CELEBRITIES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY COME TO DALLAS TO HELP MINNIE’S FOOD PANTRY FEED 2,500 HUNGRY FAMILIES IN NORTH TEXAS
On Saturday, November 17, 2018 from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m., celebrities from all over the country will come to Dallas to help Minnie’s Food Pantry serve more than 2,500 hungry families in North Texas. For the 10th year in a row, Minnie’s Food Pantry, located at 3033 W Parker Rd #116, Plano, TX 75023, will give families a complete Thanksgiving meal, including a turkey and all the trimmings, while rolling out the red carpet for families who need food.
More than 575 volunteers will come together to serve, including many local and national celebrities and influencers including, R&B singer, Angie Stone; former NFL player, Omar Stoutmire and his wife, Sheila; Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks; former MLB center and right fielder, Torii Hunter; Dallas Cowboys legend, Tony Dorsett and his wife Janet; Dallas radio personality, Dede McGuire; NFL Hall of Famer, Emmitt Smith and his wife, Pat; and Matt Kemp, MLB outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dallas Mavericks dancers will also be on hand to cheer on the staff and volunteers.“Many families have fallen on difficult times,” said Cheryl “Action” Jackson, founder of Minnie’s Food Pantry. “Some people have lost jobs, some have had their salaries cut, and some are just having difficulty making ends meet.”
At Minnie’s Food Pantry, we are honored to be able to respond to their needs and make the holidays a little brighter.”Sponsors for Minnie’s Food Pantry Thanksgiving giveaway include Albertsons, Tom Thumb, Green Mountain Energy, Cawley Partners, USAA and Dilla’s Quesadillas. Minnie’s Food Pantry also partnered with the Veteran’s Administration and served more than 250 veterans and their families this Thanksgiving season. “My father was a Marine, so it meant a lot to me to serve veterans and listen to their stories of service while we walked them to their cars,” said Jackson. One of the veterans served called his mother and said, “Mom, you don’t have to worry about Thanksgiving. I just got us a turkey and all the trimmings. Everything is going to be ok.” Founded by Dr. Cheryl “Action” Jackson, Minnie’s Food Pantry has literally been rolling out the red carpet for more than 10 years as they provide food for families living in low income, food insecure households.
An award-winning non-profit organization and largest food pantry in Collin County, Texas, Minnie’s Food Pantry has provided more than 8.5 million meals and brought the issue of food insecurity to the forefront on both a local and national level through features on national television shows including, Good Morning America, ELLEN, Steve Harvey TV and The Food Network. Through supplemental food assistance, educational resources and support from the community, Minnie’s Food Pantry has changed the stigma associated with hunger and are further reducing hunger by expanding into schools across the country.
Over the years, many corporate sponsors and celebrities have joined Minnie’s Food Pantry in the fight to reduce hunger including former MLB pitcher Latroy and Anita Hawkins, Dallas Mavericks owner and business mogul Mark Cuban, Hollywood actresses Meagan Good and Regina King, movie producers DeVon Franklin and Will Packer, pop superstar Rihanna, actor Jim Parsons, recording artists Kenny Lattimore, Wess Morgan and BeBe Winans and global media icon, Oprah Winfrey.
Exclusive Intimate Talks Combine Changemakers and Tastemakers
ACTION, CONNECTION AND EDUCATION
Van Jones & Roc Nation are proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership and nationwide event tour: WE RISE TOUR powered by #LoveArmy. WE RISE will bring an array of artists, athletes, thought leaders and local leaders to cities across the country this summer. Van Jones, a renowned activist, CNN commentator and two-time New York Times bestselling author, will headline the tour promoted by Live Nation. 100% of net ticket proceeds will go to the Dream Corps initiatives and local charities.
WE RISE focuses on our commonalities as opposed to our differences — exploring how to increase dialogue and engagement on both the local and national levels. Attendees have the opportunity to connect, ask questions and participate in various activations during the program.
During the WE RISE tour, Van Jones and #LoveArmy will engage in each city, visiting local community centers, schools and organizations to spend time with our partners in social change on the ground. The most important work is happening on the front lines and Van is focused on enacting change in neighborhoods hardest hit, economically. WE RISE together!
Facebook pre-sale begins Tuesday, June 13th at 3:30pm (ET) thru Thursday, June 15th at 10pm local time.
