The Contributor Inc.is a 501c3 nonprofit organization in Nashville, Tennessee. We print a twice-monthly street newspaper that accomplishes the following:
- Provides a diversity of perspectives and information on the condition of homelessness while highlighting the contributions of homeless and formerly homeless individuals
- Provides homeless and formerly homeless newspaper vendors with a source of income
- Creates community between vendors and customers
The Contributor’s long-term success as an organization comes from you, our supporters. We rely on donor support.
“Street Newspaper” is a term for a newspaper that focuses on issues surrounding homelessness and poverty and is sold by homeless and formerly homeless individuals on the street.
Press
The New York Times – Ads Seek Support for 21st Century ‘Newsies’
WSMV Channel 4 - “‘The Contributor’ To Add Second Monthly Edition”
Nashville Ledger - “Finding Home, One Paper at a Time”
News Channel 5 - “‘Contributor’ Could See Record Sales in 2010″
NPR - “‘Street Papers’ Sold By Homeless Are Thriving”
Titans Online - “Tasha French Winner of the 2009 Titans Community QB Award”
The Tennessean - “Nashville Homeless Newspaper Sales Keep Soaring”
USA Today - “Homeless Help Spread the News”
Staff & Board Biographies
Tasha A. French Lemley
Tasha A. French Lemley (Founding Executive Director) has experience as a homeless outreach worker, and has spent years photographing and interviewing individuals living on the street in Nashville (www.sanshouses.com). She currently serves as president on the board of directors of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) and is a new member of the Metro Human Relations Commission. Tasha was the recipient of the 2009 Titans Community Quarterback award, given to the top volunteer in the state of Tennessee, for her initial efforts with The Contributor, and in 2012 she was the winner of Whole Foods’ Whole Planet Foundation’s “Small Change for Big Change” contest. She married Mark, her best friend of a dozen years, and they used the Foundation’s trip award to India as their honeymoon—visiting women who are recipients of Grameen microloans. A budding chai wallah, she is passionate about community, diversity, the answers that we have for each other—and those we can find together. tasha@thecontributor.org
- Founder of The Contributor, Inc.
- Directs the vision and momentum of The Contributor.
- Oversees all staff.
Andrew Krinks
Andrew Krinks (Editor) is a writer, a student, a co-founder of Amos House, and an advocate for Nashville’s homeless community. He first became involved in issues surrounding homelessness in his junior year of college when he, his now wife, and his friends organized a demonstration in front of City Hall in downtown Nashville, petitioning the mayor to build more low-income housing. Since then, he has volunteered at Room In The Inn’s Campus for Human Development and the TN Prison for Women teaching creative writing and poetry. He is currently pursuing a Master of Theological Studies degree at Vanderbilt Divinity School. andrew@thecontributor.org
- Manages and directs the content and editorial vision of The Contributor newspaper, assists vendor writers in honing their submissions and facilitates all feature-writing assignments.
Linda Bailey
Linda Bailey (Editorial Assistant) is a recent college graduate new to Nashville by way of Abilene Christian University in West Texas. Like any good journalist, Linda enjoys drinking coffee, reading the news and admiring properly kerned typography. While she ponders the possibility of pursuing graduate school in the future, she spends her time sifting through antiques and finding the city’s most delicious donuts. She loves forming relationships people and sees each new experience as potential material for writings or designs. linda@thecontributor.org
- Designs each issue of The Contributor while assisting the editor with writing, editing and gathering submissions for each issue
Jesse Call
Jesse Call (Staff Writer) is an award-winning journalist and a recent graduate of Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law, where he served as managing editor and interim editor-in-chief of The Northerner, the independent student newspaper. He had four years experience with street newspapers prior to joining the staff at The Contributor in 2012, including as a contributing writer at Article 25 and as a media, journalism, and public relations intern at the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, the publisher of Streetvibes, where he also serves as a contributing writer. Jesse also received his bachelor’s degree from Concord University with a double major in political science and history, where he later returned as an AmeriCorps VISTA to help establish The Bonner House for Campus-Wide Community Service to encourage civic engagement and service learning among all students and staff. When not working on a story, Jesse enjoys cooking, traveling to new sights, and pretending to study for the bar exam. jesse@thecontributor.org
- Responsible for writing one feature news story per issue of The Contributor—engaging issues revolving around poverty, homelessness and other forms of marginalization.
