Coalition for Better Futures
in Southeast Nashville

The Coalition for Better Futures in Southeast Nashville is an informal association of interested and motivated citizens collaborating on strategies and programs to help more neighbors in southeast Nashville thrive. Southeast Nashville consists of a unique group of communities with a highly diverse population that includes lots of immigrants and refugees. In aggregate, Southeast Nashville has higher rates of poverty and unemployment and lower education attainment than are found in many other parts of the city.

 

The coalition meets monthly to discuss the needs of community members and potential responses. Participating community members represent area government agencies, non-profits, public and private education institutions, churches, employers, and residents of the area. The group began meeting in late 2022 in response to broad needs of the highly diverse community.
 

Participation is voluntary and requires no financial or time commitment. At present, coalition meeting participants have identified four broad areas of need that they believe should be evaluated and addressed in coordinated fashion. These are:

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• Basic Needs: food, housing, security, childcare

• Transportation: public transportation, drivers training, child seats, understanding insurance requirements, education on how to purchase and pay for vehicles...

• Education and Training: Pre-K - 16 education; ESL training; life skills; and job training

• Health and Wellness: physiological and mental health, wellness

 

Coalition participants have formed working groups focused on these four unique challenges. Each working group strives to meet at least one time per month to focus on the unique challenges and potential responses associated with their selected challenge. To maintain cohesion and synergy of the broader coalition, the working groups report out results from working group meetings to the broader group at coalition meetings that also take place each month. Early coalition efforts will include but not be limited to:

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• Identifying associated needs of the community and its various sub-populations

• Identifying institutions and programs already available to residents of southeast Nashville and developing strategies to make them more visible and more widely utilized

• Identifying needs for which support programs do not exist or are insufficient

• Developing strategies to eliminate or mitigate gaps, to include considerations such as:

  • Access: funding, awareness, proximity, eligibility...

  • Barriers: childcare/elder care requirements, transportation, immigration status

  • Plans: action steps, partners, and resources

  • Funding: identifying potential sources of funds to support gap mitigation actions

 

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The next Coalition meeting will be at Habitat for Humanity, 414 Harding Place, on

Thursday, March 30 at 12:00 p.m. This is a BYOL meeting; lunch will not be provided.

 

If you can't join the next meeting but would like to be informed about

future meetings, click Join the Coalition.

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