1. I
saw my first street newspaper, The Contribu-
tor, as a crinkled copy that James brought
back from a trip to Nashville, TN. James
Ekenstedt and I were college freshmen then,
paired randomly as roommates. I’ll admit we
weren’t great friends that first year—James was
involved with a community service foundation,
and I bounced around between intramural
sports and the freelance writing work I could
find online. But that day, James tossed The
Contributor on my bed and in his quiet voice
explained the street paper concept: homeless
people buy it for a quarter, and then sell it to the
community for a dollar. They keep all the profit.
I looked up dumbly over a bowl of microwave
EasyMac. “Cool.”
The paper floated around our dorm for
months, never quite out of sight but never the
center of attention. One day, James suggested we
get involved with the street paper here in Mem-
phis, and I said, “Why not?” Fifteen minutes of
Googling later, however, and we were stumped
–- apparently Memphis didn’t have one. I joked
to James, “Let’s start one!” We laughed. Right.
Summer came and went, and when we re-
turned to Memphis as sophomores, I found that
James hadn’t forgotten about street papers at all.
“Every street paper starts somewhere,” he said.
“Why not us?” And boy, did Memphis need a
street paper. A seven-minute drive takes you
out past Rhodes College’s pristine lawns and
wrought-iron gates to the heart of downtown
Memphis, and homelessness, no matter how
hard you try to keep your gaze straight ahead,
is everywhere.
I agreed to at least explore the concept, and
we laid our plan out on a classroom whiteboard.
Step one: find money to print the paper. Step
two: find some stuff to put in the paper. Step
three: sell it to homeless people. Huh. Maybe
this wasn’t so hard after all. All we really needed
to do, it seemed, was find some knowledgeable,
well-connected, and interested community
members that would drop whatever they were
doing and take on leading this project full time.
I don’t quite remember when the transition
happened, but if I had to make an estimate it
would have been a January night right around
1 a.m. as I sat next to James neck-deep in fu-
riously answering Bridge-related emails in our
school library when I suddenly realized that we
had become, by default, the community mem-
bers we were looking for. The easy answers we
had expected and the step-by-step process to-
wards starting a street paper didn’t exist, and
six months of jumping from community gath-
erings to homeless shelters to funding sessions
had turned our time spent on this project from
an hour on Monday nights to more than five
hours daily. Worse, I still felt I didn’t know the
first thing about homelessness, much less about
how to run an organization that would help the
people in the throes of it.
A few near-breakdowns later, though, we
suddenly found those answers. Or maybe
they found us. People were interested in this
project—and they somehow believed that we
could make it work. Rhodes College gave us
seed money to print the first issue of the paper.
Community members contacted us to pledge
their various forms of support and expertise.
Caroline Ponseti, a Rhodes student and noth-
ing short of an organizational genius, turned
our fledgling editing and paper design process
from a sputtering lawnmower to a fully func-
tional five-speed. Turned out, the type of sup-
port we’d been searching for didn’t stem from
an all-knowing leader. It came from all around
us, pouring in as bits of donated time and re-
sources and handshakes that told us that we
could make this happen.
The most powerful support came from the
homeless community itself. I remember first
nervously pitching the idea of a street newspa-
per to a half-filled room at the Union Mission,
my voice shaking while I stumbled through un-
familiar words like “non-profit” and “vendor.”
But when I looked up, a small line of people
had formed in front of me, each person saying,
“When can I start?” Things got easier after that.
We went from soup kitchen to shelter, each
time describing The Bridge a little better, each
time receiving a more enthusiastic response. I
met people in droves—men, women, children,
black, white, some clothed in ripped t-shirts
and others in brand new shoes.
thebridgeclosing the gap between homeless and sheltered
March
2014
volume 2
issue 1
what’s inside
$1.00
MESSAGE
VENDOR
FROM YOUR
Page 7
Rhodes students
capture homeless lives
through film
Rhodes Student
Photo Project
Page 13
Local organization
with the mission is
togetherness
Dorothy Day House of
Hospitality
Page 5
Students honor Dr.
King’s legacy
MLK Conference at
BRIDGES
facebook.com/thememphisbridge
@thebridgepaper
BY EVAN KATZ
Co-Director & Founder
A YEAR OF BUILDING BRIDGES
The Bridge celebrates its one-year anniversary
TEAM PHOTO: A portion of The Bridge volunteer team poses with vendors at Thursday distribution.
CORENA HASSELLE/Staff Photographer
continued page 12

2. editorial March 2014Page 2
HOW IT WORKS:
VENDOR TRAINING
People who have had an
EXPERIENCE WITH
HOMELESSNESS
Each vendor
BADGE &
will receive a
FREE
20papers
After a brief interview,
they are given the skills to
SELL THE BRIDGE
Papers can be sold
THE STREETS
at local events and
FOR ONLY 1Additional papers can be purchased for $0.25.
Vendors that buy certain amounts of papers are rewarded with incentives
such as messenger bags and all-day bus passes.
Want your picture in the paper?
Tweet a picture with a vendor!
If you see a vendor of The Bridge around Memphis, take
a location-tagged picture of him/her and tweet it to us
@thebridgepaper! We’ll print your sumbission in the next
issue of The Bridge.
EditorialPolicy
The Bridge is a monthly publication dedicated
to issues of homelessness in Memphis, TN. It is
run by volunteers and is unaffiliated with any
religious or political organization.
All articles in The Bridge are approved by the
Editor-in-Chief and directors. However, speci-
cially-labeled pieces from outside groups or con-
tributing writers may appear and do not neces-
sarily represent the views of The Bridge editors
and staff nor do they constitute an endorsement.
The Bridge welcomes letters from all walks of
the Memphis community. Letters to the editor
should be sent to editor@thememphisbridge.
com and may be edited for content.
Want to get involved?
How to Contact The Bridge
The Bridge is a publication by the Memphis
Street Newspaper Organization. The Memphis
Street Newspaper Organization is a non-profit
and exists purely to provide reliable income for
those with experiences of homelessness and also
to raise awareness about issues of homelessness
to the larger community.
For advertising-related requests, please contact:
advertising@thememphisbridge.com
If you’d like to make a donation to The Bridge,
please send donations to:
Memphis Street Newspaper Organization
2000 North Parkway, Rhodes Box 1630,
Memphis, TN 38112
Or contact:
donations@thememphisbridge.com
For more information, please contact:
info@thememphisbridge.com
Twitter: @thebridgepaper
Instagram: @thebridgepaper
Facebook.com/TheMemphisBridge
Editorial Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Chloe Bryan
Managing Editor
Emily Clark
Design Editor
Ellie Skochdopole
Art Director
Monique Hagler
Editor-at-Large
Aaron Banks
Layout Designers
Sam Clark
McCall Hagler
Monique Hagler
Emmie Heath

