When new dormitory construction stalled for four years, 25 abandoned homes on campus at Jackson State University became host to activity negatively impacting neighbors, including St. Mark's Episcopal Church next door. Leaders began talking to congregants and neighbors and together, with other institutions of Working Together Jackson, are now demanding that in the absence of moving forward with the development, that at minimum the university foundation should pay for the demolition of the abandoned housing and replace it with green space.

Said Rev. Luther Ott of St. Marks, " "Those of us who live and work in inner cities know abandoned houses are not abandoned....It's only a matter of time until we're going to a funeral."

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With questions and concerns about the Housing Trust Fund and One-Cent Sales Tax, 300 leaders of Working Together Jackson packed an Emmanuel Baptist Church hall to engage Mayor Yarber around their concerns. Said Dorothy Triplett, a leader of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, ""We are a very different organization, a very grassroots organization that doesn't just complain and talk about the problems. We come together with our people and ask what are you willing to work on. And we will also be talking about our vision as we move forward for the 2017 municipal elections. We hold all of the candidates accountable."

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Mississippi was one of only three states in the country without a housing trust fund. 'Working Together Jackson' changed that.

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People from across the City of Jackson, including State Senators John Hohrn, David Blount and Solly Norwood, and Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis, joined Working Together Jackson's "We Care for South Jackson" Saturday morning rally. Bishop Ronnie Crudup announced that it is "evident that Kroger does not favor urban folk and urban areas" given their recent withdrawal of four grocery stores from Jackson. Leaders also pointed out that the city (with 180 thousand residents) now has only one grocery store, while suburban Madison (with only 20 thousand residents) has twice that number.

So far, WTJ has helped saved the jobs of 109 workers that would have been replaced, by assuring their relocation to other Kroger stores at their same pay, and secured commitments from the store to continue their support of local schools. Leaders continue to demand that Kroger refrain from putting a deed restriction on the property that would prevent another grocery store from coming in.

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Clergy of Working Together Jackson stood with workers at a press conference organized in the wake of Kroger's announcement that it would close its South Jackson grocery store. Clergy demanded the relocation of 109 otherwise unemployed workers to other stores, noninterference in local efforts to attract a new grocery store to this food desert and continued support for south Jackson public schools.

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