Dr. John M. Perkins, a nationally known expert in urban poverty and community development, will headline Hope for the Inner City’s 2012 Urban Outreach Conference, Sept. 7-8, the latest in a series of events targeting gang violence in Chattanooga.
Hope for the Inner City, an East Chattanooga ministry dedicated to helping the urban poor become self-sufficient, will host the conference with an emphasis on equipping churches and concerned citizens with practical training and techniques to reach out to gang members.
“This conference will be a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about responding to the gang violence that continues to plague our city,” said Paul A. Green, executive director of Hope for the Inner City. “Dr. Perkins has many years of experience and a wealth of knowledge about working with gangs in the inner city, so we’re really going to be learning from the best.”
Also leading sessions at the conference will be Jonathan Brooks, inner city mentor and pastor in Chicago’s notorious Englewood community, and Dr. Scott Larson, president and founder of Straight Ahead Ministries, an international outreach that specifically works with juvenile offenders.
The conference will take place on Friday, Sept. 7, from 1 to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Hope for the Inner City, 1800 Roanoke Ave. Tickets are $40 online or $50 at the door. All proceeds will benefit the programs of Hope for the Inner City.
Additionally, following Friday night’s conference sessions, a dinner will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. John M. Perkins. Dinner is included with conference admission.