MediterraneanGrocery Wholesalers in Memphis, TN

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A bookstore in Memphis aims to improve child literacy one novel at a time.

One former teacher opened the store after he noticed how limited reading material was for African-American children in schools.

"Being functionally illiterate is a thing, however, it should not be and in Shelby County, our literacy rates are extremely low. Not only because of access, but because of content," Jeremy DeMoir said.

It can be even harder with limited resources, which is why DeMoir opened the city's only Black-owned brick-and-mortar bookstore, DeMoir Books & Things.

It caters to everyone, no matter the age. However, DeMoir said he wanted to really provide African-American youth with reading material that they may not easily find elsewhere.

"I spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars buying books for my classroom library and realized that I could make it bigger," he explained. "What about the other children in the community? What about the other children in the city?"

The store has every genre you can think of from fiction to comics.

There are also more than 5,000 books in the store, most of which DeMoir and his team found.

"Independent bookstores have it differently. We aren't funded by franchises or big corporations and so all of it comes from us to us," he said. "That's the whole thing about being a community, it's being there for the next person ... so trying to make sure we do that."

To make it all as convenient as possible, people can buy books in-store.

There are also local delivery options for both national and international customers. DeMoir, who's also an author, said this is his way of giving back.

"We do have 18 branches of libraries in the city, but a lot of times with certain schools, they're a little too far for the kids. Maybe their parents don't have transportation so the kids can get there," he said. "It's easier to get a book into a child's hands if they have more access to them. That's kind of where we came in. In a city that's predominately 68% African-American, we are the stable for the community."

DeMoir said it was vital that he included books from other local authors in the store and offer community book clubs, book signings and movie nights.

"We also offer a literacy program, so any child from 0-17, if they walk into the store, they don't leave empty-handed. They get a free book regardless if they purchase one or not. That's another way to promote book accessibility. It takes nothing to give a child escapism," he explained.

To help keep DeMoir Books & Things thriving, you can click here to donate. You can also keep up with what they have going on here.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A nonprofit run by a Memphis pastor promised to feed underserved children. But now, it’s accused of ripping off taxpayers.

In a new report, the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office accused the nonprofit, Giving Youth A Chance (GYAC), of cheating taxpayers out of more than $17,000 by claiming to have served thousands of meals it didn’t.

Summer can be an especially challenging time for children in Memphis, where nearly 40 percent live in poverty.

That’s where federal summer food programs come in.

“They want to make sure that children who are not in school and who don’t do not have a meal coming to them for breakfast or lunch still can have that opportunity to receive a meal during those summer months,” said John Dunn, the director of communications for the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office. “We know that these programs are high risk, that there’s an opportunity there for people to misuse funds within those programs, so we are very careful to closely watch how money is being spent.”

The Comptroller’s Office, which helps provide oversight of the programs in Tennessee, found GYAC wrongfully obtained more than $17,000 in federal funds by falsifying meal count records used for reimbursement as part of two food programs for children.

“What we found, unfortunately, was a pattern of showing up to see feeding sites where children were supposed to be fed and not finding evidence of staff actually providing the number of meals that they were claiming,” said Dunn.

For instance, state inspectors say workers at one feeding site submitted a form showing they served 24 meals in one day, but the nonprofit listed 95 meals served when they submitted the reimbursement request.

At another site, New Horizon Apartments, inspectors found the feeding site closed when it should have been open.

The Comptroller’s Office says the problems with GYAC go back years and said they have “identified repeated noncompliance.”

The Comptroller also issued an investigative report about GYAC in 2020.

The director of the nonprofit, Rosman Randle, also serves as senior pastor of Zion Temple Church of God in Christ.

When contacted for comment, Randle referred Action News 5 to his attorney, Edward L. Stanton III.

“This will confirm that I have been retained to represent Giving Youth A Chance (GYAC). We will review the Comptroller’s report and respond accordingly,” Stanton later said in a statement.

Dunn says the Comptroller’s report has been shared with state and federal prosecutors, including the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.

He says the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS), which selects the organizations that serve the meals, should hold them accountable.

“If these providers are not taking the corrective action they need to fix the problem, then we believe that DHS should remove them from the program,” said Dunn.

New Beginnings International Ministry, a nonprofit based in Nashville, is also mentioned in the report. Like GYAC, inspectors accuse it of claiming to serve meals it did not.

In a statement to Action News 5, DHS told Action News 5 they are working to address ongoing issues with the meal programs. These are the answers the department provided to our questions:

1. What is DHS doing to fix what looks like an ongoing issue?

“DHS monitors all food program sponsors for compliance with federal law and applicable regulations. DHS is continuing to work with the Comptroller to investigate instances of program noncompliance. As mentioned in the Comptroller’s Special Report, DHS has independently reviewed both of these organizations, has issued reports advising the sponsors of required action steps, received acceptable corrective action and recoupment of the identified overpayment. According to federal program regulations organizations that fulfil these criteria are eligible to continue operating the program.”