3. editorialMarch 2014 Page 3
W
ell, the day is here. The Bridge is fi-
nally one incredible, terrifying, won-
derful year old. And the classic one-
year anniversary gift is paper—how appropriate
is that? As The Bridge hits this milestone, I think
of all the content teams that have made compil-
ing, editing, and reading this paper such a valuable
gift.
Thank you to the writing
staff. To write about social
issues requires so much
more than a mastery of
language: it requires tact,
nuance, and compassion.
I am proud to head a writing staff that possesses
all these qualities in droves, and am continually
amazed by this group of busy college students’
ability to generate such great work.
Thank you to our photographers and artists, for
capturing through imagery what often can be dif-
ficult to describe. The newspaper is a uniquely vi-
sual medium that wouldn’t carry the same weight
nor the same magic without the pictures within
it—this is where you are vital.
Thank you to the organizations and to the peo-
ple The Bridge has interviewed. It is astounding
not only to see the difficult, necessary work you do
in Memphis, but also to see the ways in which like-
minded people tend to connect with each other in
pursuit of a better, stabler, and more loving city. I
hope that The Bridge has facilitated at least a few of
those connections.
Thank you to the ed-
iting and layout team.
Your attention to detail
and willingness to read
and re-read over and
over again make The
Bridge tighter, more compelling, and more profes-
sional.
Finally, thank you to each homeless and for-
merly homeless contributing writer. Your opin-
ions, your poetry, your essays, and your stories are
what distinguish The Bridge from its peers, and
your willingness to share your stories has given
readers an opportunity to view the city and the
world from a different, often difficult perspective.
You are amazing. Thank you so much.
J
ust because you’re homeless doesn’t mean
you can’t be a positive influence,” says Anto-
nio Harris. After all, he believes that “it’s not
aboutthemoney—it’saboutthelove.”Injustafew
short minutes with Antonio, one will recognize
his incredible positive energy. The 33-year-old
life-long Memphian radiates happiness, seldom
letting a smile leave his face. His commitment to
positivity carries over from his everyday life into
his job as a vendor for The Bridge.
Antonio began selling The Bridge about two
months ago after hearing about the paper
through his friend, Tony. “The Bridge is where
it’s at,” claims Antonio. “It’s a great way to learn
about what’s happening in Memphis.” Antonio
uses his income from selling newspapers as a
way to provide shelter for himself—he currently
lives in an apartment in Midtown. Antonio says
that his favorite part about selling The Bridge is
engaging with people. He loves talking to his cus-
tomers about most anything, and he especially
enjoys sharing his stories.
In his youth, Antonio attended Shrine School
in Memphis, where he graduated and earned
his diploma. Before becoming a vendor for The
Bridge, Antonio held multiple jobs. At different
points throughout his life, Antonio has worked
at Backyard Burgers, Target, and as a police dis-
patcher. Through each of these occupations, An-
tonio was able to interact with other people—a
self-identified passion. For fun, Antonio enjoys
singing. He loves Frank Sinatra, but his favorite
song is “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics.
Whether at work or play, Antonio seems to al-
ways find joy in life. This is all the more powerful
when considering Antonio’s disability. Antonio
relies on a motorized wheelchair for transporta-
tion. However, he doesn’t let his disability affect
him. Instead, he perseveres. Antonio remains ac-
tive in community organizations like H.O.P.E.
and Rockers and Rollers.
Antonio is an outgoing, hardworking, and
compassionate man. He truly cherishes his com-
munity and everyone in it. Antonio knows that
he can “be a light [for people], a positive thing
for others to see.” Antonio’s light burns bright
in Memphis, helping to illuminate the city. His
presence is special. Keep shining, Antonio.
BY BROOKS LAMB
Staff Writer
Vendor Spotlight: Antonio Harris
Letter from the Editor
BY CHLOE BRYAN
Editor-in-Chief
“...Your willingness to share your stories has
given readers an opportunity to view the city
and the world from a different, often difficult
perspective.”
CORENA HASSELLE/Staff Photographer
Scan this code to help!
Do you want to
help fight
homelessness
in the Memphis
community?

4. featuresPage 4 March 2014
T
o understand what temptations are, I believe
that you must first grasp a clear concept and
understanding of what this word means to you.
Because if you are on a journey in your life that requires
moral living and being conscious of your existence, you
will begin to see that temptation has no place in your
life. If you carry out a temptation, you follow through
on a vision in your mind that promised you two things:
something to fulfill your personal desire and automatic
negative consequences. The results will bring despair
because temptations promise something that will ap-
peal to your personal circumstances, a false solution
that will seem to make things better. If a temptation is
acted out, something wrong has happened—it’s false
desire that causes one to be tempted. When and if we
allow temptations to have authority in our lives, we fall
into a dual consciousness. We should never compro-
mise the true moral compass of right and wrong. But
certain situations will claim differently.
For example, I had to learn that yes, even if you’re
homeless, you have to return everything you find. If
you see someone drop his wallet, it’s the right thing to
do to give it back to him. You’ll be tempted to keep the
wallet because your dilemma is framed in the situation
of homelessness. Your dual consciousness says, “You
are homeless. Keep the wallet.” Moral consciousness
tells you that it does not belong to you. You must give
it back.
Then temptation will show you a vision of how things
could be better if you go against your moral conscious-
ness. The false sense of power that temptation gives you
will only cause you to spiral down in the end, and you
will regret that you decided to follow your personal de-
sire.
You will be tested in life in many areas. But life is very
generous, because it gives us the answers to any test be-
fore the lesson comes. No matter what your situation is,
you are still able to understand right and wrong.
An example: “I’m married, but things are not right
at home. And every time I go to the market there’s this
nice young lady that I believe likes me.” The desire to
adventure outside of the marriage is due to the vision
that temptation has presented to you. Because of cur-
rent circumstances at home, the vision of pleasure is
where temptation overwhelms you. It gives you a false
sense of power to carry out its assignment. The eyes
are where temptation makes everything come alive!
We have got to learn to train our eyes to speak to us
in a virtuous way. When we see through virtuous eyes,
we become examples for others who may be struggling
with their desire to please themselves.
Proper standards go against temptations. Proper
standards will govern your thoughts, especially when
presented with challenges. Think of people you’re not
friends with, or whom you don’t like. How tempted are
you to make these people feel bad when you have the
opportunity? What about your co-workers? How far
will you go to assist them with a problem even though
you don’t really care for them? Are you tempted not to
assist them because of how you feel?
I met a person many years ago, when I was in my
mid-twenties, who explained to me temptation’s con-
nection to circumstance. Without personal devising,
temptation cannot be birthed. Once we put our per-
sonal vision, fantasy, dream, desire, wish, or effort, we
give birth to impatience. Impatience and temptation
combine to form false desire. As human beings, we
are not used to waiting for anything, so we are often
not willing to wait long enough to truly get what we
need. It takes time to heal any process that exists in this
lifetime. Time is the opportunity for you to succeed in
whatever lifestyle, career, or decision you make. If you
live by moral standards, temptation will have no place
in your journey. Time will heal relationships, especial-
ly marriages. Temptation will cause pain. Moral stan-
dards will put you in a position where you are willing
to return someone else’s property to them.
Temptation ends up being a way of life for some. Be-
ing deceitful or conniving is how some people live their
everyday lives. But if we resist temptation, relief will
come. Trust me!
Author’s Note: I am Minister T.A. Robertson, a certified
vendor of The Bridge since October 2013. As I sell the pa-
per throughout Memphis, I would like to sincerely thank
the Memphians who support all of us each and every day.
I look forward to meeting you and anyone who supports
The Bridge!
There’s a place call glory and everyone has a story
To tell about the good Lord up above who shows
Awesome Love
The place call glory
I can’t ignore as I continue to knock at Heaven’s
Doors as I get the holy spirit deep down
In my pores
The place call glory
Oh, I can’t wait as I be washin’ the Heavenly
Tank, but there’s no time to waste on the
Cares of this world for Jesus gives me
Diamonds and pearls
The place call glory
As I sit here in deep thoughts the people
Of this evil world continue to talk, but
I keep my head above water and stay on
This Jesus walk
The place call glory
Free at last I am now that I believe
In Lord of Lord’s and King of King’s
My Heart can only sing
The place call glory
We shall overcome the hold of “sins” as
We have Faith not by might or sight and
Begin towards greatness in the Good Lord
Over and over and over again
The place call glory
The End
Temptations
BY MINISTER T.A. ROBERTSON
Contributing Writer
Courtesy of Sharon A.
The Place Call GloryBY SHANREKA LOVELADY ERVIN
Contributing Writer

