Q3 2022 Newsletter

From our Executive Director

Dear Friends,

Tuesday night, Sept 20th was Art for Jobs and you, our neighbors, and so many others came. THANKS! We were a group of over 400 gathered in South Memphis to enjoy the gifts of 129 talented local artists, to start and strengthen relationships, and to raise money for Advance Memphis' mission! This was especially significant after the previous two to three weeks our city had gone through. Let me remind us of three core Biblical truths: we are all made in the image of God, we have all sinned, and we are saved by God's unmerited grace. As these Biblical truths are believed, let the Saints be present in face-to-face relationships with our neighbors in our city.

And just as these core truths are fundamental to our faith, I’m recognizing the importance of the fundamentals in so many areas of our lives. I grieve the fact that we are so disconnected from life, from relationships, and from work…fantasy football is not real football. Social media friendships are not real friendships. You get the picture. The authentic, life-changing work we are trying to accomplish at Advance has to be done in REAL life starting with the fundamentals. But the fundamentals aren’t always glamorous - consistently getting up and going to work, saying please and thank you, eye contact, hard work, loving your neighbor - but I’m convinced these are the secrets to a life worthy of our calling. When we choose to be kind and love our neighbors in the small moments, we don't choose hatred in the bigger moments. Let’s pray together and be disciplined in it as we ask God to show us where we can do better with the basics.

Thanks for being present and let’s keep loving each other!

Peace,

Steve

Art for Jobs 2022: Back in person and better than ever!

In true Art for Jobs fashion, you—our artists, sponsors, and patrons—outdid yourselves once again. Thank you for the incredible support you showed during our 12th annual Art for Jobs fundraiser! In an old-meets-new type of way, we brought back our beloved warehouse gallery party in addition to the gallery preview days and virtual art sale. And boy, did y’all show up! Over 400 tickets were reserved for the week of events and 111 pieces of artwork were purchased. What a joy it was to come together and celebrate “Hope for Urban Community” in actual community.

At the Preview Party our guests enjoyed artwork by 129 artists, 3 featured artists Matthew Hasty, Meghean Warner and Mosal Morszart, music by Ben Spiegelman, charcuterie by Sarah Lewis, cookies by Sweet LaLa’s, flowers by Elizabeth Fowlkes and Holliday Flowers & Events, flood lights from FedEx and traffic signage from Lehman Roberts & Co. Thank you to all who made the night possible. We especially thank Lane Patikas, co-chairman of Art for Jobs 2022, along with her committee members Bryn Wilson and Hailey Roaten, for their dedication and tireless work to make the event such a success!

Most importantly, we have now raised $237,738, which surpasses last year’s event and goes directly to programs at Advance Memphis! What a beautiful sight to see Memphians, as well as patrons from all over the country, coming together to purchase art and support our South Memphis neighbors as they work toward economic stability.

If you weren’t able to attend Art for Jobs, there’s plenty of amazing artwork left! Shop the online gallery here.

Shop the Art

Home Sweet Home

There are few things more rewarding, and more challenging, than owning one’s own home. We are thrilled to announce that one of our graduates, Mr. Michael Love, has taken up that challenge and bought a house earlier this year.

Mr. Love closed on his new home in June, and said that it was an uphill battle,

“One thing that was frustrating was how much you had to do in email! They’d tell me at the bank that I had to fill out this paperwork, and they’d send it to my email… I don’t really know how to use it! So I’d go down to the FedEx office and they’d help me. And you know, I learned how to use it a little bit. I’m not very good at it, but I learned.”

He’s been working towards this goal since he first came to Advance Memphis in 2020. Mr. Love said, “I’d passed by the signs saying ‘Do you need a job? Are you looking for work?’ so many times, and so I called about getting a job. They told me to go through the Work Life class, so I signed up and graduated with perfect attendance. Then, I joined the Faith and Finances class and got perfect attendance again!”

After graduating, Mr. Love opened up his matched savings account, he continued to work hard, he practiced discipline, and consistently saved toward his goal. “I actually had $300 extra in my account, I’d saved so much! You know, they [Advance Memphis] only match up to a certain point, so Ms. Ann told me to put it in a different account since I already had enough for the match.”

Finally, after months of saving, Mr. Love was able to close on his house! Ann Vance, Finance Manager, went with him on closing day. The two of them had worked together throughout the whole process, Mr. Love said. “Ms. Ann, she stuck with me the whole time. I worried that poor woman to death, but she went every step of the way with me!”

Ann wasn’t the only one who went every step with Mr. Love though, and he said, “God cleared the path. When He closes one door, He opens another, and I want to live my life doing God’s work. I want to leave a legacy for my grandson and the generations that come after me.”

Mr. Love has been invested in the South Memphis community for many years, and after graduating, has volunteered with Advance Memphis as a way of giving back.

“That’s the first step.”, said Mr. Love. “Anything you want in life, the path to get there is obedience to God. Strengthen your relationship with Him, and the rest will fall into place.”

We are so proud of Mr. Love, and we’re so glad that he has found this new home not only in the house that he has bought, but here with our Advance Memphis family as well.

Welcome to the Team

We have some new faces at the office, and we are so excited to introduce all of you to the newest members of the Advance Memphis family. Meet Joshua Conley and Curtis Hines!

Joshua is our new Workforce Development Manager and is now teaching our Work Life class. Before coming to Advance Memphis, he served as a school teacher and was the Director of Evangelism for Grace Athletics.

He and his wife, Ava, are preparing to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary in November and have fostered 11 different children over the years. One of Joshua’s favorite pastimes is “homesteading”, aka, caring for the family’s chickens and defending them from raccoons and owls.

Curtis, our new On Site Supervisor, helps connect graduates with our business partners and gives them support on the job. Born and raised in Memphis, he is also an author, husband, and father!

Curtis has written 5 books, all with the aim of uplifting and inspiring men, and with the help of his wife Lashanda, manages his business: “Proof LLC.” The two have been married for over 15 years and have five children. One of Curtis’ favorite hobbies is to take “short romantic walks” to the kitchen to hunt for his favorite snacks!

Curtis and Joshua are both doing an amazing job, and we are so grateful that they have joined the team!