December 2014 volume 2 issue 10 facebook.com/thememphisbridge @thebridgepaper $1.00 theclosing the gap betweenbridge homeless and sheltered what’s inside A Christmas Story Narrative inspired by Miss Wanda, writer at Door of Hope 6 | Making Room Free shelter opens its doors in Memphis 11 | ‘Tis the Season A Christmas greeting from Lisa Lee Courtesy of ABBIE NORRIS CREATIVE MINDS: Miss Wanda and others gather at the Door of Hope to write about and discuss the Christmas season. BY LEE SILBERBERG Staf Writer his place seems familiar. Tis isn’t the like hot chocolate afer a cold winter’s night. right now. I want to be home. I want to be 14 | Speak Poetry frst time I’ve been here. Tis can’t be At least it isn’t cold here, or too cold. I guess I where I’m loved. I don’t want this stupid me- Workshop engag- the frst time I’ve been here. How did I should be thankful for that. Afer all, it could tallic pole to be the only thing next to me right Tget here though? It’s the same block I’ve walked be colder, I could be hungrier, and everything now. It’s Christmas! It’s the birthday of my es young writers could be worse. Lord and Savior, and all I can do is sit here and with social issues this entire year, in the same town far away from where I want to be. I know exactly where I am, I wish that it wasn’t that way though. I wish wish that I wasn’t exactly where I am right now. but that doesn’t make it any less terrible. I’m on I could go back to that place. Te place where I wish I wasn’t at this crossroads in Atlanta. I Cleveland Avenue. I’m still in Atlanta, and I’m I felt accepted; I had a path to walk on before I wish I didn’t put myself in this place in life. still far away from all those things that I want to took a wrong turn at that crossroad in my life. I It doesn’t matter that the day isn’t that cold. MESSAGE be right next to tonight. wish, most of all, that the only white fake I see I could be anywhere in the world right now FROM YOUR I remember these nights. Tonight is sup- on Christmas is a snowfake; every perfectly and I would still feel this cold inside. I have to VENDOR posed to be about family. Tonight is supposed diferent snowfake. Maybe I could throw them change. I don’t want another Christmas ever to be about forgiveness, but I can’t even for- afer gathering a whole lot of them into a snow- again like this. I don’t want to not have all the give myself right now. Why did I let myself ball, maybe I could make snow angels with my people I want around me. I want to have the get here? How did I let myself take it this far? family. Maybe, if I hadn’t gotten myself here, I people I love near me. I can’t keep using; I can’t I want to see my children. I want my children could watch my kids do all those things just like keep walking down this path. Baby Jesus was to see me. Just for tonight, but they are so far I did those things. I wish I could see them do born in a manger, but he didn’t stay there. I away; so very, very far away right now. Tey’re those things. I just wish it so badly. don’t have to stay in the manger either. I have hours away. I can count on my fngers, but I I wish I could see my kids do all those things to make a change. I have to. I just have to. I couldn’t see them like this even if I wanted to. that I did. I wish I could see what they look like can’t stay at the corner of Cleveland and far Tat’s what my kids are missing, all the right now. I wish I could see them wake up and away anymore. I want to stand at the corner things that I had when I celebrated the 25th open up the presents that I tried so damn hard of my kids and my family. I can’t have this for of December. It wasn’t about the presents. It to get perfect for them. Maybe once I get my life Christmas ever again — this life, this day — I wasn’t about the possibility of having a white together, once I get out of this hole and fnd my can’t relive this. I don’t want to ever relive this Christmas either. It was about family and ev- way back, I’ll be able to show them that I’ve al- Christmas. Tere are so many Christmases eryone being together. It was about that feeling ways thought about them with a big hug. I just I cherish; this can’t be my Christmas future. of peace I got when family embraced me, and want them to know that they’re what I want to Tis shouldn’t be my Christmas present. I will the warmth that touched me so sofly, that lin- have right now. I don’t want this Cleveland Av- change, right now, for the better, and make my gered the night. Te warmth that hits the soul, enue sign; I don’t want to be at this crosswalk Christmas future as beautiful and warm as my Christmas past. Page 2 editorial December 2014 le:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/hagme-15/ f Desktop/Instagram-Logo-1.jpg Do you want to be featured in the paper? Editorial Staf Tweet a picture with a vendor! Editor-in-Chief Nicole Huguley Managing Editor If you see a vendor of T e Emily Clark Design Editor Bridge around Memphis, take Sam Clark Section Editors a location-tagged picture of Grant Ebbesmeyer Eilidh Jenness him/her and tweet it to us Katie Butler Katie Cannon @thebridgepaper Mary Beth Turner Layout Designers We’ll print your submission Eilidh Jenness Emmie Heath in the next issue of Katie Cannon Katie Benjamin T e Bridge. Sydney Rogers Kathleen Blanck Art Director Corena Hasselle Editor of Homeless Content Aaron Banks Courtesy of MICHAEL QUANDER Editorial Policy T e Bridge is a monthly publication dedicated to issues of homelessness in Memphis, TN. It is run by volunteers and is unaf liated with any religious or political organization. All articles in T e Bridge are approved by the HOW IT WORKS: Editor-in-Chief and directors. However, speci- cially-labeled pieces from outside groups or con- tributing writers may appear and do not neces- VENDOR TRAINING sarily represent the views of T e Bridge editors and staf nor do they constitute an endorsement. T e Bridge welcomes feedback from all mem- bers of the Memphis community. Send letters to the editor at [email protected]. Want to know more? T e Bridge is a publication by the Memphis Street Newspaper Organization. T e Memphis Street Newspaper Organization is a non-prof t People who have had an and exists purely to provide reliable income for those with experiences of homelessness and also EXPERIENCE WITH to raise awareness about issues of homelessness After a brief interview, in the larger community. HOMELESSNESS they learn skills needed to For advertising-related requests, please contact: SELL THE BRIDGE [email protected] Each vendor Papers can be sold at To make a donation, please mail to: then receives a Memphis Street Newspaper Organization local events and on 2000 North Parkway, PO Box 1630 BADGE & Memphis, TN 38112 THE STREETS Or contact: FREE [email protected] papers FOR ONLY 20 1 For more information: [email protected] Additional papers are purchased for $0.25 apiece. thememphisbridge.com Vendors who spend certain amounts on papers receive incentives such as messenger bags and all-day bus passes. December 2014 features Page 3 Vendor Spotlight Letter from BY MASON BROWN you have to give them a winning I never thought even thought about Staf Writer smile. You can’t let them see if you’re it like that…High school was kind the having a bad day. You can’t show it. of awesome. very month, we like to sit And actually most of the time I have down with our vendors and a good day. And a brief compliment If you could have dinner with any- Editor hear their story. For this issue, doesn’t hurt anybody. one (living or dead) who would it EI chatted with Michael A. Tyler, Jr. be and why? BY NICOLE HUGULEY What was your family like growing Can I pick three? Barack Obama, Editor-in-Chief Are you originally from Memphis? up? Chris Beniot (I would’ve wanted “Yes, I was born in North Memphis As a child, 17 years old, my mom to be a student of his). I need fve. walked into Target in mid-November and and raised there.” and dad had separated and my mom Shawn Michaels, the whole ‘Gener- tried to stife a groan. Hanging from the had stayed with my grandmother ation X-team’, and Bill “Superstar” ceiling, spinning slowly from the gentle force How long have you been a vendor for a while. My mom, at that time, Dundee – and William Crank- Iof an air conditioned breeze, were several large for Te Bridge? was mental…bipolar and schizo- shooks (Memphis wrestler).