In this episode of "Hub City Now with Tyrone Tony Reed Jr.", the host interviews participants of the Jackson Madison County African American Chamber of Commerce’s Follow Me into Business program.

Tyrone begins the show interviewing JMCAACC Executive Director Don A. McCorry about the JMCAACC, its history, who it serves and about its programs, especially its Follow Me into Business program. Participants (their name, their age and the school they attend) interviewed in this episode include:  Kenyon Manning, 17, Liberty Tech; Dana Jones, 15, Madison Academic; A’dereon Blalark, 13, North Parkway; Ashton Hart, 15, Madison Academic; Bray’lon Klyce, 14, Early-College High, and tony Billingsley, III, 13, West Bemis.

JMCAACC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a three-fold mission: The Growth and Development of  Member Businesses, Youth Entrepreneurial Development and Community  and  Economic Development in West Tennessee and particularly in Jackson  Madison County.

According to the organization’s website: “As the resource for African American business owners, partnerships and corporations in Rural West Tennessee, our objective is to help new and existing businesses reach their potential by using its resources to connect them with major corporations, community leaders, and other business owners so that they learn, grow and network for greater economic development and success. The strength of the businesses determines the strength of our communities and families. Our watchword is focus.”

The organization’s website also said: “In keeping with that mission, the organization highlights outstanding contemporary and historical business owners through our Annual Jewel Awards Banquet.  We train and educate young people, ages 12-18, for success in business (and in life) through our Follow Me Into Business® youth workforce development program that offers soft skills training, shadowing, mentoring and internships or paid summer jobs.  As part of the eight-week summer program, we also offer a tour of government offices and provide community service opportunities. We provide support for business owners with workshops and our latest effort is a new small business conference, the West Tennessee Business Showcase and Economic Development Conference.”

It also offers a morning of golf in fun with its Follow Me Celebrity Golf Classic held the second Tuesday in September.

For more information about JMCAACC, its programs, how to join and how to donate, visit jmcaacc.org.

In this episode of "Hub City Now" host Tyrone Tony Reed Jr. interviewed Caitlin Roach, marketing manager of LIFELINE Blood Services.

Roach spoke about the lack of blood donors and the dire need for blood not only in West Tennessee but across the nation.

LIFELINE Blood Services currently has mobile units go out to 20 different counties. They serve all of West Tennessee except for Shelby and Tipton and across the river for Houston and Humphreys County.  The organization gives blood products to 17 hospitals in 14 air ambulance service areas. In those counties, it is the sole provider of blood.

Roach also spoke about the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC) is composed of blood centers from across the nation that have committed to collecting extra blood units on a rotating, “on call” schedule. The extra blood products will be held in reserve for any critical-need scenario, like a mass shooting or natural disaster.

January's Week 2 schedule for LIFELINE Blood Services was shared and questions were answered about who can and can't give blood.

LIFELINE is in dire, dire need of donors. Its numbers are down in ways people who have worked there for decades have never seen. If there is anything you can do that goes beyond what you normally do for them, please let them know. They need new donors and lapsed donors to come save lives!

To learn more about LIFELINE Blood Services, call 731.427.4431 or visit lifelinebloodserv.org.