranger to drama. During the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, it was alleged that the pairs figure skating competition had been fixed, leaving teams from both Russia and Canada with the gold medal.
Read more...
See story in print
It’s 2018, and Tonya Harding is on everyone’s minds.
It was 27 years ago that she won her first national title, becoming the first American woman to land two triple axels in competition. She went on to place fourth at the 1992 Winter Olympics and later earned a gold medal at the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. But the Harding story became one of intrigue after she was stripped of her gold medal under a plea bargain for hindering the prosecution in the assault of figure skater Nancy Kerrigan.
According to a 2014 Reuters article, the two nights of that 1994 competition rank amongst the 20 most-watched sporting events in U.S. television history.
The sport of figure skating, which will celebrate 100 years since it first appeared in the Olympics, is no stranger to drama. During the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, it was alleged that the pairs figure skating competition had been fixed, leaving teams from both Russia and Canada with the gold medal.
Read more...
See story in print
One Year Later: Nashville women discuss why they marched
Jan. 18, 2018
Darlene Leong Neal stood body-to-body in a sea of pink cat-eared hats. She was
surrounded by nearly 500,000 marchers in Washington, D.C., all waiting for the
announcement to take that first step.
Neal had made the 700-plus mile trip with 12 others from Nashville to participate in
the Women’s March on Washington, and after what seemed like hours of waiting, =
they heard the news from the stage — the march was on.
“We got the instructions from the stage that we’re all going to turn around together
to march out,” Neal says. “There was maybe one step, but we had arrived. Once we
took those baby steps, we’d done it. It was beautiful. Even in that scenario, all the
people who wanted to march were excited about those baby steps.”
In a few days, Neal will dust off her protest signs to join the thousands of
Tennesseans expected to turn out for the second anniversary women’s march and
conference in Nashville.
Read more...
See story in print
Darlene Leong Neal stood body-to-body in a sea of pink cat-eared hats. She was
surrounded by nearly 500,000 marchers in Washington, D.C., all waiting for the
announcement to take that first step.
Neal had made the 700-plus mile trip with 12 others from Nashville to participate in
the Women’s March on Washington, and after what seemed like hours of waiting, =
they heard the news from the stage — the march was on.
“We got the instructions from the stage that we’re all going to turn around together
to march out,” Neal says. “There was maybe one step, but we had arrived. Once we
took those baby steps, we’d done it. It was beautiful. Even in that scenario, all the
people who wanted to march were excited about those baby steps.”
In a few days, Neal will dust off her protest signs to join the thousands of
Tennesseans expected to turn out for the second anniversary women’s march and
conference in Nashville.
Read more...
See story in print
What is the state of food waste in Nashville?
Jan. 4, 2018
Nashville residents generate 58,378 tons of food waste per year. That’s 3.5 pounds of food per week for the average Nashvillian and 33 percent of the more than 177,000 tons generated in the city, according to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). For perspective, the food waste that Nashville residents generate per year is more than twice the weight of the Statue of Liberty.
What's more—much of the food waste is fresh. Produce and healthy foods are being sent to the landfill while more than one million Tennesseans are at risk of hunger every day, according to Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee. Whether it’s the high cosmetic standards of consumers or because an excess of food is available, the numbers show that waste is a real issue.
In Nashville, efforts to minimize the amount of waste have been underway for years. In 2015, the NRDC chose Nashville as a pilot city for the Food Waste Initiative, a project focused on “developing high-impact local policies and on-the-ground actions to address food waste.”
Read more...
Nashville residents generate 58,378 tons of food waste per year. That’s 3.5 pounds of food per week for the average Nashvillian and 33 percent of the more than 177,000 tons generated in the city, according to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). For perspective, the food waste that Nashville residents generate per year is more than twice the weight of the Statue of Liberty.
What's more—much of the food waste is fresh. Produce and healthy foods are being sent to the landfill while more than one million Tennesseans are at risk of hunger every day, according to Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee. Whether it’s the high cosmetic standards of consumers or because an excess of food is available, the numbers show that waste is a real issue.
In Nashville, efforts to minimize the amount of waste have been underway for years. In 2015, the NRDC chose Nashville as a pilot city for the Food Waste Initiative, a project focused on “developing high-impact local policies and on-the-ground actions to address food waste.”