5. featuresMarch 2014 Page 5
T
he day began with groups of students, grades
6 through 12, rushing into the High Adven-
ture Hall to see what was in store for the
day, an important day here at BRIDGES, where
hundreds of students came to celebrate the life of
Dr. King. BRIDGES is an organization that, as its
mission statement says, “unites and inspires diverse
young people to become confident and courageous
leaders committed to community transformation.”
I have had the honor of interning at BRIDGES for
my Rhodes Work Study Program, and it has given
me an insight into the positive impact BRIDGES
has had on the Memphis community. The Dr. King
Conference, on January 17, was the second con-
ference I’ve attended here at BRIDGES. In the fall,
BRIDGES hosted a Gandhi King Youth Conference,
and on January 17, it was all about celebrating the
birthday of one of the most influential leaders in our
history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
First, the students were split into ten groups and
sent to different rooms around the BRIDGES center
to start the first of three workshops. The first work-
shop had the students to complete a Full Value Con-
tract and a timeline of Dr. King’s life. At BRIDGES,
we start every activity of with a Full Value Contract.
It sets the tone for the group and how each activity
will go from there. For the Full Value Contract, we
had each student share a characteristic which they
believe students should bring to each day, such as
respect or open-mindedness. After we wrote the
words on the contract we had each student sign it,
saying that they will follow this Full Value Contract
the group had created.
The students then started on a timeline assign-
ment. For the timeline, each student was given a slip
of paper which stated a specific event in Dr. King’s
life. They were told to share their event with other
students, and afterwards were given five minutes
to put the timeline together. After they wrote down
their finished timeline, the facilitator would read
out the correct answers to the timeline, to see if the
group’s timeline was correct. If not, the group, with
the help of the facilitator, would recreate the time-
line until it was true to Dr. King’s life. Afterwards,
the facilitator would ask the famous question here
at BRIDGES, “So, what did we just do?” After ev-
ery activity we ask the group this question to have
them reflect on the activity they just completed.
The students then explained what they just did, and
what they learned from this activity. By creating this
timeline, the students gained insight into the life of
such an influential leader and how he accomplished
so much throughout his life. They learned key parts
of what made Dr. King’s legacy special, including
non-violence, justice, and dedication.
After mapping out the life of Dr. King, the stu-
dents moved on to the second workshop, in which
they created items for the Locker Project. The
RACE Locker Project challenged students to create
their own original art piece designed for display in
a free-standing traditional school locker. The art-
work was based on their artistic views of the follow-
ing questions: What is race? What is Racial Justice?
What does race mean to you? What is Racial Eq-
uity? Has your life been affected by race? The piec-
es of artwork the students created are to be shown
at the Pink Palace Family of Museums. There were
collages made, poems written, and even sculptures
created representing peace and justice. After the
students had created their piece of art, they were
told to gather in a circle and share with the group
what their creation meant. It was fascinating to see
all the various creations the students came up with.
The Locker Project will be an amazing exhibit at the
Pink Palace, so BRIDGES recommends everyone to
go see it.
Last but not least, the students moved onto work-
shop three, where they created a “word cloud.” Each
student came up with three words that to them de-
fined racial justice and Dr. King’s message. They
would then share their three words with the group.
If other students had that same word, they would
raise their hand, and then the facilitator would tally
how many students put that word. The words with
the greatest amount of tallies would be the biggest
words in the word cloud, whereas the words that
did not have a lot of tallies would decrease in size.
It was fascinating to see which words were popular
through out the group, and also which words the
students chose as their top three to describe racial
justice. There were words such as respect, voice,
unity, freedom, and courage.
Once each group finished their word cloud, each
group returned to the High Adventure Hall for the
last event of the day. The students gathered around
and sang “Happy Birthday” to Dr. King. After sing-
ing the traditional song, the DJ changed it to Ste-
vie Wonder’s version and from the ceiling, balloons
dropped. The students ran around, singing, danc-
ing, and laughing, celebrating this important holi-
day. There is no better way to celebrate than to have
balloons drop from the ceiling and students from
all over Memphis celebrating together. This is what
BRIDGES is all about: uniting kids with diverse
backgrounds and bringing them together just as Dr.
King would have wanted.
This concluded the day’s festivities. The students
each grabbed a cupcake and said their goodbyes.
I heard students describe the evening using words
like reflection, creativity, nonviolence, and fun! The
Birthday Celebration was a success. Happy Birth-
day, Dr. King! BRIDGES thanks you for your cour-
age and dedication to racial justice. Without your
actions, we would not have brought students from
all over Memphis together to celebrate your legacy.
“We have inherited a large house, a great
‘world house’ in which we have to live togeth-
er—black and white, Easterner and Westerner,
Gentile and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Mus-
lim and Hindu—a family unduly separated in
ideas, culture and interest, who, because we
can never again live apart, must learn some-
how to live with each other in peace.”
-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
BY EMILY CRENSHAW
BRIDGES Intern/Staff Writer
BRIDGES Honors Legacy of Dr. King
Conference unites diverse backgrounds
EMILY CRENSHAW/Staff Photographer
BUILDING BRIDGES: MLK conference brought together community youth from diverse backgrounds

6. To Keep In Touch
features March 2014Page 6
My Freedom Is
Ice Skating
My body may age,
but my mind will stay young
I’ve much left to do,
Many songs to be sung.
Many roads to be traveled,
Much love to express,
Many souls that need aid,
Who are now in distress.
I will do what I can to help brighten your day
I will spread cheer and love as I pass by your way
The world is my oyster,
to have and to hold,
Why, I’m really too busy to ever grow old.
BY MILA SHAW
Contributing Writer
Sometimes I wonder if God thinks I ask for too much.
Forgive me, Lord, for what I feel, I seem so out of touch.
Oftentimes, I feel a little shy when problems of the day start
crowding in upon my mind
And hurt gets in the way, you know the way in which I feel,
you share my every dream.
Forgive me, Lord, my doubts and fears, and if I ask too much,
My room is quiet and I can pray; I want to keep in touch.
BY TRACEY COLE
Contributing Writer
When I was a child, I wanted to be an ice skater. I watched
ice skating, I took ballet, and I wanted to skate across the ice
and jump and spin. But I couldn’t roller skate, and only every
once in a while did we come to the Mall of Memphis to skate.
And I spent more time sitting on the ice than gliding across it.
I got good at getting up, but I never got good enough to jump
and spin. Why did I want to ice skate? To move to the music,
to feel free, to go fast and almost out of control, to be graceful.
Too Busy
BY TRACEY COLE
Contributing Writer
My Freedom is…
My birthright.
My Freedom is…
GOD given.
My Freedom is…
EQUAL rights.
My Freedom is…
CIVIL rights.
My Freedom is…
FREE choice.
My Freedom is…
MY choice.
My Freedom is…
My choice to be happy.
My Freedom is…
My choice to sing.
My Freedom is…
My choice to dance.
My Freedom…
Should be just that. FREE!
My Freedom…
To love and be loved.
My Freedom is…
To be accepting and to be accepted.
BY CYNTHIA CRAWFORD
Contributing Writer
Poetry
BILL PIACESI/Focus for the Good

