Q2 2021 Newsletter
From our Executive Director
Dear Friends,
As we continue to move forward into 2021, we are seeing a lot of change—there is a high demand for goods and services and laborers, and yet, our supply chain is backed up. Advance Memphis is working through these strains as well. I rejoice, though, because we are seeing more of our graduates and neighbors engage with us and we are very thankful.
As we shift and change, I realize that you are changing with us and you are continuing to support us financially. Thank you! In this newsletter, you are also going to see exciting changes with staff, interns and volunteer engagement. But in the midst of all this, let us not forget and may we find rest in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”.
We press on with confidence in that sure and firm foundation, knowing that the pivots and changes are all part of the redemptive work God is doing in South Memphis.
Aslan Remains On The Move,
Steve Nash
Changing the Face(s) of Advance
We know that an organization is only as good as the people who are a part of it, and by those standards Advance Memphis is the best of the best. We are grateful that many of the faces around our building are well known for their years of service to our mission, but we also rejoice in the seasons of change that God brings within our staff and we invite you to celebrate these new faces with us!
Early this quarter, warehouse supervisor and LAUNCH graduate, Donald Jenkins, stepped down from his role at the warehouse to pursue full time work in his lawn care business. His transition to operating the lawn care service full-time was a dream that he and his late wife, Emma Jean, had. As we celebrate with Donald, please also remember to pray as we grieve his loss. We are thankful for his service at Advance Memphis and we are proud to add another LAUNCH graduate who is working full time in their business.
Donald’s transition created an opportunity for a new warehouse supervisor, allowing us to hire Shundreka Horton. Shundreka came to us from Geodis, bringing expertise in warehousing and logistics. She is a new mom and loves spending time with her little girl.
In April, we also hired Dr. Rhema Fuller as a contract employee teaching Faith & Finances. He and his family have volunteered at Advance Memphis since 2018, and we are excited to now have him as part of our team. When he’s not teaching Faith & Finances, you can find him teaching at the University of Memphis as an Associate Professor of Sport Commerce.
And most recently in June, we added a new Program Coordinator and three interns! Rachel Bates joined the team as our Program Coordinator, supporting recruitment in all programs, as well as teaching in the Work Life classroom. She has a heart for missions, is recently married and is new to Memphis, so we are excited to show her what makes this city great.
While our staff are the heartbeat of Advance, we also have a deep passion for investing in our interns. Kristin Pedrozo, a Rhodes student, is our Communications & Community Engagement Intern focusing most of her efforts on the upcoming Art for Jobs fundraiser. Audrey Davis, another Rhodes student, is our part time Warehouse Accounting Assistant. And Page Inman is a graduate student at Multnomah University, who is managing several operations projects that we have needed to catch up on.
We will be sharing staff highlights on social media [link to Instagram] over the next few weeks, which will be a great way to learn a little bit more about each staff member, new and experienced. Please join us as we pray for these new hires and ask the Lord to give them joy and purpose in fulfilling the mission of Advance Memphis!
Clayborn Temple Meets Art for Jobs
Clayborn Temple is one of the most historic sites in our city and our nation for its important role in the Civil Rights Movement just before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Its beautiful stained glass windows, which tell a rich story of courage, faith, and our country's fight for racial justice, are being restored by local artist Andrew Young who has also chosen Advance Memphis to partner with him in his work. Over the next few months, a few of our graduates will be working for Andrew to help waterproof the stained glass windows as a crucial piece in the restoration process. The parallels found in the restoration of these windows and the restoration we see God doing in South Memphis is not lost on us.
Not only are we grateful for the chance to partner in this work, we are beyond thrilled to announce that the Clayborn Temple stained glass windows will be on display at this year’s Art for Jobs! This opportunity to view the stained glass up close before it is reinstalled at Clayborn Temple is one you don’t want to miss. Visit our event website to reserve your warehouse gallery preview ticket today!
Interested in sponsoring? We have already raised $104,000 and are well on our way to our goal, but we are still looking for sponsors! Click here to download our sponsorship packet and email Kelsey at kdees@advancememphis.org for more information on how to partner with us as a sponsor.
Interested in contributing art? We would love to feature your art in our show! Click here to fill out an artist registration form.
Advance Memphis Graduates Thriving in the Workforce
The positives in the midst of a pandemic have been few and far between, but we are seeing God work in ways we never expected for our Work Life graduates and Advance Memphis Staffing employees. Here’s an excerpt from an encouraging story about our working graduates on High Ground News:
“Kelsey Dees, Advance Memphis' director of programs and community engagement, said the organization employs 30 to 40 workers at any given time and most are full time. Each person is different, but in general, the goal is to move their graduates from temporary positions to permanent placements with the partner company after three months.
This year, their partner companies are being offered higher pay than ever before and more of their graduates are moving faster into permanent job offers with benefits.
"Prior to COVID, I would say the average job for entry level was $10 to $12 an hour," said Juanita Johnson, Advance Memphis' director of employment development. "2021 is totally different. Our average jobs now started at $13 to $15 an hour for entry level workers on first shift. We have jobs that pay $18 to $19 on second shift. And this is, this is just entry level type work."
Shjuandale’s Story
Hear from Shjuandale Jones, a recent Work Life graduate and Advance Memphis Staffing employee, as he shares his story of hard work and perseverance.
Volunteer Spotlight
We could not do what we do without our amazing volunteers. We are not called to live on mission alone, which is why we love hearing and seeing what Advance Memphis means to each and every one of you. Be encouraged by this note from Steve Mitchener who recently volunteered as a Mock Interviewer.
“The mission of Advance Memphis is awesome!! I brag about Advance Memphis all the time and try to help out wherever I can. You all are doing such a great job of training and leading people. I got the sweetest card from Ashley Brown, thanking me for taking the time out of my day to participate in the mock interviews. As you know, it’s something so simple, but few people do something like that anymore. It made my day. Oftentimes, after I’ve been there, I wonder if my short period of time even made a difference. Ashley’s note was so encouraging that it DOES. Thank you for the opportunity to help out, but more importantly, thank you both and the entire Advance Memphis team for having a vision to help others in our community to develop their own “success” and to better themselves and FEEL better about themselves. What a blessing you are to those individuals and our community.”
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities:
Meal Provider - Sign Up
Work Life Ally - Learn More
Mock Interviewer - Learn More
Want to learn about other ways you can get involved? Email Kelsey at kdees@advancememphis.org!