On Saturday February 22, 2014, City P.R.I.D.E.
(Positive Results in Dumas-Every Day), HMC- Hunt Memorial Cathedral of Faith, The
College of Aspiring Artists, Way Maker Ministries of New Orleans and DCA- Delta
Citizens Alliance of Greenville, MS are teaming up with local ministries,
businesses and individuals in Dumas and in Desha county to present the
opening session of City P.R.I.D.E. Days of Empowerment (DOE) is the
expansion initiative of the program that began with a monthly serving of a community
meal along with the distribution of food and necessity items to families across
the region.
Dr. Michael R.
Twyman, Director of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Institute on Race
and Ethnicity, will be the Keynote Speaker and Panelist for the Day of
Empowerment (DOE). The event
is scheduled at two locations. From
8am-9am, a one-hour prayer and praise celebration focusing on prayers for the
city, county and nation will take place at HMC located at 228 Waterman Street
and at 10am the Forum/Luncheon will convene at the Dumas Community City located
at 18 Belmont Drive.
During the forum, panelists from
within the city and county and from across the state will focus on topics to
include: Education-
A New Way Forward, Diversity and Race Relations, Community-Based Mentoring, The
Creative Economy and Wealth Creation, The Role of the Church in the New America
and Healthy and Prosperous Living. Pastor Charles L. Johnson of Way
Maker Ministries of New Orleans, Louisiana and Mr. Larry Williams of DCA-Delta
Citizens Alliance of Greenville, Mississippi will lead in the panel discussions
promoting their joint venture efforts with Arkansas programs and initiatives. Other panelists will be announced in the coming
weeks. A special report on poverty reduction and the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will come from the Mississippi Delta
Grassroots Caucus along with a first-look at their upcoming conference at the
Clinton Presidential Center.
Last year the conference took place on June 29th
and brought together city officials, state and national leaders who toured Dumas
and parts of Desha County with the goal of staying connected and working
towards greater advancements in spiritual, social and economy advancements for
all residents. This year City P.R.I.D.E. will add an array of programs ranging
from food services, health and wellness concepts, scholarship vouchers from The
College of Aspiring Artists and new developments inside the creative economy
that promise to add P.R.I.D.E. and opportunities to many persons in Dumas and
Desha and the Delta. In 2013 over
1,000 persons were served through City P.R.I.D.E.
“We began with meal and food distribution but
we know that providing what is needed to improve the total spiritual, mental
and physical needs in the community is what ministry and community service must
do in order to be effective in transforming lives. We are also
very much aware of the reports from the USDA and the Arkansas Department of
Human Services, etc., that convey that there are tens of thousands of seniors
and persons in Arkansas who are food insecure in that they don’t have enough to
eat or are at the risk of going hungry. City
P.R.I.D.E. is at work saying that we along with others are producing… Positive
Results In Dumas- Everyday.” (Rev. Arthur L. Hunt, Jr., D.D., Senior
Pastor, HMC)
Persons and organizations who want to team up
with City P.R.I.D.E. may call 870.623.8179. The conference and luncheon is free
but donations are desired and appreciated.