Four years ago, Memphis Allies began its outreach efforts in Frayser. Bryan Mathis and his brother Brandon — twins born four minutes apart — were on the frontlines, finding the people at the highest risk for gun violence.
He was 16, sitting in Shelby County’s Juvenile Detention Center, when “Kevin” first heard about Memphis Allies.“From my homeboys,” he said.
Early on a weekday morning, Outreach Coordinator Valentino Smith was leading an incident review meeting for Memphis Allies frontline staff.
Jennifer Davis, a clinical supervisor in the SWITCH program, said many participants began experiencing trauma before they were old enough to have memory of it.
Louis walked into Memphis Allies for the first time in early 2025. He wasn’t there by choice, but rather a court order.
SWITCH Youth’s TaMara Reed: Helping participants see futures they did not imagine
At age 13, with his parents not getting along and his father mostly absent, Deangelo Luckett joined a gang. It didn’t take long for him to find a gun in his hand. With his mother struggling to feed the family, Luckett felt like he now had the means to help.
Fueling Hope: Memphis Allies donates van to the CPC. As part of the partnership, Memphis Allies recently presented the CPC with a new van and a monetary donation to support its community work.
This is ‘heart work,’ says Memphis Allies SWITCH supervisor
His name is Earve Mathis, but around Memphis Allies’ South Memphis office, he is better known as “Mr. E.”
A life coach supervisor in the adult SWITCH program, Mr. E knows well the cost of making bad decisions.
Memphis Allies’ Carl Davis receives HBCU Empowerment Award. By his own admission, proud Craigmont High School graduate Carl Davis went to Tennessee State University because he had friends going there.