In October, Memphis Allies opened its Orange Mound site to attendees from Cities United’s 13th Annual Convening, with its theme of “Seizing the Moment.”

Coming from New Orleans, Los Angeles, Birmingham and Pittsburgh, among other places, attendees had the opportunity to take a deep dive into all things Memphis Allies.

Visitors heard from a panel of frontline outreach staff, listened to a presentation on the SWITCH (Support with Intention to Create Hope) model, sat in on a mock group therapy session, and ate a little barbecue and enjoyed some music.

 

Blessed with sunshine and warm weather, the day was a celebration of the progress being made in reducing gun violence in Memphis. An outdoor stage was used for the panel discussion, and to open the event with an energetic performance of the “Memphis Allies SWITCH Song” by Outreach Supervisor Tito Porter and Life Coach Briant Kelly.

“We decided if you could use a switch to transform a gun,” said Carl Davis, Memphis Allies’ managing director of operations, “we could use a SWITCH model to transform a life.”

Collaboration and sustainability

The panel featured two Memphis Allies implementing partners: Renardo Baker, founder of I Shall Not Die But Live!, and Eric Watkins, founder of Red Door Urban Missions.

Also on the panel: Valentino Smith, SWITCH outreach coordinator, and TCion Cason, SWITCH Youth outreach coordinator. Memphis Allies Training Manager Trevon Toney moderated.

Site visitors were especially curious about how outreach staff connect with prospective participants and stay engaged with them. Asked to explain how they did this in just a few words, this is what the panelists said:

Baker: “Unconditional love.”

Smith: “Showing up.”

Cason: “Keeping it real.”

Watkins: “Believe that individuals can change.”

Belief, however, is not enough. Watkins said it takes time: “It’s about investing in people; trust opens the door to opportunity.”

Toney explained that outreach staff handles the transition to participants working with a life coach and a clinical specialist, adding, “As we’re building a rapport, sometimes we have to do a little in-the-field therapy.”

The panelists also described how they work together during potential crises, sharing information from across the city to stop the next shooting.

“Memphis Allies has opened up a door for collaboration,” Watkins said. “The sustainability is this partnership.”

The numbers tell your story

Before Youth Villages launched Memphis Allies, there was an 18-month “learning journey” headed by Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler, Memphis Allies Executive Director Susan Deason and Davis. They visited multiple cities and gun violence reduction programs.

At the time, Melvyn Hayward was director of programs at Chicago CRED. More than five years later, Hayward was at the Cities United conference and attended the Memphis Allies site visit in his role as senior director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety for the City of Los Angeles.

Hayward was amazed at how far the initiative has come, saying, “Memphis Allies has done a “phenomenal job.”

Since first putting outreach staff on the ground in the summer of 2022, Memphis Allies:

Has served more than 1,800 participants

Is working in every high-risk neighborhood of the city

Reaches more than 650 people daily

Has a staff of 250

The evidence of progress is compelling, with 88% of program participants having not picked up a new violent or gun charge while engaged in services. Furthermore, from 2023 to 2025, the city’s murders dropped by 47%.

So far this year, murders are down 22%.

Clearly, the combination of gun violence reduction organizations working in their lane and law enforcement working in theirs has gained traction in the streets.

“The more people you help, the less shootings happen in the community,” Hayward said. “At the end of the day, your outcomes speak to the importance of your work.”