Read more...
Nashville musician fundraises for local kids with Christmas song
Jan. 4, 2018
Isaac Sharp has been playing music for as long as he can remember. But there’s
one memory that sticks out: One of the first opportunities he had to
perform in front of an audience was at a rescue mission. It was there, performing
for people in the shelter, that Sharp began to understand the power of music.
“[So often, we make] music with the sole purpose of giving people something to
dance to and forget about what was going on, to forget about the sorrow,” Sharp
says. “That’s been the connecting point for me — [the answer to] why [I make
music]. As I’ve gone about writing my record, it’s always been central to me: how
can I give people for three minutes, an hour, an evening, a break to take their
mind off their struggles.”
Read more...
Isaac Sharp has been playing music for as long as he can remember. But there’s
one memory that sticks out: One of the first opportunities he had to
perform in front of an audience was at a rescue mission. It was there, performing
for people in the shelter, that Sharp began to understand the power of music.
“[So often, we make] music with the sole purpose of giving people something to
dance to and forget about what was going on, to forget about the sorrow,” Sharp
says. “That’s been the connecting point for me — [the answer to] why [I make
music]. As I’ve gone about writing my record, it’s always been central to me: how
can I give people for three minutes, an hour, an evening, a break to take their
mind off their struggles.”
Read more...
Good Makers Market offers socially conscious holiday shopping
Dec. 18, 2017
During the month of December, you'll typically find two types of holiday shoppers — the ones who have already checked every box on their shopping list by Cyber Monday. And those who, days before Christmas, are rushing to big-box stores and searching for last-minute gifts that might make their loved ones feel special.
But retailers are finding a new type of shopper in both categories: the socially-conscious one. Consumers are giving back, and they’re doing so through their purchase power. According to the National Retail Federation, seven in 10 holiday shoppers this season plan to engage in charitable activity, and many are choosing to look at brands, products and retailers who focus on issues such as equal pay, environmentally conscious manufacturing, human trafficking, responsible farming practices and more.
But where do these consumers shop? Sometimes at large retail leaders in the socially conscious space, those like ZADY or Warby Parker who have baked corporate social responsibility into their mission since birth. But often, shoppers are looking to small, authentic and ethically minded businesses in their own community — events like Good Makers Market, a biannual market that serves as a hub for Nashville-based, socially responsible brands.
Read more...
During the month of December, you'll typically find two types of holiday shoppers — the ones who have already checked every box on their shopping list by Cyber Monday. And those who, days before Christmas, are rushing to big-box stores and searching for last-minute gifts that might make their loved ones feel special.
But retailers are finding a new type of shopper in both categories: the socially-conscious one. Consumers are giving back, and they’re doing so through their purchase power. According to the National Retail Federation, seven in 10 holiday shoppers this season plan to engage in charitable activity, and many are choosing to look at brands, products and retailers who focus on issues such as equal pay, environmentally conscious manufacturing, human trafficking, responsible farming practices and more.
But where do these consumers shop? Sometimes at large retail leaders in the socially conscious space, those like ZADY or Warby Parker who have baked corporate social responsibility into their mission since birth. But often, shoppers are looking to small, authentic and ethically minded businesses in their own community — events like Good Makers Market, a biannual market that serves as a hub for Nashville-based, socially responsible brands.
Read more...
Local 'dreamers' talk hope, future
Nov. 8, 2017
Everyone has a different idea of what ‘The American Dream’ is. For some, it’s
growing up and taking over the family business. For others, it’s moving away from
their small-town home for a life in the big city. For many, it’s climbing up the
corporate ladder.
But for Jose Ocampo, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student at
Trevecca Nazarene University, it’s simple: earn a college degree.
Ocampo has lived in the United States since he was 6-years-old. He has also
benefited from the DACA program, the result of an executive order signed by former
President Barack Obama in 2012 that provides protection from deportation, among
other things, to undocumented immigrants who were under the age of 31 as of June
15, 2012, and who came to the U.S. when they were younger than 16.
Read more...
Everyone has a different idea of what ‘The American Dream’ is. For some, it’s
growing up and taking over the family business. For others, it’s moving away from
their small-town home for a life in the big city. For many, it’s climbing up the
corporate ladder.
