How Memphis Friendship Foundation Formed!

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An unusual and rare friendship has developed between the people of the Memphis Islamic Center and Heartsong Church. This special relationship began with a simple act of neighborly love. When Heartsong became aware that Muslims had bought the land across the street from them, a sign was quickly put up welcoming the Memphis Islamic Center to the neighborhood. The leaders of MIC immediately responded, and these new neighbors met. Kindness, respect, and a generosity of spirit and resources have blossomed into mutual love as Heartsong and MIC have spent time together in fellowship and service. 

As the world heard about this unusual and heartfelt friendship, both congregations received feedback from the community, from the nation, and from around the world. These enthusiastic responses demonstrated the width and depth of the hunger for people of varying backgrounds to offer simple gestures of friendship to each other as a means of building peace.

It is in response to that great hunger for neighborly love that the Memphis Friendship Foundation was formed, with our first project being the creation of Friendship Park, on eight acres of land shared by Heartsong and the Memphis Islamic Center.

Check out the story below from CBS Early show:

CBS Early Show

We Are Making Some Real Headway!

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We are making some real headway these days.  Welcome to our newest board members, Pam Beasley, Director of Parks for Germantown, and Farooq Qureshi, a member of the Memphis Islamic Center who has a deep passion for the Friendship Park project matched with a great amount of experience and creativity.  Pam will be working with Steve Stone, our president, on the Capacity Building Team which will seek to build partnerships between MFF and individuals,  other non-profits, businesses, corporations and foundations.  Farooq will be the co-leader with Michelle Worth of our Marketing Team.

We also welcome Mamie Shannon to the Friendship Park project.  Mamie is widely known as the host of Local Color on WKNO, and well as being a much sought after event organizer and leader in the greater Memphis community.  It is in her capacity as Professional Fundraiser that Mamie will lend her expertise to the park project.  She will work with the Capacity Building Team to find partnerships and funding for our work.  Already, Mamie has written a grant which could add some much needed funds to us.

We also welcome a partnership with PlayCore.  Tom Norquist, the Vice-President of their GameTime division, charged with the leadership of product development, sales and marketing has joined the Friendship Park team as a full partner and consultant.  Tom has extensive experience in the art and science of play, and numbers among his projects the playground at the White House.  He has already led the board in an imaginative planning process and is ready to lead us to the next steps of program and features development, site preparation and construction of the park.

Recently we have partnered with the University of Memphis, Department of Architecture.  Dr. Michael Hagge and Dr. Jennifer Barker led a field trip of design and architectural student to visit the site of the park.  Their assignment was to design features for the park based on our mission to create opportunities for building friendships between people of all races, cultures and faiths.  We have seen some of their work and it is remarkable and creative.  In early May we will receive a book that includes the work of all the students in the class.

In the next few days the survey on the land across the road from what MFF already owns will be done.  That four acre tract is owned by Heartsong Church who has gotten permission from their bank who holds the mortgage on that property to sell it at a deep discount to the foundation.  As soon as we know what the final cost will be we will communicate it to all of our supporters.

If anyone wants to be involved more directly in the park project you are invited to contact our President, Steve Stone (sstone@heartsongchurch.net ) or our Vice-President, Dr. Bashar, Shala (bshala@yahoo.com).  We will be glad to help you become a part of one of our four teams or task forces.  There are task forces dedicated to: park features and programs, sustainability (how to finance the park once it is built), marketing and capacity building.

If you want to and are able to help support the park project financially please contact our Treasurer, Jeff Lee (jlee@kmbs.konicaminolta.us).  We have a Lead Scout opportunity for the first 120 people to give $1000 for the park.  Their names will be put on a beautiful art piece featuring the foundation logo which will hang in the den of the building for Friendship Park as a continual reminder of those who gave us our first strong push.  Also, he can help you find ways to give monthly through your bank if that is more convenient for you.

We consider all who have a heart for this project to be shareholders with the board in it.  If you have any ideas you want to share, or any questions about the park or the process in making it happen, please contact our President, Vice-President, Treasurer or our Secretary, Saadia Omer (isomer@bellsouth.net )

Exciting things are in the works toward making Friendship Park happen.

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At our retreat on April 28 a lot of creative dreaming about the park project was captured in a document referred for MFF board approval, which was poured over and adopted at our meeting on July 22.  At that meeting we also formed a task force composed of three board members and those they will recruit to work with them for getting specific about park features and programs which will report their progress to the board when we meet September 16. By August 5 a detailed time line from now to park completion will be presented to the board for revision and approval.  Once the board settles on the best estimate for cost of the park we will develop a plan for maintaining what will be built, and with the specific plan for the park features, a clear time line and a viable sustainability plan, we will be ready to approach foundations and corporations for major funding. Please pray that God will direct our every step.

At the July 22 meeting the board also held the annual election of board officers. With all that is in the works at this crucial stage of the project, and to build momentum without having to take precious time handing off responsibilities, it was decided to re-elect the current MFF officers for another year: Saadia Omer-Secretary, Jeff Lee-Treasurer, Bashar Shala-Vice-President and Steve Stone-President. In addition, board member Jathaniel Cavitt is preparing a list of skills and abilities needed for increasing the rate of our progress toward the park project.  If you are interested in investing your time, energy, creativity and/or resources toward helping make the park happen, please contact Jathaniel at jcavitt@memphisfriendshipfoundation.org.

To this point 64 individuals or families have supported Friendship Park by becoming Lead Scouts.   A Lead Scout gives $1000 or more in support of the project.  All Lead Scouts will have their names inscribed on a beautiful art piece that will hang in the den area of the park building. Once 120 Lead Scouts have stepped up there will be no more.  

If you are interested in becoming one of the 120 whose contributions make the park happen, please contact any of the following board members:

Jeff Lee – jlee@memphisfriendshipfoundation.org

Bashar Shala - bshala@memphisfriendshipfoundation.org 

Steve Stone - sstone@memphisfriendshipfoundation.org