The Dove: Martha O'Bryan Center Magazine

DOVE P R E M I E R E

THE

I S S U E

PHOTOS BY BRENAN SHARP

A special edition newsletter for You! As someone close to the work at Martha O’Bryan Center, we know you care about the people of Nashville we serve. And we thank you. All that I share in this letter would not have happened without your faithful support of our work to help people rise above poverty.

Marsha

thank you.

In the past three years, the Martha O’Bryan family has helped us serve in the way that aligns with our faith -- loving our neighbors. It meant staying open during the worst of COVID, providing close to a million dollars in rent and utility assistance, and praying with people in the carline. You allowed us to expand our employment services, reopen a new ASU Academic Student Union at Hunter’s Lane HS and tackle one of the most disincentives to the American Dream – the Benefits Cliff. We cannot thank you enough.

PHOTOS BY BRENAN SHARP

What YOU made happen.

A New Campus for the people we love. Though we started dreaming and planning in 2017, this new campus is meant to serve Nashville families for the next twenty years and already is a joy for staff and clients alike. It is designed around our new service model – the Family Success Network, a larger, reimagined Early Learning Center, and the needs of a mixed income neighborhood. The only way this fantastic facility happens is through the generosity of Nashvillians and the vision of our Board of Directors.

PHOTOS BY BRENAN SHARP

The Red Kap Early Learning Center is open!

We are loving the sounds of toddlers and the singing of pre-K four year olds. This facility has 8 classrooms, a commercial kitchen, parent lounge, the Bill and Dottie Frist Early Learning Library and an incredible staff to serve 126 children full time —plus free drop in care for families in the Family Success Network.

PHOTOS BY BRENAN SHARP

ASU

academic student unions

a model for the future of tennessee We have shared why students attending challenged high schools need guidance from everything from the importance of coming to school EVERY DAY to sorting through college and career choices post-high school. No one does that work as well as MOBC, but COVID had a major impact on students who spent a year and a half remote, many who became bread winners during high school. Our ASUs teach young people to think long term, so they understand the importance of a postsecondary education. Currently, Maplewood, Hunters Lane and Stratford High School ASUs continue to improve across all metrics.

What we are doing together Quality of life and economic opportunity cannot be separated. As we move into our new building, we are offering free drop-in childcare, financial counseling, parenting support, employment services and so much more.

Economic futures for children start with an excellent education. Our schools, with 1400 students, both received the highest TVAAS scores again this year! This means our teachers are delivering more than 9 months of academic growth for students. So, what comes next?

PHOTOS BY BRENAN SHARP

next steps We will be inviting Nashville State College to hold classes on our new campus as the White Bridge campus is difficult to access for many east and north Nashville families.

We will expand with this new space, greater family recreation and enrichment opportunities We will expand our summer programming for students of all ages in the summer.

In our efforts to go to the root causes of poverty, we are piloting an innovative program with 900 families which eliminates the Benefits Cliff, one of the most regressive policies working against low income families. My next letter will detail the economic cliffs, and how they keep families circling on the bottom rung of the American economic ladder.

PHOTOS BY BRENAN SHARP

We will build out employment pathways in particular industries – tech, construction and healthcare.

Our campus is designed to help families thrive and children to succeed in school and life.

With construction almost complete, we can finally invite you to come and see this new campus in action. And, if you are interested in volunteering, we are opening opportunities to serve every week.

Thank you for your belief in the human spirit and the work at Martha O’Bryan Center.

With gratitude,

Marsha

Marsha Edwards

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All of this change for the better would not be possible without your continued support.

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