The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater
Tuesday, August 15
Nashville, TN
Ryman Auditorium
Thursday, August 17
New Orleans, LA
Saenger Theatre
Friday, August 18
Dallas, TX
House Of Blues
Saturday, August 19
Las Vegas, NV
Pearl Theater at The Palms Resort & Casino
MORE ABOUT DREAM CORPS INITIATIVES:
#LoveArmy: The #LoveArmy is working for an America where everyone counts. We are a home for changemakers who seek to build community and deepen solidarity. Through education, connection and action, the #LoveArmy builds “Love + Power.”
#cut50: #cut50 makes communities safer while reducing the number of people in our prisons and jails. Using evidence-based solutions and unlikely alliances, we can keep communities safe, families together, and the economy strong for all Americans.
#YesWeCode: #YesWeCode is building a diverse pipeline of ‘homegrown’ tech talent to meet demand for workers in the tech sector and boost local economies. Be a part of our movement to increase opportunities in the tech sector.
Green For All: Green For All fights pollution with solutions. We work to get solar panels, healthy food and good jobs into communities that have little money or power. We want to build an inclusive, green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty.
MORE ABOUT VAN JONES:
A Yale-educated attorney, Van is perhaps best known as a commentator on CNN, where he hosts “The Messy Truth, with Van Jones.”
Van is also the founder and president of the Dream Corps, a nonprofit organization that works to solve America’s toughest problems. Its current initiatives — #cut50, #YesWeCode, and Green For All — create innovative solutions to “close prison doors and open doors of opportunity.” The Dream Corps also supports the #LoveArmy.
Van was the 2017 commencement keynote speaker for Morehouse College and has garnered honors from the World Economic Forum, TIME’s “100 Most Influential” List and Fast Company.
Van Jones won the 2017 Webby Special Achievement Award for his use of the Internet and social media during the 2016 election, including for his video series “The Messy Truth.”
In October 2017, he will release his third book: Beyond The Messy Truth: How We Came Apart & How We Come Together. Van has already written two New York Times bestsellers: The Green Collar Economy, the definitive book on green jobs, and Rebuild the Dream, a roadmap for progressives.
In 2009, Van worked as the ‘green jobs’ advisor to the Obama White House, where he helped run the interagency process that oversaw $80 billion in green energy recovery spending. He is also a cofounder of numerous social justice organizations, including ColorOfChange.org and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.
About Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Live Nation Advertising & Sponsorship and Artist Nation Management. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com
Follow Van Jones at: @vanjones68 on Twitter and Instagram.
$25,000 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO WOMEN STUDENTS FROM BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC, HOWARD UNIVERSITY, PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN AT THE NEW SCHOOL AND SPELMAN COLLEGE
Scholars include a sophomore from Berklee College of Music Boston Conservatory at Berklee, a graduate student from Howard University, a second-year student from Parsons School of Design at The New School, and a junior from Spelman College
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter posing in her BeyGOOD T-shirt. Photo Credit: Beyoncé/ Instagram
Today, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter announces the four winners of The Formation Scholars Award for the 2017-2018 academic year. The establishment of the merit scholarship program was announced on April 24, in celebration of the one-year anniversary of LEMONADE, her critically-acclaimed and globally-lauded visual album, through her BeyGOOD initiative.
Current and incoming female undergraduate and graduate students at Berklee College of Music, including those enrolled at the college’s campuses in Boston and Valencia, Spain, Berklee online and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Howard University in Washington, DC, Parsons School of Design at The New School in New York City, and Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, were eligible for the scholarships.
The Formation Scholars award encourages and supports young women who are bold, creative, conscious, confident and unafraid to think outside the box. Students’ disciplines included creative arts, music, literature and African-American studies. All applicants maintain a 3.5 GPA or above and submitted a short essay stating how LEMONADE inspired their educational goals. All finalists and winners were selected by committees from the colleges and universities.
The winners are:
SADIYA RAMOS, Sophomore Berklee College of Music Sadiya Ramos is currently studying dance at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She is originally from Suffern, New York. Ramos began dancing at the age of six under the guidance of Arthur Mitchell at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she was asked to perform with their ensemble at the Kennedy Center and the White House. By age eight, she was studying at Ballet Academy East’s pre-professional program with Darla Hoover. Ramos worked with François Perron at the French Academie of Ballet as a teenager, where she acquired the instruction needed to develop her individual style and improve her performance skills. She joined the Paul Taylor Teen Ensemble four years later to increase her knowledge of modern dance after her classical ballet training. During her time there, she performed as a soloist in an excerpt from Taylor’sBrandenburgs. While training with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy during the summer of 2015, Ramos was invited to perform with Allen’s dancers for the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics at the Los Angeles Coliseum for an audience of 62,000. She was also selected to dance on stage as Stevie Wonder performed at the event.