7. A
picture speaks a thousand words.” Cli-
ché? Yes, but like many clichés, it rings
true—particularly for Rhodes College
students Megan Doolin and Jenna Sullivan. These
two, the brains behind the original photo project
Unsheltered:Unseen, operate based on this very
philosophy: that a picture can both influence and
inspire those who take the time to look.
The project’s objective? To employ photography as
a means to present honestly the lives of homeless
individuals. The slogan? “Hand someone a photo
and they’ll see the world. Hand someone a camera
and you’ll see theirs.”
How did this project get started?
Jenna Sullivan: We were founded in 2009 by
then-Rhodes student Justin Deere. Basically, it
was a response to new legislation passed by Mayor
Wharton that December. According to the new
law, homeless people occupying many spaces in
the Midtown and downtown areas were subject
to arrest. Justin thought this legislation failed to
take the homeless community’s perspective into
consideration. He was a volunteer for More than
Art at Idlewild Presbyterian Church, so he was
learning a lot about the empowerment that comes
with artistic expression. He wanted to create a
new project that offered the artistic perspectives
of marginalized people in Memphis. Photography
was the method he thought could best express
those perspectives.
What is the goal of Unsheltered:Unseen?
Megg Doolin: The goal of the project is to respond
to homelessness, hunger, and social injustice in our
community by offering frequently silenced people
a way to share their stories. The photos expose a
point of view that is often unseen or undervalued.
JS: We believe that art is a valuable part of change
in a community. We hope that these photos might
serve as a catalyst to change conversations about
homelessness in Memphis. I know that my own
thinking has changed because of these photos.
Tell us more about the camera process. How do
you distribute them?
JS: The camera process has evolved over the last
few years but our basic model of distribution has
stayed the same. We purchase roughly 100 cam-
eras in February. Each camera is numbered. We
have four community partners that serve as our
distribution sites: More than a Meal at Idlewild
Presbyterian, St. John’s Methodist Church Soup
Kitchen, H.O.P.E., and Manna House. In March,
we put together teams to pass out cameras at each
of these sites. Each photographer fills out an artist
registration form with their name and the number
of the camera they received. This way we’re able
to discern which photos belong to which artists
when we get the cameras back a few weeks later.
Last, we distribute 4x6 copies of the photographs
back to the artists.
Why disposable cameras?
JS: They’re relatively inexpensive, easy to distrib-
ute, and yet still produce quality photographs. We
are shocked each year by the high quality that’s
possible with disposable film.
From what you’ve observed, how is the homeless
community impacted by this project?
MD: From what I’ve heard and read, many of the
artists enjoy that they are handed a device that
requires them to stop and pay attention to some-
thing they wouldn’t normally notice. Rather than
just tucking a memory away in their minds, they
are able to keep a copy as a reminder.
JS: Our project is unique in that we can never re-
ally know what our impact is. This whole process
is a subjective experience. That being said, I do
hope that our participants have felt like someone
cared enough to invest in their story. To me, that
is impactful.
Tell us about the response you’ve gotten from
previous shows.
JS: I think people have a wide range of reactions
to these photographs. Some of the photos capture
wonderful moments—two friends laughing to-
gether or beautiful trees in the forest. And others
are more shocking. I think all of these reactions
are important. Whenever someone is challenged
to consider another person’s life experience, a
community is strengthened in some way.
Why photography? Why not writing or music?
JS: We live in a visual culture. Theoretically, I think
the project could expand to include other forms of
artistic communication. But for now, we feel that
photography is the most accessible and meaning-
ful way for our artists to share their point of view.
Our project is called Unsheltered:Unseen because
we want these points of view to be visible.
What has been the hardest part of putting to-
gether this project?
JS: I think our biggest challenge throughout this
project has been defining our own identity as a
project. We have struggled to understand and
articulate our mission in various settings. I also
think we have been portrayed as out-of-touch
college students who are just naïvely passing out
cameras. But we are working on strengthening our
understanding of who we are and what our mis-
sion is. This year, we are renewing our commit-
ment to our artists. We want this project to be less
about us and more about them.
What do you feel has been Unsheltered:Unseen’s
greatest success?
MD: The most exciting part of the process for me
is the exhibition at the end of the project. At the
show, the artists are able to see their work on the
wall, talk to people about their work, and just cel-
ebrate their achievements.
What are your future hopes for the initiative?
JS: I hope that this can grow into a sustainable
project that will last for years to come. I also hope
that we continue to evolve and challenge ourselves
to consider new ways of doing things. Ultimately,
I hope that we always work hard to think about
what we are doing and how we are doing it. I never
want this project to become so routine that it loses
its relevance and commitment to the artists.
So... when’s the show?
MD: The show will be the evening of Friday, April
25th at Crosstown Arts Gallery.
JS: Find our website at www.unshelteredunseen.org
and like us on Facebook!
BY KATIE BUTLER
Staff Writer
featuresMarch 2014 Page 7
Unsheltered:Unseen
Innovative project aims to capture homeless lives through film
Courtesy of Odell Johnson

8. May 2013-August 2013
The Bridge is one of the first fledg-
ling companies to undergo the Start
Co. startup accelerator program.
March 21, 2013
Volunteer Jim McLellan meets Theddy
Wilkes, a poet who says he’s heard The
Bridge accepts poetry submissions. He
reads Jim a poem called “It’s Amazing.”
“You’re amazing,” Jim says. The Bridge
has since published six of Theddy’s
original poems.
August 2013
3000 copies of the August issue
are printed and sold in the pa-
per’s most successful month yet.
October 5, 2013
The Commercial Appeal’s “Faith
in Memphis” section includes two
articles from staff writers as well as
a featured panel of homeless and
formerly homeless contributors.
The first issue of The Bridge,
12 pages in length and
themed “Origins,” is released.
The Bridge holds its official
launch party at Rhodes College.
June 2013
The Bridge has its first community
table at a festival in Overton Park. Says
community outreach coordinator Jim
McLellan: “Someone had pictures [of the
event] since [co-director] James was out
of town. When James saw the pictures
of the event, he was wondering who the
“old guy” was. Of course, it was me, but I
was new and James and I hadn’t met.”
Happy Birthday, The Bridge!
The Bridge is celebrating its first year! Take a look back at the past
twelve months’milestones as we continue to work to bridge the gap.
March 2014 in-de

9. October 2013
November 28, 2013
Vendor Theddy Wilkes reads his
original poetry on Mid-South NPR
station WKNO 91.1 as part of a special
Thanksgiving broadcast.
The Bridge does a presentation at St. Mary’s
Episcopal Cathedral featuring vendor Linda
Bozant. Says Jim McLellan, “Linda brought
down the house. I’m teary remembering when
she told [us] about her homelessness… she
broke into tears telling everyone that the peo-
ple of the paper had become family for her.”
The Bridge becomes an
official 501(c)(3) non-
profit organization.
January 28, 2014
Executive Staff and Board members of The Bridge
gather at EmergeMemphis to work with Don Hutson,
an expert on business strategy and entrepreneurship.
February 15, 2014
March 2014
The Bridge’s staff peaks at 50
Rhodes College student volunteers.
The Bridge publishes its twelfth
issue. Thank you, readers!
Page 9epth
Photos Courtesy The Bridge Archives

