Today ioby and Livable Memphis, the community of donors, leaders and volunteers who have so far, given more than $100,000 in donations that average $35 to community-led projects in Memphis neighborhoods, launch a new tool for people to share and develop their ideas online.
Full release follows:
For Immediate Release
May 27, 2014
CONTACT:
Erin Barnes, ioby
917-464-4515 x2 office
347-891-1846 mobile
Ellen Roberds, Livable Memphis
901-207-6928
ioby and Livable Memphis ask Memphians to develop their ideas for Memphis together
Memphis, TN – Today ioby and Livable Memphis, the community of donors, leaders and volunteers who have so far, given more than $100,000 in donations that average $35 to community-led projects in Memphis neighborhoods, launch a new tool for people to share and develop their ideas online.
“We know that Memphians are brilliant, creative innovators. We’ve been creating our neighborhoods together for decades,” says Emily Trenholm, director of Community Development Council of Greater Memphis. “This is an opportunity to include more voices, more communities to create great places in all our neighborhoods.”
ioby, which stands for “in our backyards,” is designed for Memphians to lead, develop, fund and bring to life ideas for projects in their own neighborhoods. The foundational principle of ioby is that leaders should begin community change by working on their own blocks first. ioby and Livable Memphis have created this project together, housed inside the Community Development Council, to amplify and support the existing work here in Memphis.
“Memphians love their community. Every year we have more applicants than we can support sign up for our Certified Neighborhood Leader Training Program, so I know that people are hungry to give back,” says Nika Martin, City of Memphis Office of Community Affairs Manager. “This is a great way for leaders to take skills learned in the trainings and have an accessible vehicle at their fingertips to help bring their ideas to life.”
The Create Memphis campaign is funded by the Hyde Family Foundation and the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, and was developed in partnership with Livable Memphis to support creative placemaking in Memphis.
For years, Memphians have stepped up and shared their ideas for making Memphis neighborhoods stronger. This map is designed to move ideas into project development, funding and implementation. On #CreateMemphis at ioby.org/Memphis, you can:
- suggest an idea
- support an idea
- sign up to volunteer
- donate to an idea
“During the planning process for the Mid-South Regional Greenprint, nearly 200 people contributed ideas to make the Memphis and Shelby County region more sustainable. These ideas will be included on ioby.org/Memphis. What we’re asking for now is for individuals to share new ideas and commit to leading the implementation ideas you’ve shared in the past, with the support of our office, ioby and Livable Memphis,” says Paul Young, Sustainability Administrator, Memphis and Shelby County.
Ideas can include anything that you believe would make your neighborhood stronger, from block beautification projects to leadership training, from after school programs to new business development.
“A common thing to say in Memphis, is ‘somebody should do something about that.’ It’s time for us to realize that ‘somebody’ is us, and the time is right now,” says Ray Brown, urban designer and ioby leader.
Livable Memphis will be available to support community organizations to host idea mapping parties in neighborhoods across Memphis. If you’d like to learn how to host a mapping party, contact Livable Memphis.
To participate, visit ioby.org/Memphis.
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