City PRIDE Vision 2016 Dumas/Desha Forum: Who Will Lead Us— 2016 and Beyond?

On Saturday February 6, 2016, City P.R.I.D.E. (Positive Results in Dumas-Everyday), Days of Empowerment Series continue beyond the MLK Holiday Salute held Sunday, January 17^th at the Dumas Community Center. 

The day will include a prayer service, forum and luncheon and is scheduled at two locations. From 8:30am-9:30am, a one-hour prayer breakfast focusing on prayers for the city, county and nation will take place at HMC located at 228 Waterman Street.  From 10am-12noon, the Forum/Luncheon will convene at the Dumas Community City located at 18 Belmont Drive.  

Beyond the prayer, two key segments will take place.  Part I, will focus on panelists from within the city and county and from across the state will discuss topics on community empowerment to include:  Education- A New Way Forward, Diversity and Race Relations, Community-Based Mentoring, The Creative Economy and Wealth Creation, Prison Reform and Re-entry, The Role of the Church in the New America- Civil Rights or Biblical Rights and Healthy and Prosperous Living.

Part II will focus on hearing from the candidates who are seeking office for the March 1^st Primary.  Candidates will respond to the Vision 2016 Dumas/Desha presentation and share their vision for the region.

Stanley Barnes (pictured below with Gov. Asa Hutchinson) of Hot Springs has been selected to deliver the keynote address and serve as one of the facilitators at the City PRIDE ‘Day of Empowerment’ set for February 6, 2016. The day will include a prayer service, forum and luncheon and is scheduled at two locations. From 8:30am-9:30am, a one-hour prayer breakfast focusing on prayers for the city, county and nation will take place at HMC located at 228 Waterman Street.  From 10am-12:30pm, the Forum/Luncheon will convene at the Dumas Community City located at 18 Belmont Drive.  

Stanley Barnes has over 32 years of leadership and quality experience in youth and adult mentoring, mental health, sports and community based programs. Since 1983, Mr. Barnes has held supervisory and leadership roles at prominent companies, organizations and agencies across the state. He currently serves as The Reach & Rise Mentoring Program Director for The Hot Springs Family YMCA, the Co-Commissioner for AAU Youth Football for the State of Arkansas and is the founder and CEO of Building Bridges/Mending Fences Mentoring.

Mr. Barnes was recently honored as one top five nominees for the first annual Honorable Judge Vicki Shaw Cook Award of Distinction and was given a proclamation by the mayor in Hot Springs and the Governor of Arkansas for mentoring.  In January 2016, Mr. Barnes was given a proclamation for mentoring by Mayor Ruth Carney of Hot Springs and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson declaring January as “National Mentoring Month in Arkansas” and was asked to deliver a mentoring salute at the State Capitol during The Proclamation Rally for MLK Holiday, while issuing a charge and a challenge for more people to get involved especially men.

Barnes was recently selected by the teen television series, R-U Tomorrow, to be included in a 10-part mini-series entitled “Why Kids Commit Crimes,” where he, his work and his mentoring program will be highlighted for others to see his success while sharing solutions for change for ALL youth. Production is set for February 12 & 13, 2016 in Hot Springs, AR.

Candidates who would like to participate and or persons and organizations who want to team up with City PRIDE may call 870.623.8179.  The conference and luncheon is free but donations are desired and appreciated. 

The event is being presented by City PRIDE, HMC-Hunt Memorial Cathedral of Faith, The College of Aspiring Artists, Way Maker Ministries along with support from local ministries and community organizations. 

Registration and seating is limited.