2. What kind of vetting does DHS do when selecting a contractor to distribute these meals in the community?

“DHS reviews all applications to the SFSP program on an annual basis. Approval for participation in the program is contingent upon applicants meeting the requirements outlined by the federal regulations, found at 7 CFR 225.6(b).”

3. Why has DHS allowed these organizations, and presumably others, to continue participating in meal distribution programs?

“The SFSP is a federally funded program that is governed by USDA regulations. DHS is required to allow organizations opportunities to correct the errors identified in the review of their program and their meal distribution.

“Notably, the Comptroller questioned 3,910 meals out of the approximately 500,000 meals Giving Youth A Chance served in 2021. This represents a less than 1% error rate. DHS conducted its own monitoring review of Giving Youth a Chance in 2021 and identified similar areas of non-compliance. However, giving Youth a Chance corrected the areas of non-compliance through the corrective action process and returned all identified overpayments. Thus, they meet the sponsor requirements outlined by federal regulation.

“During DHS’s annual review of applications for participation in SFSP, sponsor applications are denied if there are outstanding overpayments owed to the department or if instances of non-compliance have not been addressed through the corrective action process.

“DHS monitors all food program sponsors for compliance with federal law and applicable regulations. DHS is continuing to work with the Comptroller to investigate instances of program noncompliance. As mentioned in the Comptroller’s Special Report, DHS has independently reviewed both of these organizations, has issued reports advising the sponsors of required action steps, received acceptable corrective action and recoupment of the identified overpayment. According to federal program regulations organizations that fulfil these criteria are eligible to continue operating the program.”

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Newest Restaurant Report Card | If you want the latest Shelby County restaurant scores sent directly to your inbox, sign up for it today on WREG’s Newsletter here.

Each week WREG is rounding up the highest and lowest scores from Shelby County restaurant inspections. Find more scores from Shelby County and other Tennessee counties here.

Lowest:

Son Delicias Banegas – 83546 Berclair Rd. Memphis, TN 38122Violations Include: no paper towels present at hand sink, cutting board is damaged and discolored, no sanitizer present at time of inspection, no thermometer present in cooler or freezer, no commercial grade oven used inside mobile unit – must be replaced in six months, no testing strips present during inspection, grill exterior is dirty, ventilation needs cleaning, and expired permit.

Cora’s Kitchen – 841896 Nantucket Dr. Memphis, TN 38109Violations Include: Person in charge failed to demonstrate knowledge – did not know how to use test strips, setup sanitized water and must carry bleach in mobile unit (recommended a food safety class), bare wood support in food area, no test strips in mobile unit, side of grill is dirty, water leaking below hand sink into a bucket, ceiling is not smooth or easily cleanable, and permit not posted – current one is a year out of date.

Inspector’s note: Person in charge given six months to bring ceiling up to code.

Marco’s Pizza – 875730 Stage Rd. Memphis, TN 38134Violations Include: no employee illness policy present (copy left with manager), ice dispenser at drink machine needs to be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Cutting boards need to be replaced, unlabelled containers in the walk-in and prep cooler must be labelled if not in original container, food stored on floor of freezer, dumpster does not have a lid, trash present on ground around dumpster, recent inspection not posted.

Inspector’s note: told manager that dumpster must have a lid and to let landlord know about it.

American Deli – 893850 Austin Peay Hwy. Suite #3 Memphis, TN 38128Violations Include: no thermometer present in prep cooler, unlabelled food containers, bag of sugar and uncovered ready-to-eat food items stored on the floor, dirty wiping cloth stored on prep table, ice scoop stored on top of ice machine, scoop laying on top of chicken, test strips not provided, dirty food containers, dirty cooler interior, dirty restrooms, dirty floors and equipment exteriors, light not provided in walk-in freezer, foul odor in lobby, most recent inspection

Captain J&J Fish & Chicken – 892447 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38112Violations Include: tomato, lettuce and onions are not held at 41 degrees, prep cooler is over 41 degrees, thermometer in prep cooler is illegible, lettuce stored underneath wood rack, food employees not wearing hair restraints, used wiping cloth stored on counter top.