Tom Wills
Tom Wills (Director of Vending) is a co-founder of The Contributor. He has been working with the urban poor ministries of The Downtown Presbyterian Church since 1994, where he is a member and also has artist studio space. He was also a co-founder of Belcourt, Yes! a non-profit formed to reopen the Belcourt Theatre in the Hillsboro Village neighborhood of Nashville, TN. He also serves on the board of T.A.D.P. (Tennesseans for Alternatives for the Death Penalty). tom@thecontributor.org
- Is responsible for interviewing and training all new vendors, helping vendors understand and flourish in their role as independent businessmen and women.
- Manages vendor databases and The Contributor‘s financial books.
- Founder of The Contributor, Inc.
Jenn Cross
Jenn Cross (Vendor Program Assistant) is a formerly homeless aspiring artist and single mother striving to learn to reach out, trust, and believe in hope. A realist and a dreamer, a sometimes optimistic pessimist and pessimistic optimist, she is a great believer that while everyone has positive and negative traits, it is the good in someone that far outweighs the bad. Jennifer moved to Nashville in 2007 to be closer to her dearest friend and fell in love with the city she is proud to call home. jenn@thecontributor.org
Amy Rowland
Amy Rowland (Assistant Director and Volunteer Coordinator) is a full-time crafter, derby girl, and aspiring writer, who hip checks in her spare time. As a transplant from Virginia Beach, Amy loves living and working in downtown Nashville. She loves her cats and can often be found with her journal and a giant cup of coffee. Shes an adventurer at heart, in search of true peace. She believes fully in the power of hugs, and the importance of sharing your story. amy@thecontributor.org
- Oversees The Contributor on Human Resources level.
- Maintains all company and employee files, invoices and payroll.
- Assists the Executive Director with phone calls, emails, and speaking engagements.
- Recruiting, training and scheduling all incoming volunteers and interns.
Raven Lintu
Raven Lintu (Cashier) Into the time vortex a raven soars thru to figure this whole life thing out. After jumping in the Tardis and flying thru college, she graduated Nossi College of Art while she was discovering photography. There may have been a few bumps along the way but with each bump a lesson or three were learned. The raven learned to love the paper for it’s many wonderful things it does for others. She looks forward to opportunities to take photographs both for The Contributor and throughout life. raven@thecontributor.org
- Works daily in The Contributor‘s sales’ office with vendors and volunteers, invoicing vendor’s transactions.
Jeremy Bills (Board Chair) has more than 7 years of experience serving over a dozen different nonprofits in various capacities. He began working with The Contributor many months ago, and fell in love with the people and the organization! Jeremy hails from sunny Tampa, FL, but is proud to call Nashville his new home. Originally here to get his master’s in community development and nonprofit leadership from Vanderbilt/Peabody, he plans to remain here after graduating in May. He enjoys conversations with strangers, sarcasm, finding and laughing at the irony in life, and spreading joy. He loves to bake and can often be seen carrying around a basket of fresh-baked goodies. He also serves on the boards of directors for Nashville Prevention Partnership and Tennessee Kidney Foundation.
Mark Lemley (Board Secretary) is a budding coffee professional from Lubbock, Texas, the birthplace of Buddy Holly and home of Prairie Dog Town. Mark moved to Nashville in 2003 and loves working and living in the heart of music city. He is currently pursuing graduate work in Sustainable Practice, which informs the way he looks at business, society and the planet.
Geoff Little (Board Member)has worked in higher education fundraising for 11 years. He began at his alma mater, Belmont University, in 2001. For the last 8 years, he has worked in strategy and development research at Vanderbilt University as a senior research specialist. He has presented at the national level on prospect research techniques and is currently president of the Association for Prospect Researchers for Advancement-MidSouth, a four state professional association of fundraising professionals. Geoff is a supporter of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (TADP), the Nashville Peace and Justice Center, and Pax Christi New Mexico. He is clerk of the Downtown Presbyterian Church (DPC) Session and for many years has given leadership to the DPC artists-in-residence program.