10. features March 2014Page 10
W
hen I asked Ms. Cynthia Crawford
(fondly known as “C.C.”) to tell me
the biggest difference between the life-
style of a homeless man and that of a homeless
woman, she very astutely responded, “I don’t re-
ally know, because I’ve never been a homeless man.”
Research on the subject of the condition of home-
lessness often focuses on homeless men and gener-
ally neglects homeless women. Why such a disparity?
Where is the research dedicated to the investigation
into the female experience of homelessness? Such
crucial questions prompt us to dissect homelessness
further and to grapple with issues than many mem-
bers of our society would rather leave unexplored.
Through my own research, I stumbled upon a study
conducted by Madeleine Stoner for the Social Service
Review that illuminates some of the key problems of
the female experience of homelessness. She writes, “as
women and their families continue to enter the ranks of
the homeless—as victims of the economy, of landlords,
of a depleted mental health system, and of spouses—
society can no longer neglect them.” In order to under-
stand how women experience homelessness, we must
first identify the primary cause of their departure from
the sheltered world. Researchers seem to largely agree
on this point—that the majority of homeless women
are forced to live on the streets due to the mentally and
physically harmful repercussions of domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse attaches its most destructive roots in
povertystrickenareasoflargecities,wherethereisalack
ofsafe,affordablehousing.Thistoxicenvironmentisthe
settingofsuchabuseinwhichthedominantpartneruses
violence as a form of control over the victim. If a wom-
an is victimized by her partner or spouse, she will likely
desire an outlet for escape. And if the situation becomes
dire enough, she will likely leave home permanently.
Other pressures may arise from domestic abuse
that can further incentivize a woman to flee on her
own. For example, a landlord may threaten to evict
tenants that attract police or court attention for their
abusive relationship. The threat of eviction, though
sometimes warranted, creates a snowball effect that
works against the victimized woman. The abusive
male could become violent if he feels as though his
resistant spouse or partner is attracting too much at-
tention from the landlord. He may begin to exert con-
trol over his spouse by isolating her from those who
would care for her, such as family, friends, and sup-
port groups. Thus, when the woman decides to leave
home to seek a new life without abuse, she has no
one to turn to for aid. She finds herself lost and alone.
According to a pamphlet provided by the Ameri-
can Civil Liberties Union, a nation-wide 2003 sur-
vey of homeless mothers found that one quarter had
been physically abused in the past year. In San Di-
ego in 2004, almost 50 percent of homeless women
were domestic violence victims. In fact, this number
may actually be much higher due to those women’s
reluctance to report domestic violence because of
shame or fear of reprisal. Furthermore, women with
household incomes of less than $7,500 a year are
seven times more likely to experience domestic vio-
lence than women with incomes over $7, 500. This
means that it is extremely likely for a woman escap-
ing domestic abuse to enter homelessness although
she is completely unable to support herself financially.
These kinds of hostile relationships leave many
women feeling extremely low levels of self esteem.
This negative mental state hinders their progress as
they struggle to find help on the streets. Similarly, poor
family relationships between mothers and daughters
or fathers and daughters could cause a young woman,
or even a teenager, to flee from home in an act of es-
cape. This sort of home environment led C.C. to run
away with her newborn daughter at the age of eighteen.
That was when she first experienced homelessness.
Once a woman begins living on the streets, she
will immediately encounter many challenges exclu-
sive to her sex. First, she must deal with the prob-
lem of public perception. In the 60s and 70s, home-
less women in popular culture were often perceived
as “derelict eccentrics” who elected that lifestyle on
their own accord. That could not be farther from the
truth, both then and now. This false stereotype led to
many social service groups favoring men over women
as they consider the homeless women as “less needy”
than men, especially because they are able to receive
more support from the general public than men. As
a consequence, as Stoner puts it, the women “fall be-
tween the threads of the safety net, into the streets.”
Researchers agree that women receive more public as-
sistance and money from friends, family, and passersby
than men do on a daily basis; however, in order to sur-
vive, many women are forced to panhandle, deal drugs,
shoplift,orbecomeprostitutes.Theseoptionsforincome
are particularly dangerous for women because they are
constantly put at risk of sexual abuse and rape. Studies
also show that women are much more likely to trade
sexual favors for food, shelter, and other necessities.
In addition to the challenge of avoiding these
potentially dangerous outlets, a homeless wom-
an often feels unsafe and unable to protect her-
self against the strength of male perpetrators.
“For the most part, men don’t walk around scared,”
explains C.C. in response to my question about the
challenges that women face on the streets. “They are
normally perceived as the stronger sex, and so their
safety may not always be at the forefront of their minds.”
C.C. also mentions another challenge that women
must face on the street: maintaining personal hygiene.
“Women more commonly want to be fancy-fied,” she
says with a knowing smile. “They want to be pampered
with womanly touches.” The societal pressure women
face to be aesthetically pleasing adds extra anxiety to
theiralreadyhighlevelsofstress.Moreover,feelingdirty
furthers their pre-existing feelings of worthlessness and
shame, which can be a massive blow to self-esteem.
Aware of the nuances of the female experience of
homelessness, C.C. once took it upon herself to de-
liver care packages to homeless women throughout
Memphis. What was in those care packages? “I didn’t
want it to be hotel soaps,” says C.C. “I wanted it to
be body spray, and nail polish, lip gloss, a little mir-
ror, a little body cream, and a full-sized bar of soap...
and cough drops. The kinds of things your average
church doesn’t think of.” She wanted these women
to feel more feminine, and “a little pampered.” She
told me that the women to whom she gave those
care packages were overwhelmed with thankfulness.
Other challenges that a woman may face on the streets
involve her reproductive health. Health issues of par-
ticular importance to women include family planning,
pregnancy, female genitourinary problems, and sexu-
ally transmitted diseases. These issues are more com-
monly (or only) seen in women rather than in men.
If a homeless woman is pregnant or becomes preg-
nant on the streets, she risks pregnancy complica-
tions due to a lack of prenatal care, poor nutrition,
stress and anxiety, and exposure to violence. Home-
less women also may have little choice as to the tim-
ing and circumstances surrounding conception.
They could become pregnant due to victimization
or rape, the need for economic survival, a lack of ac-
cess to contraceptives, and even a desire for inti-
macy. More often than not, that desire for intimacy
stems from a previously bad domestic relationship.
For these reasons and more, it is absolutely impera-
tive that a community provide access to reproduc-
tive health care or at the very least contraceptives.
Homeless women are in great need for family plan-
ning services and social services to care for children.
C.C. opens up to me about her personal experience
with these issues of reproductive health. Luckily, she
set plans in action for her children before she cared for
herself. C.C. sent all her children to foster care then be-
gan the process of working toward being a functioning
member of the community. “I looked at my children as
a burden,” she explains. And she knew that she had to
part with them until she could back back on her feet.
Members of the community can help homeless wom-
en indirectly by spreading awareness about the benefits
of adoption and social services. C.C. reflects positively
on the decision that she made years ago. “Have you ever
had something that you just worked so hard for, and it
felt like it was never going to come through... and then
all of a sudden you get to that transition period when
it’s finally coming about, it’s almost like a feeling of total
disbelief. It’s like, am I dreaming? Pinch me! If I had to
go back and make the same decision again, I would.” As
of February, C.C. currently lives with her two daughters
whohavereturnedfromfostercareinWashington,D.C.
Luckily, many programs for homeless women exist in
Memphis. Beyond institutions provided by the govern-
ment and Planned Parenthood, there are quite a few
support groups that appeal to women experiencing
homelessness and/or domestic abuse. These groups in-
clude H.O.P.E.’s Women’s Caucus, several birth mother
adoption support groups, OHC (Outreach Housing &
Community), and Door of Hope. C.C. spends her days
each week participating in all of these groups. Com-
munity members are welcome to volunteer at these
programs that reach out to help homeless and previ-
ously homeless women who still suffer from the effects
of their time on the streets. Reflecting on her time on
the streets, C.C. says, “Whether I was on the streets
or in the shelter, I felt like I had disappeared. Like no-
body saw me. My self-confidence was non-existent.”
But there’s hope. C.C. shares a few last inspiring
words: “Becoming a part of groups like Door of Hope,
OHC, and H.O.P.E,” she says, “showed me that I’m still
valuable. These people stand up, and it’s not like ‘Oh
here’s your soup, move on.’ It’s like ‘Hey, C.C.! How are
you doing?’ It showed me that I’ve been through these
things, I’m going through these things, but it has all
made me stronger. It has built me up because at one
pointIwasliterallypickingmyselfupbythebootstraps.”
She pauses for a moment before continuing. “I’m not
going to sit back and just exist. I’m going to live, be-
cause God gave me a life to live. So I’m going to live it.”
Women on the Streets
How does being female impact the homeless experience?
BY NICOLE HUGULEY
Staff Writer

