Vol. 1, Issue 1 JANUARY 2019 KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE MONTHLY WITH THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SHELBY COUNTY, TN LETTER FROM THE EDITOR By Yvonne D. Nelson, Ph.D. Fifteen years ago, on Thursday, January 8, 2004, I accepted the title of Editor and challenged myself to successfully promote a new print concept developed by The Commercial Appeal called the Whitehaven Appeal. Initially, the Whitehaven Appeal was an insert that was placed in The Commercial Appeal newspapers that were delivered to homes in ZIP Codes 38109 and 38116. In creating this online newsmagazine, it is my goal to once again provide you with this type of positive news. I understand that communication is key to everything, so I want to grow an online audience and be the first place to look when you want to find out what is or has happened in Whitehaven and other communities in Shelby County, Tennessee. Of course all of this depends on you. Your readership, your ability to share online links to featured stories about you to create new viewers like yourself, your willingness to submit calendar events that are scheduled to happen as well as pictures and stories about things which have recently taken place, and your desire to support us through advertisements featuring local businesses and activities. This newsletter is for you and about you and the things you know about that are happening in your communities. I am asking you to consider contributing items of interest and concern to you. I am depending on you to make sure I have accurate meeting dates and fresh content for each monthly NEWSCENE edition. Call me at 901-300-0250, write me at I Love Shelby County, Attn: Senior Publicist, P.O. Box 9146, Memphis, TN 38190-0146, or email Memphis.Meetings@gmail.com. I definitely want to hear from you soon! Thank you, Yvonne The Orchard Church member, David Cole (far right), manned the check-in table for parents at the Ross Toy Store event held December 8, 2018. In December 2016, the Orchard Church purchased a building at 3690 S. Houston Levee Road in Collierville, TN, and began holding worship services for the community. The church is dedicated to reaching up in ministry to God, branching out to the community of Memphis, and in being a church with deep roots that provide stability where people can freely fellowship with one another and lives can grow together. In addition to the many other services provided in the community, the congregation adopted the nearby Ross Road Elementary School in 2011. “We want to be a blessing to the City of Memphis, said Lead Pastor Sam Shaw, Ph.D.” It all began by a chance meeting with the Principal of Ross Road Elementary School. Since that time, we’ve painted parts of the school, we provide tutoring to 2nd graders through the Arise2Read program, and feed approximately 80 students every weekend.” For the fourth year in a row, The Orchard Church partnered with the school “to make Christmas a little merrier for the children and families” it serves. “The Ross Toy Store is a partnership between The Orchard Church and the school and offers parents of children who attend Ross Elementary the opportunity to shop for new toys and gifts at very deep discounts,” said The Orchard Church Teaching Pastor/Communications Director Brian Walters. “The items for sale in the store are purchased and donated by members of [The Orchard Church]. Families connected with Ross are invited to shop for things like dolls, board games, and bicycles at significantly lower prices. Church members organize, supply, and staff the store under the authority of school principal Evette Smith and Assistant Principal, Dr. Wakima Tutwiler. All the money from the sale is donated to the school.” Continued on Page 2 THE ORCHARD CHURCH SPREADS HOLIDAY CHEER
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