Events | Center for Just and Caring Communities

Upcoming Events

Communities in Trauma
February 7, 2013, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in Union University's Carl Grant Center
Speaker: Craig Stewart, Director of the Warehouse, Cape Town, South Africa
Session 1 | Building resilience in the face of poverty and violence
Session 2 | Building partnerships as an intervention strategy
Cost: Free Admission | 3.0 CEUs available for $30 | Online Registration
Presented by: The Center for Just and Caring Communities and Area Relief Ministries
In Our Backyard: Community Action Against Human Trafficking
March 14, 2013, 9:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. in Union University's Carl Grant Center
Attendees will learn what's happening in Tennessee to fight this rising local crime and how community members can respond. Hear from legal, law enforcement, medical, and clinical victim advocates from Memphis and Nashville to raise your awareness to action.
Pre-registration Required | RSVP and Learn More on Facebook
Download the Flyer (.pdf)
Cost: $40 General Registration
$65 Registration + 5.5 Social Work Contact Hours
Current Union University students may contact abi.mcferron@gmail.com to register.
Presented by: Union University School of Social Work, Southwest Council on Children and Youth, End Slavery TN, Operation Broken Silence, Tennessee Women's Missionary Union

Past Events

Remember Me Commemorative Walk for Homicide-Loss Survivors
Monday, October 1, 2012, The Grant Center, Union University (Dinner begins at 4:45 PM)
Contact Terry Blakley (tblakley@uu.edu) or Nita Mehr (nmehr@uu.edu) for more information. LEARN MORE (.pdf)

Greater Things: A Day of Prayer for Our Youth
April 22, 2012, 3:30 p.m.
Location: Jackson's City Hall
Followed by neighborhood prayer at 4:30.
Sponsored by the Mentoring Coalition.
LEARN MORE (.pdf)

Remember Me Commemorative Walk for Homicide-Loss Survivors, Monday, October 24, 2011, Dinner begins at 4:45 PM
Location: Carl Grant Events Center
Special Guest Speaker: Brooks Douglass, 2011 recipient of the Ronald Reagan Public Policy Award for Victims of Crime by the Department of Justice. Mr. Douglass is also a former Oklahoma Senator who introduced landmark victim rights legislation, and he wrote and produced Heaven's Rain, a film about the murder of his parents and his journey toward justice and forgiveness
Learn More (.pdf)

Justice Film Project presents Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 6:30 PM
Discussion Panel to Follow
Location: Harvey Auditorium in the SUB Building
Sponsored by The Center for Just and Caring Communities and The SW Council on Children and Youth

Social Justice Symposium: "Zaccheus, Come Down: Reflections on the Role of the Church in Economic Inequality." Monday, Nov 15, 2010, 7:00 PM
Presented By: Craig Stewart, Executive Director, The Warehouse Trust, Cape Town, South Africa
Location: Harvey Auditorium
This event is sponsored by The Union University School of Social Work And The Center for Just and Caring Communities
Restorative Retelling After Violent Death Conference. June 10, 11, and 12, 2010
Dr. Ted Rynearson, internationally renowned author and teacher presented on restorative retelling, an empirically-supported treatment model for those suffering the traumatic loss of a loved one from sudden, violent death. Other presenters will include authors, clinicians, and victim advocates. Conference took place at the the Stephen Olford Center in Memphis, TN. This event was sponsored by the Trauma, Faith, and Resilience Initiative of the Center. For a more detailed description of conference events, visit www.fellowshipjackson.com/retelling.
Healing the Hidden Wounds: Responding to Child Victimization. May 24, 2010
This Center partnered with the TN Commission on Children and Youth and Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee (PCAT) to host a workshop in Harvey Auditorium of the Student Union Building. Carla Snodgrass, executive director of PCAT, presented on how violence affects children, the prenatal affects of violence and the impact of teen dating violence. This workshop had NASW certification for three (3) continuing education hours. The event also qualified as elective training for foster parents and it fulfills three hours of training requirements by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth for juvenile court staff. Learn more at http://healingthewounds.eventbrite.com/.
Community Youth Mentoring Forum: A Panel Discussion. April 29, 2010.
The Center's mentoring coalition hosted a panel discussion that explored the opportunities and challenges of structuring and sustaining community mentoring programs in the Jackson, TN area. This event took place in Coburn Dining Hall and featured local mentoring programs such as the Hub Club (Area Relief Ministries), J Crib Urban Ministries, Mission Jackson (Englewood Baptist Church), and Skyline Church of Christ.
Restoration and Justice in an Uncertain World Conference. March 24, 2010.
The Center partnered with the National Association of Social Workers TN Midwest Branch to host a conference in the Grant Center. Initial speakers included Veteran's Affairs (VA) hospital social workers (Renee Brown, Jacquelyn Owens, and Cindy Harber) who presented on restorative practices for the military. Next, Steve Hornsby, TN Department of Children's Services Deputy Commissioner delivered an address on restorative justice. Finally, Kristie Holmes, PhD, MSW Assistant Professor at Union, presented on technology-related and other ethical dilemmas that arise within social work practice.
Urban Assault: Escape from Poverty, a film presentation in Harvey Auditorium, November 10, 2009.
Directed by Rob McDonald and produced by Terrie Lawrence, "Urban Assault" depicted the reality of poverty and disorganized neighborhoods in the Nashville, TN area. While exposing cycles of violence and impoverished conditions, this film also simultaneously dispels and breaks down misconceptions, prejudices, and inaccurate perceptions that viewers may hold. The Center partnered with Rodger Jowers from the TN Commission on Children and Youth to host this event. A panel discussion including key community members followed.
"Remember Me: The Second Annual Commemorative Walk for Homicide-loss Survivors" Oct 26, 2009. The Grant Events Center, Union University.
Organized by the Trauma, Faith, and Resilience initiative of the Center, this was a commemorative event for the purpose of respecting, honoring, and remembering those who have lost their lives to homicide. Speakers from crime victims' rights organizations, West TN Legal Services, and Victims Services Offices of the TN Department of Corrections held a seminar at 3pm for homicide-loss survivors. From 5-6 pm, a banquet was held featuring keynote speaker, TN Senator Roy Herron. The walk took place from 6-6:30pm, concluding with a white balloon release.
Minds on the Edge: Breaking the Silence on Mental Illness and the Family
The Center partnered with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to present a screening and discussion of the eye-opening public television program "Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness". A panel discussion followed with mental health advocates, providers, and consumers. This event took place on October 5, 2009 in Harvey Hall from 6:30-8:30pm.
CANStruction: The Center and Social Work Reaches Out partnered with RIFA (Regional Inter Faith Association), a non-profit ministry that meets the needs of those who are poor. The event targeted increasing awareness about hunger and raising money through building canned good structures which were on display at the Old Hickory Mall until October 22nd. The canned goods were used to benefit families in need in Jackson, TN.
Poverty Simulation: The Center partnered with the University of Tennessee Extension Agency (UTEA) to raise student, faculty, and Jackson community member awareness about the circumstances and reality of persons who are oppressed or underprivileged. Participants engaged in hands-on learning by assuming fictitious roles and encountering simulated events similar to those experienced by individuals who are in poverty. This event took place on September 16, 2009 in the Grant Center.