11. features Page 11March 2014
Mentors
Courtesy of David Blackwell
BY PONYTAIL BOB
Contributing Writer
G
reetings, friends! If you have been reading the
Spotlight column the last few months, you
know that I’m trying to identify, acknowl-
edge, and thank those people and groups that do so
much to help those around them. Their passion and
energy is awesome.
Today, I would like to share with you the person who
was my personal mentor in service or outreach work.
My mother’s name was Helen Marie Clyburn and
when she got her heart and mind wrapped around a
cause, she was like a pitbull with a bone.
My mom raised three sons. We were “All Boy.” She
supported us through camping trips, deer hunting,
hot rods, construction projects, Boy Scouts, baseball
teams and much more—always there in whatever ca-
pacity we needed her. She was a devoted member and
volunteer with her Sunday School classes: the Loyalty
class at Rebecca Memorial Methodist Church and lat-
er the same class at Ashbury Methodist Church.
From my childhood years, I remember her all-
powerful presence during the annual March of Dimes
fundraising drive. You have to remember that there
were no computers, email, or cell phones at that time.
In my neighborhood of Bethel Grove, we were lucky
to have a phone in our house, and then it was a party
line (Kids, ask your grandparents what those were).
My mom would take that March of Dimes donation
can and walk the whole neighborhood, knocking on
every door, seeking dona-
tions. As a child, I didn’t
understand the focus and
determination in her face.
Really intense!
A few years later (I was
maybe 8 or 9 years old), my
mother and father explained
to me that I would always be their oldest son, but my
mother had been pregnant twice before I was born.
Both of these children were also boys, but were deliv-
ered stillborn. No one knew why back then, but my
mother had carried these children to almost full term,
only to have them die inside her before delivery. These
two events would have shut down a lot of women from
ever trying again. I am very
grateful for her stubborn-
ness, as I am the result of her
next pregnancy.
Mom refused to be defeat-
ed and felt it was her duty to
help prevent those and other
types of birth defects among
other women. She found her vehicle for this passion
and energy in the March of Dimes program.
Mom was a tough old girl! I loved her greatly, and,
later in life, I had the honor of becoming her in-home
caregiver for three years, before a major stroke put her
in a nursing home. During those three years as her care-
giver, my mom also became my best friend. I laughed
with her as she told me stories of her as a young girl
growing up during the Great Depression.
Mom was a wonderful lady and loved her family very
much. Her passion for those in pain, those suffering,
and those less fortunate was a great example to myself
and those around her. I loved her very much and still
miss her greatly.
Mom, I give God all the glory, but you doing His work
was a great example for a young boy. You have been
gone now over eight years, but I feel your presence,
even now. I do hope you’re proud of what I’m doing!
S
ince I’ve been homeless, I’ve learned that many
people take advantage of homeless people, from
the crackhead to the person with “gay” traits.
I’ve written about it before: people find someone they
think they are “more” than. The crackhead might look
down on the gay person, and the alcoholic might look
down on both of them. And the gay person (speaking
of myself), might spend a lot of time thanking God
that he’s not a crackhead or an alcoholic. I’d imagine
these two think the same about me, since they imagine
themselves to be “more.”
And let’s not leave out the businessman who thinks
it’s okay to take advantage of people because he went
to school to learn how to do it, because it’s not against
the law. I remember
what Paul said in
the Scripture: that
we, the poor, make
many rich, while
we ourselves have
nothing. I read that
passage many times and didn’t really understand what
it meant. Since I’ve been homeless, that bit of scripture
came to me again. I guess you might say I was enlight-
ened.
To put this all in a nutshell, they aren’t going any-
where without us, and we aren’t
going anywhere without them. And
to keep it straight, I’m not talk-
ing about color. In my eyes, the
only color that really matters these
days is green. We are going to fill
up their jails, their hospitals, their
cemeteries, and their morgues. This is going to go on
until the whole world says enough is enough.
“My mom would take that March of
Dimes donation can and walk the whole
neighborhood, knocking on every door,
seeking donations.”
“I remember what Paul said in the Scripture:
that we, the poor, make many rich, while we
ourselves have nothing”
Is Enough, Enough?
BY TONI W.
Contributing Writer
Ponytail Bob reflects on his mother’s love and generosity

12. features March 2014Page 12
T
he parade started early. People gathered at
the slave auction block at Main & Auction
well before it began—one man there said
he’d never missed a year. To begin, a speaker
from the Commission on Religion and Racism
“reclaimed” the auction block, announcing plans
for a monument to Dr. King in Memphis.
The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Parade is an annual celebration of action, honor,
and the ongoing fight against discrimination. This
year,theCORR-sponsoredeventalsosupportedthe
locked-out Kellogg plant workers, who are barred
from returning to work until they stop pushing
against Kellogg’s cost-cutting initiative to form
a lower tier of employees that would leave many
with a $6 per hour pay cut. The plant’s unionized
workers are part of the Bakery, Confectionary,
Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International
Union (BCTGM) Local 252G and have been at the
picket line since October, campaigning through
freezing temperatures.
So far, the reception’s been mixed. Many
Memphis organizations have have supported the
workers’ struggle, but—at least in the workers’
eyes—the city government has been largely absent.
For many, the lockout represents not only injustice
in the workplace, but the city’s disregard for the
blue-collar worker.
The march rolled out at 10:30. Marching
alongside many of the locked-out workers
was David Durkee, the BCTGM International
President. Representatives from the Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity, of which Dr. King was a
member, were also in attendance, as well as from
representatives from H.O.P.E. and the Mid-South
Peace and Justice Center, which was founded on
King’s initiative of nonviolent action. The parade
concluded around 2 at Cane Creek Baptist Church,
where representatives from the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference commemorated Dr. King’s
groundbreaking work.
Media coverage of the march has been a
little sugar-coated. It’s a frequent hazard when it
comes to King’s legacy to focus on a history-book
version of his work—one that has become a little
too sugar-coated. It’s easy to forget how radical,
how intensely pro-worker Dr. King actually was.
“All labor that uplifts humanity,” said King, “has
dignity and importance.” With this in mind, this
year’s parade becomes even more moving—for
Memphis, for its workers, and for Dr. King himself.
It wasn’t hard to notice that peppered throughout
the crowd were signs featuring one of the most
iconic civil rights slogans of all time: “I am a man.”
MLK Day Parade supports locked-out Kellogg workers
BY JENNA TUTTLE
Staff Writer
A Year of Building Bridges
continued from page 1
They all had something to say, from words
of encouragement to thoughtful suggestions.
Sometimes people just wanted to say thank you.
The paper launched mid-March of 2013. Our
first issue was only twelve pages long and scrapped
together from a pile of submissions from homeless
contributors and Rhodes College students. The
most powerful pieces came from those who’d been
homeless, or were still living on the streets—raw,
soulful stories that were usually as weather-worn
as the pieces of paper they were handed to us
on. Twenty-three currently or formerly homeless
individuals showed up to vendor training on the
Thursday afternoon that The Bridge launched.
Twenty-three people walked out the door of St.
Mary’s church with a stack of free papers and
smiles on their faces.
A launch doesn’t mean you can stop driving,
however—much the opposite. We battled vendor
disagreements, funding cuts, police harassment,
and the constant need for new written content
on a daily basis. Perhaps most frustrating was
the complexity of building an organization that
could cater to the needs of both the homeless
and the college students that ran it (after working
extensively with both populations, I’m still hard-
pressed to say which group dislikes following
directions more).
Through the start-up frenzy, however, I saw
something amazing happening: people were
changing. Vendors that were too shy to speak a
word during their training session would come
back three weeks later and scarcely keep their
mouths shut. Turns out selling The Bridge had
given them the confidence to begin a conversation
again. College students that couldn’t hit a term
paper deadline were suddenly pouring their
efforts into The Bridge and asking how they could
better help. I asked a girl who had recently gotten
involved with The Bridge why she had become so
invested so fast. She replied, “Because it was the
only thing on campus I could find that was real.”
A year later, The Bridge is in a very different
place than it was when “Closing the gap between
homeless and sheltered” was first printed on its
masthead. Over 200 members of the homeless
community have been trained, and nearly
$20,000 has gone directly into the hands of our
vendors. That’s $20,000 they earned through cold
mornings waving The Bridge on street corners and
through reinvesting their earnings into even more
newspapers to sell. For many of our homeless
vendors, it’s a way of reinvesting in themselves.
I’m starting to experience an unexpected
sadness more and more often, and it’s because
people are leaving. Gene, Ed, Cedric— all names
of previously homeless vendors and writers who
have gone on to find more permanent work and
reintegrated themselves back into society. It’s an
odd feeling. I’ve gotten to know these vendors
so well, watched them on their journey from
homeless to sheltered, that when they finally find
themselves no longer in need of The Bridge it’s hard
not to wish they would just continue working with
us a bit longer. I guess that’s the point, but it’s hard
saying goodbye to a friend.
For every unexpected sadness, there’s a benefit,
though. The Bridge began as an organization
bootstrapped into existence by college students,
something I always pictured as a temporary
measure until we could afford to bring on hired
management. As the months progressed, however,
that image has changed. I now can’t picture The
Bridge run by any other group of people. The
students that work with us are dynamic, hard-
working, and not afraid of change. They’re only in
college for a short time, and for the years they’re
here they pour their hearts into The Bridge in a
way that makes me grateful we’re not paying hired
staff to put in the same amount of creativity. What’s
more, it turns out The Bridge has some big benefits
for the students as well—for most, this is the first
time they’ve been able to fully flex their wings in
a real-world setting where their decisions actually
matter. It shows: our accountant Dylan, a Rhodes
senior, re-imagined our entire accounting system
and has been doing our books for the past year. He
just landed a full-time job at SunTrust. Real-world
experience goes over well in job applications.
So where do I fit into all of this? It’s hard to pin
down, exactly. Some days I run board meetings,
other days I deliver papers to vendors on street
corners, fingers trembling from the cold as I
pass them a bundle in exchange for a handful of
crumpled bills. But more and more, I find my place
with The Bridge in paying forward the confidence
that the Memphis community gave me before we
launched. My job takes me from churches and
alleys collecting poetry from vendors to the 23rd
floor of the First Tennessee building, looking out
at the river from our lawyer’s office. But no matter
where I am, I try and tell people the same thing
about The Bridge: This is going to work, and you
can help.
So where do we go from here? It’s hard to
say. We’re still only a year old. But if you’re reading
this, I do know one thing. This is going to work.
And you can help.

