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Community & Neighborhood

October newsletter contents:
THRIVE youth experience great outdoors in North Carolina
HCA volunteers help create new space at Top Floor @ Stratford
Tied Together, ELC help Reed family to plan bright future
'School Uni-formal' to raise funds, awareness for THRIVE Youth Development
Support Martha O'Bryan Center programs today

THRIVE youth experience great outdoors in North Carolina

boy climbing mountain

Many of the boys from THRIVE Youth Development who went on the camping trip had never seen mountains before. One of the boys, Yahya (above) succeeded in his attempt at rock climbing. In the video below, he describes the climb.

waterfall

The boys visited a waterfall at Pisgah National Forest.

Twenty boys from the THRIVE Youth Development Program had an unforgettable outdoor experience in the mountains of North Carolina, a world away from their East Nashville neighborhood.
 
Our youth who live in public housing lack exposure to experiences like camping trips. "Most of the students had never seen mountains," said Henri Murphy, Elementary Coordinator. 
 
John Leachman, a Martha O'Bryan Center volunteer, enjoyed camping as a child and met with THRIVE coordinators about taking elementary and middle school boys on a camping trip to Brevard, N.C. The coordinators agreed, and of the 34 boys in THRIVE, 20 were available the weekend of Sept. 30-Oct. 2. 
 
THRIVE coordinators Patrick Reese, Henri Murphy and Jon Driskell accompanied Leachman to help supervise the trip. Penny Howard dubbed the camping trip, “Men of the Woods.” 
 
The group hiked, rock climbed for 3 hours and visited sites in Pisgah National Forest. They also played games and cooked hot dogs and s'mores at their campsite.
 
“This place is awesome!” said Bryson. 
 
“I can’t wait to do this again,” said Sharmake. 
 
"I loved how the kids took initiative to have fun and showed great self-confidence, even though some of the boys were nervous to rock climb," Murphy said. "This was a great experience for them and something they’ll never forget."
 
In fact, because it was such a great experience for the boys and the staff, THRIVE coordinators decided they'll take this trip twice a year.
 

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HCA volunteers help create new space at Top Floor @ Stratford

Martha O'Bryan Center's Top Floor at Stratford, the acclaimed out-of-school-time academic enrichment program in one of Nashville's most under-performing schools, is growing. Thanks to the continuing partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools, Top Floor will have access to the former wood shop downstairs from the original location. More than 20 volunteers from HCA spent a day cleaning and painting the new space, and built a stage for performances.

Kent Miller, Director of High School and Young Adults for Martha O'Bryan Center, discusses the upcoming changes.

Volunteer today!

Tied Together, ELC help Reed family to plan bright future

Mi'kael and Donald Reed share their plans for their future together with their son, Alexander. They are graduates of Tied Together, Martha O'Bryan Center's award-winning parenting education initiative, and have plotted a path for success that includes college, career and ultimately home ownership. Alexander is enrolled in the Early Learning Center, which provides quality child care while his parents are in school.

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'School Uni-formal' to raise funds, awareness for THRIVE

OMG logo

Vintage shop Old Made Good, located at 1304 McGavock Pike, will open for an afterhours costume party 8-10 p.m. Saturday, October 22, to benefit the THRIVE Youth Development Program. Guests are invited to enjoy complimentary beverages and hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants while donating supplies and funds to students in grades 2 through 12. 

Guests are encouraged to come dressed in school-themed attire - from "lunch ladies" to letter jacket-clad jocks - to compete in the costume contest that evening. Party-goers will also "earn" tickets in exchange for donating school supplies and standard school attire items, and an additional prize will be awarded to the winning ticket holder. For information on the school supplies and school attire items sought for donation, please visit the Young Professionals Facebook page.

Guests will be admitted for a suggested $10 donation at the door. Additionally, Old Made Good will be donating 10% of all store sales that night to the Martha O'Bryan Center. 

"As business owners, residents of East Nashville and a parent myself, it's important to support an organization that has such a positive effect on our neighborhood kids," said Kate Mills, co-proprietor of Old Made Good. "We're happy to give back to the community that's given so much to us!" Delicious food and beverages by local purveyors Sky Blue, Five Points Pizza, The Melrose, Sweet 16th and Ajax Turner Co. has been generously donated for guests' enjoyment. Guests will also enjoy free refreshments, music, and shopping in addition to the contests previously mentioned. This is a 21+ event.

The Young Professionals for the Martha O'Bryan Center are organizing this fundraiser to support the school-age children learning academic, social, and life planning skills through participation in the THRIVE program. Click here to RSVP for the event, or to join the efforts of the Young Professionals group.

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Support Martha O'Bryan Center programs today

School supplies are always needed by the participants in the many educational programs at Martha O’Bryan. Each program has different needs, so click on the individual program link to see the wish list.

Young Children, Parents & Families  |  Infants, Toddlers & Pre-K  |  Youth Development (K-8)  |  Top Floor @ Stratford (High School & College)  |  Adult Education & GED

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