Maya Rogers, Graduate Student Howard University Maya Rogers is a songwriter and vocalist who believes in the power that music has to heal, connect us with one another, and help us understand ourselves more deeply. Maya has returned to school to study music therapy after recovering from a traumatic brain injury in 2013. She describes her recovery as the most frightening and fascinating time of her life, and music played a large role in her regaining the ability to read, write, play music, and sing. Maya will be the first student to graduate from Howard University with a certificate in Music Therapy, a program that was created with her in mind. In 2015, Maya created Her.Voice, a program empowering young girls through singing and creative writing. Maya received her bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music, and can be heard on television and in films such as Alpha Dog, Made In Hollywood, and Hearts of Christmas.
AVERY YOUNGBLOOD, Second-Year Student Parsons School of Design at The New School Avery Youngblood is a recent Stanford University graduate, Class of 2016 and an undergraduate student in the AAS (Associates) Graphic Design program at Parsons School of Design at The New School, Class of 2018. From Dallas, Texas, and one of six children, she loves being with her family and her four dogs at home. As an undergraduate at Stanford she studied Linguistics and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. Avery discovered that it was possible to translate her creative curiosity for design by focusing on language and the social interaction that takes place in our multicultural society, and the variety of platforms we use to connect with one another. As we reach across boundaries of race, gender, sexuality, religion, political stance, and so much more, Avery is prepared to take an active role in building relationships and reaching out to an audience that represents the diversifying voices of our social world through design and other creative outlets.
BRIA PAIGE, Junior Spelman College Bria Paige is a rising junior English major at Spelman College from Jackson, Mississippi. At Spelman, Bria is invested in her academics as she maintains membership in the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program, Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, and is a Dean’s List scholar. In addition, Bria holds various leadership positions, including Spelman Student Government Association (SSGA) secretary of academic affairs and co-president of the English Club. Previously, she served as Sophomore Class Council president, managing editor of The BluePrint and treasurer of the English Club. Recently, Bria was selected as a UNCF Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, which will provide support and training towards her plan to pursue doctoral studies in English literature and Black feminist scholarship. Bria will attend the Mellon program’s summer institute at Emory University before returning to Spelman in the fall.
ABOUT BeyGOOD Founded in 2013 during the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, BeyGOOD is an extension of Beyoncé’s charitable heart. Through impactful dynamic partnerships, BeyGOOD’s mission is to set an example of giving back and paying it forward while empowering others to do the same with what they have in their own communities. BeyGOOD is built on the belief that we are all in this together and each and every one of us can make a difference by giving back.
For more information on all the Formation Scholars, click here:
Winning Programs Can Receive Up to $2 Million to Improve Access and Opportunity for Chicago’s Youth
Chicago Beyond Managing Director Liz Dozier was joined by Chance the Rapper to announce Chicago Beyond’s second annual Go Innovate Challenge. The challenge is designed to find and invest in innovative programs, ideas or approaches that disrupt chronic challenges facing young Chicagoans. To participate, interested organizations simply need to submit a 90-second video that describes their work.
“Chicago’s young people possess tremendous potential and deserve every opportunity to thrive and succeed,” said Liz Dozier, Managing Director of Chicago Beyond. “We’re looking for nonprofits who are working to unleash that potential and we’re making it easy for any organization to apply. You don’t need sleek production. All you need is a camera phone and a great concept.”
“Our responsibility to Chicago’s kids is not over when school is out,” said Chance. “It’s more important than ever to find programs making a real difference in the lives of young Chicagoans. Our city can’t let the status quo continue, and Chicago Beyond’s investments in these life-changing programs will help break the cycles that keep kids from realizing their potential.”
Formed in 2016, Chicago Beyond is a venture philanthropy fund that was created to transform the lives of young people by focusing on two critical issues — youth safety and educational attainment. The Go Innovate Challenge is part of Chicago Beyond’s effort to build a diverse portfolio of partners — from established organizations with proven results to early-stage ideas and programs.
