MEMPHIS, Tenn. — "Memphis Lift" — a non-profit organization in North Memphis is making waves by opening a new resource center on Saturday.
The organization's executive director Sarah Carpenter said this building is designed to help parents with basic necessities for their children to thrive in the classroom.
Carpenter told ABC24 they teach parents how to navigate a complicated school system. She said, with the opening of the Brenda Rogers Parent Resource Center, now the real work begins.
"We wanna bust all barriers where parents can send their kids to school when school start," Carpenter said.
Carpenter said the recent TCAP test results for 3rd and 4th grade students at Memphis Shelby County Schools showed a slight improvement in reading proficiency. She said they know there's a long way to go if they're going to see significant improvement.
"We talked about to Dr. Feagins about parents not knowing where they kids are reading level right, and now they got that on the report card," she said.
According to Carpenter, the new building will have a food pantry, computer lab, educational programming and much more.
North Memphis parent Rachelle Rogers said she is excited to have a place in the neighborhood where her two boys can have a male mentor.
"[I'm] not saying that their dad's not in their life — it's just wonderful to have another male figure that's here in this community — that's in this building," Rogers said.
Rogers believes the North Memphis area will see a positive shift because this facility gives them hope.
"That's the whole energy of Hyde Park that I've always gotten all my life since I've been here," she said. "I love that they have a building to put it altogether, bring it altogether."
Memphis mayor Paul Young was in attendance for the grand opening. He was sworn-in six months ago, and his message has been that it will take everyone stepping up to have an impact on our city's challenges.
Young said the city could use more organizations such as Memphis Lift.