13. features Page 13March 2014
Dorothy Day House ties families
and community together
BY CAMILLE SMITH
Staff Writer
F
or many families, homelessness means being split
apart. Men are sent to the Union Mission. Wom-
en and young children find shelter at the Salva-
tion Army. Many teenage boys enter foster care.
The mission of the Dorothy Day House of Hospital-
ity is to address these separations. Since its opening in
2006, the organization has housed 30 families in the
wake of trauma, job loss, or poverty. Its values? Safety,
the reestablishment of economic independence, and
most importantly, togetherness.
When asked about the origin of the Dorothy Day
House, Executive Director Sister Maureen Griner says,
“It began with prayer.” The founders of the house mod-
eled its mission after that of activist Dorothy Day, a fig-
urehead of the Catholic Worker Movement and a fear-
less advocate of those poverty-stricken in New York
City during the Great Depression. Inspired by the work
of Dorothy Day, Sr. Maureen and the Ministry Team
base their ministry on Dorothy Day’s principles. Day's
direction to “put a cup of coffee and a pot of soup on the
stove, and God will take care of the rest,” is a paradigm
for the simplistic, effective way by which the Dorothy
Day House is managed. In many ways, this quote has
come to fruition.
During a discussion of the house’s initial construc-
tion process, Sr. Maureen explains that the painters
were generous enough to work on the house for free,
and that they had also received many gifts of furniture,
housing supplies, and other necessities from donors. It
has been due to various acts of kindness that the house
is what it is today. From my visit, I can see that it is con-
tinuing to grow and develop. Pictures of almost every
family who has been a guest at the Dorothy Day House
line the wall, and after hearing each family’s story, I was
amazed to hear how the house of hospitality has helped
each family. These families eventually obtained the re-
sources to get back on their feet.
There are certain requirements that a family must
adhere to in order to stay at Dorothy Day House of
Hospitality. Since Sr. Maureen and her volunteers are
not licensed social workers and have limited tools to
address serious issues such as drug addiction or men-
tal illness, the Dorothy Day House does not accept
guests who struggle with those issues, as they would
find more appropriate care elsewhere. Every guest at
Dorothy Day House has fallen victim to ordinary, yet
unfortunate circumstances. Some individuals endured
trauma such as house fires, lost their jobs, or suffered
from generational poverty. Dorothy Day House allows
these individuals a roof over their heads and a generous
familial environment. They are allowed to stay as long
as needed in order to get back on their feet.
Before a family becomes a guest at Dorothy Day
House, they undergo a phone interview with Sr. Mau-
reen to make sure the house can provide services to
match their needs. From that point, Dorothy Day
House Ministry Team members then conduct a face-
to-face interview discussing the family’s circumstances
and the necessary resources to re-establish their in-
dependence. In total, the interview process, including
drug testing, can take about forty-eight hours. Once a
family becomes a guest at Dorothy Day House, they be-
gin to stabilize their lives while also integrating into a
supportive community with two other families. When
asked about the average day in the life of a guest, Sr.
Maureen explains that their day is “just like a normal
day in your house.” The children go to school and adults
will work or search for a job. The guests also cook for
themselves; the kitchen is complete with a stove large
enough cook three meals at once. Other than the Sun-
day night prayer and the Monday night meal there are
no daytime events and activities planned for the guests,
which allows them the freedom to lead normal, every-
day lives within the boundaries of the house’s code of
conduct.
The Dorothy Day House of Hospitality stands out
from most other charitable organizations in Memphis
due to its intense focus on keeping homeless, jobless
families together. Upon entering into homelessness,
men are often separated from women and children,
and it is difficult for families to stay in contact with one
another from different locations of shelter. Dorothy
Day House recognizes the importance of family, espe-
cially in the wake of tragedy. They address this issue by
emphasizing togetherness over individual strength and
by creating an atmosphere that mirrors that of a fam-
ily home. Their unique focus has brought them much
success over the years. Sr. Maureen estimates that she
must deny ten families a week access due to limited
space. Other agencies, including MIFA and the Salva-
tion Army, call frequently to check on room availabil-
ity. Throughout the years, Dorothy Day House has kept
homeless families from separation and offered them a
non-discriminatory environment with a platform from
which to rebuild their lives together.
The success of the Dorothy Day House of Hospital-
ity depends largely on the help of private donors. As a
non-profit organization, all of its money comes from
private donations and charitable organizations. In ad-
dition to monetary donations, the house will always
accept donations of basic necessities such as toilet-
ries, Target and Walgreens gift cards, paper plates, and
cleaning supplies. Volunteers or community members
may drop these items off at the house at 1429 Poplar
Avenue at any time. Please call Sr. Maureen at (901)
355-8997 prior to arrival.
To learn more about the Dorothy Day House, go to
www.DorothyDaymemphis.org or "like" them on Face-
book.
CAMILLE SMITH/Staff Photographer
COMMUNITY HOME: The Dorothy Day House stands apart from many other charitable organizations; they strive to keep families expereiencing jobless-
ness or homelessness together, even when they are typically separated.

