DOE: Days of Empowerment Kickoff by HMC-Hunt Memorial Cathedral of Faith

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 29^th 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.