100s:

Bar Keough247 S. Cooper St. Memphis, TN 38104

Brisket in a Basket4575 Chuck Ave. Memphis, TN 38118

Cafe Brooks1934 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38104

Dinstuhl’s Fine Candy Company, Inc.147 S. Main St. Memphis, TN 38103

Harry Yo’s BBQ5419 Banbury Ave. Memphis, TN 38016

Hot N’ Heavy Dogs1163 Hunters Green Circle South Cordova, TN 38018

Mahogany Memphis3092 Poplar Ave. #11 Memphis, TN 38111

The Peanut People121 S. Main St. Memphis, TN 38103

Red Hook of Memphis (Bar)3295 Poplar Ave. Suite 101 Memphis, TN 38111

Stage 64 Lounge (Bar)7041 Highway 64, Suite #107 Memphis, TN 38133

Tasty Food Services, Inc.3030 Brunswick Rd. Bartlett, TN 38133

Tiger Que LLC9687 Woodland Creek LN Cordova, TN 38018

MEMPHIS, Tenn.– A Memphis woman wants to warn others about a delivery scam that is going around.

The Better Business Bureau says thieves acting like they work with UPS, the postal service, or FedEx to get your hard-earned money is pretty common.

They targeted Mary Anne May the day after Mother’s Day.

“So I thought, ‘Mother’s Day! Somebody could’ve sent me a surprise,'” May said.

May had been out of town and had just returned from her trip.

“I had just pulled into the drive, I needed to pick up the dog and I got a text,” she said.

A text from what looks to be UPS, saying a driver tried to deliver a package on Mother’s Day but no one was home to sign for it. The message even gave her an address should she wish to go to a warehouse to pick up the parcel.

When May showed up, she didn’t see a UPS facility. No one was around. But there was also an option to have the package re-delivered.

“So I clicked on that link which asked for my name, address, phone number, date of birth, that was the clue but I didn’t pick up on it yet, and then it asked for a little payment which I would have to give my credit card,” she said.

That’s when May knew things were fishy. She called UPS, who told her the tracking number was invalid. Realizing it was a scam, she reported it to UPS fraud.

The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South recommends if you get a text like this to go to the delivery carrier’s website directly.

A request for money in return for the delivery of a package should be a red flag.

“I’m glad that I noticed before any damage was done,” May said.

Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau:

If you receive suspicious email, text, or phone messages, go to the delivery carrier’s website directly or use the retailer’s tracking tools to verify the sender’s identity and avoid these scams.

In addition, the U.S. Postal Service has posted an alert about phony delivery texts. The alert cites “unsolicited mobile text messages indicating that a USPS delivery is awaiting your action” and includes a non-postal service web link to click.

National delivery companies are also providing information on their websites to help consumers avoid falling for package delivery scams. Both FedEx and UPS say they do not seek payment or personal information through unsolicited texts and email.

Some common warning signs of mail, text, or online scams:

Remember that imposter scams often illegally spoof phone numbers used in calls and texts to try to trick you into thinking that the number is from a legitimate company or even a government agency.

How to Avoid Package Delivery Scams

“Inclusion means you get to be in a space that you deserve. It means that you get to be considered,” said LaToya Tennille, The Comedy Junt owner.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Beyond the laughs, is inclusion.

“I know what it’s like to be left out,” said LaToya Tennille, The Comedy Junt owner.

Tennille is a native Memphian and comic appearing on Comedy Central with Kevin Hart, hosting comedy summer camps, and the proud owner of The Comedy Junt.

“Being a woman in comedy is not easy. At times, you don’t get those spots or those spaces especially in comedy clubs not because you’re not funny, but because you’re a woman,” said Tennille.

“It’s about giving those comics an opportunity who can’t get into comedy clubs or comics who want to start out and don’t know where to start,” said Tennille.

That desire to help others was sparked not only by her own experiences, but that of her children’s as well.

“My son is autistic. He was diagnosed in the 5th grade. Immediately, my life changed. I had to be aware of things. I had to try different methods. I also learned that the world around him is not so kind,” said Tennille.

However, the world Tennille is determined to create will be kind.

“How it looks for one person who has autism is not the same for the other one, which is why the Beautiful Spectrum was so dog-on important,” said Tennille.

The Beautiful Spectrum is a fashion show for children with autism.

“You have this autism spectrum that’s so wide in range to where it’s this end to this end,” said Tennille. “You saw child by child by child that each one was different.”

The children strutted in the categories of camouflage, dress to the nines, school days, shades of blue for autism, and their Beautiful Spectrum shirts.

“I was so proud. I felt good,” said Tennille. “I, often, feel like I’m the wrong person doing the right thing.”

On this runway, doing what is right means embracing all.

“Inclusion means you get to be in a space that you deserve. It means that you get to be considered,” said Tennille. “Pretty much is like, ‘I see you. I see you.’”

Proceeds from LaToya’s Beautiful Spectrum fashion show will all go towards Camp Able, a nationally known camp for individuals with disabilities and “diverse-abilities.”