With the annual dinner on September 4th at the TelCom Center serving as Shoestring’s 40th Anniversary celebration, we felt the occasion should be properly preserved. Special thanks go to Ron Rodenmeyer for filming the festivities, and Tom Beck for photographing the evening. Both donated their time, effort, and equipment. We greatly appreciate their historical contributions.
>>>>To view some of Tom’s pics, click here: Shoestring’s 40th Anniversary
We wanted to thank everybody for helping make last Thursday night’s 40th Anniversary Dinner, “A Conversation About Community,” a resounding success. In addition to the variety of topical opinion from panelists Agnew, Gee-Bradley, and Poole, the festivities produced a full TelCom Center gallery, and a contribution total topping our target by 20%.
As the one night a year that keeps the Ellen Harris Center staffed and lit year round, we cannot overemphasize the importance or appreciation surrounding Thursday night. Shoestring’s community-wide effort has reached the 40 year milestone, and with the generosity and effort of those that see the civic big picture, it will continue to flourish.
OPERATION SHOESTRING’S
40th ANNIVERSARY DINNER
MS TelCom Center • 105 Pascagoula St. • Jackson, MS
A Panel Discussion With:
Ronnie Agnew • Executive Editor, The Clarion-Ledger
Erica Gee-Bradley • Principal, Galloway Elementary School
Chuck Poole • Senior Pastor, Northminster Baptist Church
Questions? Call DeMatt Harkins @ 601-353-6336
On Thursday, September 4th, Operation Shoestring is hosting its 40th Anniversary dinner at the MS TelCom Center from 6:30 – 9:00 P.M. The program will feature “A Conversation About Community” among three important local figures. Ronnie Agnew, executive editor of The Clarion-Ledger, Erica Gee-Bradley, principal of Galloway Elementary School, and Chuck Poole, senior pastor of Northminster Baptist Church will discuss community issues that are profoundly important to greater Jackson. This roundtable, moderated by Joyce Brewer of WAPT, will address such topics as poverty, the economy, healthcare, faith, and race.
A reserved table of ten can be purchased for $350, and sponsorships range up from there: $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000. Individual tickets are $30. Sponsorships and additional donations are encouraged. All proceeds go to support Operation Shoestring’s programs for children and families. Contact us at info@operationshoestring.org or 601-353-6336.
For 40 years, Operation Shoestring has cultivated a metro-wide effort in bolstering the capital’s core. By bringing people together from all walks and reaches, Operation Shoestring’s work fosters not only empowerment in its inner-city target neighborhoods, but also reconciliation throughout the larger community.
Operation Shoestring was established in the back of Wells United Methodist Church in 1968. Through the years, it has grown into a multi-faceted interfaith ministry that nurtures neighborhood development and helps families achieve greater self-sufficiency. Programs include after-school and summer programs for children, school dropout prevention services, family communication and parenting classes, college test-prep classes, a community music school, and a food pantry.
