SWITCH Posts

Most Recent SWITCH Posts

Pain is Universal

Pain is Universal

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.

Memphis Allies sees progress in reforming violent offenders. Here’s how

Memphis Allies sees progress in reforming violent offenders. Here’s how

Louis walked into Memphis Allies for the first time in early 2025. He wasn’t there by choice, but rather a court order.

Holiday Toy Drive

Holiday Toy Drive

Community generosity thrives at Memphis Allies toy drive. Memphis Allies hosted a Holiday Heroes toy drive in December.

Making Vital Connections

Making Vital Connections

Memphis Allies community relations team making vital connections.
In 2022, when Memphis Allies began sending outreach specialists into neighborhoods, they also formed a community relations team.

Power shift

Power shift

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.

Journey of Change

Journey of Change

A professional overview of Memphis Allies and its goal of reducing gun violence comes with slides, statistics, graphs and a few words from the leadership team.

More SWITCH Posts

Engaging One Block at a Time

Engaging One Block at a Time

Image above: Renardo Baker, founder of “I Shall Not Die But Live!” Memphis Allies and partners: Engaging one block at a time Memphis Allies’ mission to reduce gun violence is carried out daily by going into the city’s neighborhoods. Sometimes when there is trouble,...

This is ‘Heart Work’

This is ‘Heart 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...

Finding the Light

Finding the Light

Step-by-step, SWITCH participant finding the light For decades, Gary was in hiding. He just didn’t know it. “Growing up, I created the mask,” he said. “Be the tough guy to exist in society.” Two years ago, when Gary entered Memphis Allies’ SWITCH program—for adults at...

Nothing to Lose

Nothing to Lose

‘These guys have nothing to lose’ is why Memphis Allies’ Tito Porter does what he does A gun, Tito Porter says, is just a means to an end. In fact, at age 19, it enabled Porter to have his own place. “My first apartment on my own was a jail cell,” he said. Porter...

Not Left Behind

Not Left Behind

Not left behind, Calvin Sanford finds his mission as a SWITCH Youth life coach In 2010, Calvin Sanford was staring at a potential 66-year prison sentence for aggravated robbery and burglary. “I didn’t do that one,” he said. “I knew who did, but I didn’t tell.”...

Memphis Allies at Autozone Park

Memphis Allies at Autozone Park

Memphis Allies visits the ‘pitch’ at AutoZone Park Awareness knows no bounds. So, it does not matter that in the Memphis neighborhoods with the most gun violence, pick-up basketball games are far more common than impromptu soccer matches. Recently, Memphis Allies used...

SWITCH Hosts Community Event

SWITCH Hosts Community Event

Raleigh/Frayser SWITCH participants put on event for the community Call it a matter of give and take. Before entering Memphis Allies’ programming, many of the participants had been taking from their own communities. But now, as stage 3 SWITCH participants, their focus...

Meet Case Manager Alejandro

Meet Case Manager Alejandro

Case Manager Alejandro Salinas 'goes the extra mile' Memphis Allies Case Manager Alejandro Salinas sees it all the time: trauma that impacts decision-making. The trauma might show up in the form of poverty and gun violence. It might be inspired by a lack of love and...

Outreach Never Stops

Outreach Never Stops

Memphis Allies: Interrupting the drumbeat of gun violence Life coach Briant Kelly, also known as B Radical, has a routine with the guys he works with in Memphis Allies’ SWITCH program: he calls them first thing in the morning and again before they go to bed at night....

This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee and with support of other funders