14. W
hat a difference a year makes. This time last
year, I spent three weeks in Methodist Hos-
pital with all kinds of heart problems. Odds
were only about 20 percent that I would survive my
treatment. But I did—all I can
say is that God is in the mira-
cle business. Because of prayer
from the many churches I have
been associated with, as well as
help from the current and for-
mer Rhodes College students I
have known the past eight years, I survived to tell my
story. Thanks be to God!
During those three years in the hospital, I started
writing again. All my stories and records from my past
travels and adventures had been destroyed in a fire—
that was about seven years ago. As I faced my own
mortality, it seemed appropriate to remember all the
family members and other people who helped shape
me into the person I became. So I began writing es-
says about these wonderful people. It was a way to keep
their memories fresh and to honor them for their in-
struction and guidance.
Parents, grandparents, teachers, former bosses: all
these people had a hand
in shaping the piece of
clay that became the
unique and strong-willed
man I am today. As long
as I followed their guid-
ance, I always seemed to
do well. But if I struck out on my own with no moral
compass to guide me, I would tend to stumble and
make a mess of things. It taught me that God always
has a plan for us. He has His own way of putting the
pieces of our life’s puzzle together. When we stray from
his path and guidance, we are far more likely to fail. I
have been known to say that if I want to make God start
laughing, I just start making plans. He will just slap me
upside the head, and He’ll ask me, “Who do you think
is in control?”
Folks, I have learned to keep God in my life every
day. He has bestowed blessings on me in many ways,
but the most wonderful blessings are the friends and
the groups of people that surround me today. Without
all of you, my life would feel empty and without much
meaning.
Every month, I write my column about people who
devote their time to projects and concerns that are big-
ger than themselves. These people provide beacons of
light to follow in pursuit of the path that God wants us
to follow. Stay on this path and follow these beacons
of light and you will prosper and enjoy life. Stray from
this path, and you may stumble and fall.
Just had to do a little reflecting on the past year of
my own life. To all the wonderful people working hard
to help the less fortunate, God bless you. Don’t be sur-
prised if the spotlight shines on you in the coming
months!
features March 2014Page 14
One Year Ago
PT Bob spotlights his personal inspirations in 2013
BY PONYTAIL BOB
Contributing Writer
He heard my cry long time ago
But me being rebellious and hard-headed
I made my bed now I have to lay in it
He heard my cry as my tears drop
He said hold on my child, stay strong, don’t stop
He heard my cry when I had doubt, but
Now my Faith isn’t small as a mustard
Seed, cause the good Lord said breath, breath,
breath.
He heard my cry in the streets, but
He kept my Heart beat, beat, beat
As I kept my head to the sky
He heard my cry when I had nowhere
To sleep
He said tell about me with whomever
You meet
He heard my cry when I was a child
He said hold on don’t frown cause I’ll
Make sure the trouble of the world will
Not keep you down
He heard my cry over and over again
He said this is where your breakthrough
Begin
He heard my cry as he said I’ll never
Leave you or forsake you
I’ll always be your best Friend
He heard my cry
“The End”
The printing and operations of
The Bridge are made possible in
part by the generous sponsorship
of Rhodes College
Thank You!
He Heard My Cry
BY SHANREKA LOVELADY ERVIN
Contributing Writer
“All my stories and records from my past
travels and adventures had been destroyed in
a fire—that was about seven years ago”

15. filmMarch 2014 Page 15
I
t’s no secret that the Oscars are problematic. While
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scienc-
es – that is, the voters ultimately responsible for
choosing the winners each year – has made leaps and
bounds by way of diversification since its maiden voy-
age in 1927, there is still much to be desired. As of last
year, nearly 94% of voting members were white, and
77% were male. It is certainly true that an Academy
Award is just that: an award. A trophy given by the up-
per echelons of the movie business, inviting the win-
ners to be a part of the exclusive club. But the award
goes on to create a massive signal boost, raising box
office tallies and actors’ prestige. All this to say: the
Academy Awards’ voting population is too limited, and
the golden statues are often taken too seriously. But oc-
casionally, that giant signal boost is granted to a film
whose signal really deserves boosting. Sometimes, the
Academy gets it right. Inocente is one of those times.
The film, directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix, won
the Oscar for Best Documentary Short in 2013 and
tells the story of a homeless, undocumented teenage
girl named Inocente living in San Diego, California.
It begins with her voice, and the entire documentary
is filtered through her own words. “Dear people of the
world,” she announces, “I’m not just a girl. Just because
I’m homeless doesn’t mean I don’t have a life. Because I
do have a life.” And then we see her: eyes outlined with
dramatic, colorful patterns that extend across her brow
line, over her nose, down her cheeks, towards her tem-
ples. Her scarf is striped with neon turquoise, and there
is a bright yellow flower in her hair. This is hardly the
portrait of homelessness that we’re used to seeing. And
that is precisely the problem Inocente seeks to remedy.
We seldom imagine portraits of homeless individuals
in the hues and tints that are so prevalent in Inocente’s
life—consider last month’s review of Dark Days, a doc-
umentary filmed entirely in black and white. Home-
lessness is a bleak subject, but Inocente suggests that the
human subjects of these documentaries require vibrant
saturation. Their lives are complicated, never confined
to black and white (or even gray). Inocente, with all her
drive, passion, and personality, demands a full range of
color, just as every person experiencing homelessness
deserves that same courtesy. That’s not to say that home-
lessness should be glossed over as a non-issue, or trans-
formed into a lighthearted, triumphant tale of “perse-
verance conquers all.” Fine and Nix’s film simply alludes
to the vitality and vividness of the individuals on screen,
not the situation to which Inocente’s family is subjected.
Of course, there are underlying layers of sadness and
escapism in all of Inocente’s colorful artwork featured
throughout the documentary. Her paintings depict
fantastic creatures from other worlds, characters that
Inocente plucks straight from her dreams. Perhaps
her most compelling piece, which even earns its own
chapter in the film, is titled “The Lost Planet.” Inocente
explains that it is where she imagines our dreams go
as we grow old and abandon them. All our childhood
hopes and visions of grandeur, she says, congregate on
the mountain peaks which stretch across a salmon sky.
In any other film, this sentimentality would feel
manipulative, but here, it is wholly appropriate. The
documentary itself toes this line between idealism and
realism, highlighting Inocente’s artistic triumph while
undercutting that with her familial and financial strug-
gles. This is ambition and homelessness, impossible
dreams and harsh realities. Yet what Inocente does best
–- perhaps better than any film I’ve encountered on
the subject of homelessness thus far –- is move beyond
broad generalizations. Inocente is not defined by her
status as an undocumented immigrant or an unhoused
child; she is both, but she is more. She is an artist, she
is a student, she is a teenage girl with insecurities simi-
lar to those of her classmates. She is shy and talented,
afraid and diligent, frustrated by her circumstances and
frustrating to her struggling mother. What is even more
significant, though, is the cause of those circumstances,
teased out over Inocente’s forty minute run-time. None
of us would presume that homelessness is a choice or
an “easy way out” of less-than-ideal situations. But for
Inocente’s mother, Carmela, becoming homeless was a
way out, and it was a choice very few women are brave
enough to make. She and her children were repeatedly
abused by her husband—a few times, very nearly killed
by him. In a time when women are so often criticized
for placing themselves and their families in these com-
promising positions, or even blamed for perpetuating
the abuse by remaining with the father figure, Inocen-
te boldly displays the alternative. Carmela made the
choice to save herself and her children by leaving her
husband, but the life waiting for her on the other side
was less than she’d imagined. In the film, she laments
denying Inocente a childhood, despite essentially sav-
ing her family’s life. Now, she can’t make ends meet.
Since leaving her husband, Carmela and her family have
never lived in one place for longer than three months.
So Inocente paints. “My life depends on being an
artist,” she says as she drips more color onto her lat-
est piece. In a sense, she has become nostalgic about
a childhood she never had, splattering these imagined
memories across her canvases. Because Inocente lacks
a physical home-base, her artwork becomes her ref-
uge, her safe space. The film’s close takes care to em-
phasize the act of signing the paintings, as if to stress
the importance of identity in the face of extreme hard-
ship. Her name, written in bold cursive, has found a
home on the edges of each new piece of work. Her
multifaceted identity as a student, as a teenage girl,
and as an ambitious artist is contained within that
signature. Ultimately, Inocente’s portrait of homeless-
ness is vastly different from those we have seen in the
past because it is told through Inocente’s own perspec-
tive, using her own color palette. Perhaps we should
hand the paintbrush over to the experts more often.
BY ANNA LOCKHART
Staff Writer
Inocente tells undocumented story of artist in living color
INOCENTE SCREENSHOT/Directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix
(2)INOCENTE SCREENSHOT/ Directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix
(3)INOCENTE SCREENSHOT/ Directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix

16. CORENA HASSELLE/Staff Graphic Designer
Page 16 March 2014