But for Jose Ocampo, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student at
Trevecca Nazarene University, it’s simple: earn a college degree.
Ocampo has lived in the United States since he was 6-years-old. He has also
benefited from the DACA program, the result of an executive order signed by former
President Barack Obama in 2012 that provides protection from deportation, among
other things, to undocumented immigrants who were under the age of 31 as of June
15, 2012, and who came to the U.S. when they were younger than 16.
Read more...
Thinking Outside the Box: Nashville's Blessing Boxes
Oct. 24, 2017
Sonya Dunkham moved to Donelson in 1995 with her two small children in tow. Having lived and worked as a single mother, she remembers well how it felt to live paycheck-to-paycheck. “I know what it was like to wonder how I would provide for my family,” she said.
More than 20 years later, she sat down to read an article about the Little Free Pantry, a grassroots, crowd-sourced solution to food insecurity in Arkansas neighborhoods. Part of a larger initiative popping up across the country, the small, free pantries are similar to the “leave a book, take a book” idea of the Little Free Library, which is where Jessica McClard, founder of The Little Free Pantry, initially got the idea.
Rather than dog-eared paper-backs, however, the boxes are filled with food, clothing and other necessities, available to anyone in need.
The Little Free Pantry, which began in May 2016, facilitates neighbors helping neighbors. According to the project’s website, it is most often for those who are not easily able to meet everyday food and personal needs. “In middle class neighborhoods, the LFP might stock after-school snacks for neighborhood kids,” the website reads, “or that ‘cup of sugar’ you never have when you need it.”
Read more...
Sonya Dunkham moved to Donelson in 1995 with her two small children in tow. Having lived and worked as a single mother, she remembers well how it felt to live paycheck-to-paycheck. “I know what it was like to wonder how I would provide for my family,” she said.
More than 20 years later, she sat down to read an article about the Little Free Pantry, a grassroots, crowd-sourced solution to food insecurity in Arkansas neighborhoods. Part of a larger initiative popping up across the country, the small, free pantries are similar to the “leave a book, take a book” idea of the Little Free Library, which is where Jessica McClard, founder of The Little Free Pantry, initially got the idea.
Rather than dog-eared paper-backs, however, the boxes are filled with food, clothing and other necessities, available to anyone in need.
The Little Free Pantry, which began in May 2016, facilitates neighbors helping neighbors. According to the project’s website, it is most often for those who are not easily able to meet everyday food and personal needs. “In middle class neighborhoods, the LFP might stock after-school snacks for neighborhood kids,” the website reads, “or that ‘cup of sugar’ you never have when you need it.”
Read more...
Nashville locals from all walks facing food insecurity
Oct. 10, 2017
Hands on Nashville’s Director of Programs Josef Kaul describes the city as a place where “million dollar homes sit next to folks that are struggling to get their next meal.”
“The growth that we’ve seen in Nashville over the last five years has highlighted the discrepancies that exist in parts of our community,” he said.
In communities across the city, discrepancies in access to consistent, nutrient-dense food sources are because of the lack of adequate wages and proximity to food-purchasing opportunities.
“It’s important to understand that hunger exists in every community in America,” said Ally Parsons, director of marketing and communications for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “There isn’t a certain type of person or a certain type of neighborhood [where food insecurity exists]. We serve 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee, and there is need in every single county.”
According to Feeding America, 42 million Americans were considered food insecure in 2015. By the United States Department of Agriculture’s definition, that equates to one out of every six Tennesseans struggling to find consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.
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Hands on Nashville’s Director of Programs Josef Kaul describes the city as a place where “million dollar homes sit next to folks that are struggling to get their next meal.”
“The growth that we’ve seen in Nashville over the last five years has highlighted the discrepancies that exist in parts of our community,” he said.
In communities across the city, discrepancies in access to consistent, nutrient-dense food sources are because of the lack of adequate wages and proximity to food-purchasing opportunities.
“It’s important to understand that hunger exists in every community in America,” said Ally Parsons, director of marketing and communications for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “There isn’t a certain type of person or a certain type of neighborhood [where food insecurity exists]. We serve 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee, and there is need in every single county.”
According to Feeding America, 42 million Americans were considered food insecure in 2015. By the United States Department of Agriculture’s definition, that equates to one out of every six Tennesseans struggling to find consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.
Read more...