Winners of Chicago Beyond’s Innovation Challenge could each receive up to a $2 million investment and will work closely with Chicago Beyond to learn from and grow their program, idea or approach. Last year’s winners include The Dovetail Project, Storycatchers Theatre and Genesys Works Chicago. These three nonprofits received investments that totaled nearly $3 million, which has helped them expand their capacity, test the effectiveness of their program and ultimately impact more young people.
The invitation is open to organizations inside and outside Chicago if the program, idea or approach can be implemented in Chicago. The deadline for submission is 11:59PM CT on July 7.
Interested in applying for this year’s challenge? In order to be considered, an applicant must:
Have been in existence (or be working with a nonprofit organization that has been in existence) for at least three years
Provide a new approach or way of solving a complex issue facing Chicago’s youth
Work with young people between the ages of 13 to 25 years old
Be willing to work with Chicago Beyond and a research partner to learn from and grow their work
Produce audited financial reports for the last three years (only if invited to the Formal Review Process)
Note: Chicago Beyond will not invest in individuals, benefits, annual campaigns, private schools or private research
The most promising applicants will be asked to respond to a request for information about their program or initiative. Following a formal review process, Chicago Beyond will select finalists and award winners. Depending on the award winners’ specific needs, Chicago Beyond will work closely with them to determine a tailored investment plan that could include consultative services and/or enlist a research partner to conduct in-depth study and evaluation.
“Chicago Beyond has been an incredible partner in our effort to reach more court involved youth by enhancing and expanding our programming,” said Meade Palidofsky, founder and Artistic Director of Storycatchers Theatre. “Their investment and partnership has allowed us to expand to a year-round employment program, and has also given us the capacity to refine and evaluate our model based on real data gleaned by connecting us with Urban Labs. We are confident that Chicago Beyond’s investment will move us closer to our long-term goal of growing Storycatchers into a statewide program.”
Chicago Beyond is supported by a consortium of private investors, each with a unique connection to Chicago. For more information about the programs Chicago Beyond is supporting, in addition to application details for the Go Innovate Challenge, please visit ChicagoBeyond.org.
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated (CBCF) announced that legendary actors Cicely Tyson, Richard Roundtree, and music icon Dionne Warwick will accept awards for their lifetime achievements in the arts during the 20th Annual Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts. The awards ceremony, which will take place Sept. 14 at the Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW in Washington, D.C. from 8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m., is organized in cooperation with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Spouses Visual and Performance Arts Scholarship program. This event will mark the start of the CBCF’s 46th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), one of the nation’s leading public policy conferences.
“With a lifetime of entertaining and educating us, this year’s honorees have also distinguished themselves as remarkable leaders and passionate advocates for the arts and arts education,” said CBCF president and CEO A. Shuanise Washington. “Their outstanding contributions and continuing commitment to the arts make them ideal to help elevate the visibility of the CBC Spouses Visual and Performance Arts Scholarship Program. The awards are conferred on artists whose legacy includes not only extraordinary works but a commitment to cultivating future generations of artists.”
Since 1996, the Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts has raised funds to support the CBC Spouses Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship Fund. Twenty scholarships are awarded annually to highly qualified students pursuing undergraduate degrees in the arts, based on their creative talent, academic excellence, financial need and community service. Two of this year’s scholarship recipients, vocalist Lindsey Reynolds, and Justin Syas, a pianist, will perform during the event.
“We have supported arts education for 20 years through the Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts, during a time when arts education has decreased in many schools,” said Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, a CBC Spouse and chair of the Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts. “We will continue to highlight the contributions of great artists while raising money to support aspiring scholarship recipients as it reinforces the importance of art and its impact in our communities.”
The sponsors for this year’s Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts include Union Pacific Corporation, as the title sponsor, Heineken USA, ASPiRE and UP TV.
ABOUT ALC: The ALC is the leading policy conference on issues impacting African Americans and the global black community. The conference features more than 70 public policy forums on health, education, economic empowerment, the environment, and more. Signature events include the National Town Hall, Celebration of Leadership in Fine Arts, Community Breakfast and Health Fair, Gospel Extravaganza, Black Party, Prayer Breakfast, and the culminating event, the Phoenix Awards Dinner.
This year’s theme, “Defining the Moment, Building the Movement,” will highlight social and political moments in American history that define the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.
To register for the ALC, visit www.cbcfinc.org/alc. Sign up to receive the e-newsletter and follow the CBCF on social media using hashtag, #CBCFALC16 for updates.
