kelly…kitty?
@kellykitty.bsky.social
🇵🇸 | Nashville | usually yapping about homelessness, poverty & policing | my brain has a million tabs open at all times | opinions are mine + are never ending
Another story about Felipe and some other local families some of us know & have supported. The “choices” they’ve faced are unfathomable. Every single family in this story was a part of the Nashville community. They are loved and they are missed. They will not be forgotten ❤️
Stranded after ICE operations, some immigrant families in Nashville are ‘self-deporting’ back to distressed and dangerous countries they once fled.
✏️: @iamstevenhale.bsky.social
✏️: @iamstevenhale.bsky.social
Nashville aide says struggle awaits self-deporting families - Nashville Banner
Nashville activists share stories about of immigrant families forced to self-deport as a result of ICE operations, advocacy efforts and community support.
nashvillebanner.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Another story about Felipe and some other local families some of us know & have supported. The “choices” they’ve faced are unfathomable. Every single family in this story was a part of the Nashville community. They are loved and they are missed. They will not be forgotten ❤️
It’s hard to adequately describe the loss, trauma & fear Felipe & his sons have experienced the past couple years in Nashville. In spite of it, they are such a beautiful & loving family. I hope they have more safety & peace in Guatemala than they had here. No one should ever have to go through this.
Months after Felipe Mendez and his family came to Tennessee from Guatemala to find opportunity, a tornado killed his wife and toddler. After being caught in a May immigration sting while leaving work, he was told he could leave voluntarily or lose his kids. Story from @friedmanadam5.bsky.social.
A tornado and an immigration sting. The start and end of a life in Nashville. • Tennessee Lookout
Caught in an immigration sting, Felipe Mendez was ordered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to leave the U.S. or lose his children.
tennesseelookout.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:02 AM
It’s hard to adequately describe the loss, trauma & fear Felipe & his sons have experienced the past couple years in Nashville. In spite of it, they are such a beautiful & loving family. I hope they have more safety & peace in Guatemala than they had here. No one should ever have to go through this.
There is no way to overstate the next level of crisis of homelessness that is coming. We already have over 3,000 people experiencing homelessness in Nashville. The devastating changes to HUD funding, the new SNAP work requirements, re-application for SNAP… the number will skyrocket.
This is happening everywhere, including here.
At least 4,900 Minnesotans are at risk of being pushed to the streets because of Trump’s cuts to housing - children, seniors, veterans.
In Minnesota, we’ll do everything we can to stand up for our neighbors in need, but this decision will be devastating.
www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/a...
In Minnesota, we’ll do everything we can to stand up for our neighbors in need, but this decision will be devastating.
www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/a...
November 19, 2025 at 3:20 PM
There is no way to overstate the next level of crisis of homelessness that is coming. We already have over 3,000 people experiencing homelessness in Nashville. The devastating changes to HUD funding, the new SNAP work requirements, re-application for SNAP… the number will skyrocket.
Back & forth between tears and rage reading this. The way our mayor backstops the disgusting treatment of our neighbors experiencing homelessness is truly sickening. The way some CMs want to give him (& ANY SUBSEQUENT MAYOR) outsized power is… plz wake the fuck up.
open.substack.com/pub/readrich...
open.substack.com/pub/readrich...
{Null_Results}: She says she talked to the Mayor about OHS' lack of follow through on her housing. The Mayor's Office says it wasn't him.
One mother's fight for housing reveals what Nashville stands to lose as Metro Council prepares to hand every department to the Mayor
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Back & forth between tears and rage reading this. The way our mayor backstops the disgusting treatment of our neighbors experiencing homelessness is truly sickening. The way some CMs want to give him (& ANY SUBSEQUENT MAYOR) outsized power is… plz wake the fuck up.
open.substack.com/pub/readrich...
open.substack.com/pub/readrich...
Kamala Harris & Justin Jones choosing not to even use Aftyn’s name… really something. And also utterly unsurprising. This is why so many of us hate the Dems, fyi. No such thing as solidarity, only self-interest & status quo.
Former VP Kamala Harris rallied voters in Nashville, but didn't endorse Aftyn Behn. The D7 candidate left the rally early.
nashvillebanner.com/2025/11/18/n...
nashvillebanner.com/2025/11/18/n...
Kamala Harris appears in Nashville after Aftyn Behn's exit - Nashville Banner
Former Vice President Kamala Harris visited Nashville to encourage voting in special election, avoided any direct reference to nominee Aftyn Behn.
nashvillebanner.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Kamala Harris & Justin Jones choosing not to even use Aftyn’s name… really something. And also utterly unsurprising. This is why so many of us hate the Dems, fyi. No such thing as solidarity, only self-interest & status quo.
Please give if you can ❤️
We were hit hard by the bad weather For two nights we couldn’t sleep from the strong winds and rain flooding our shelter. We’re still living in harsh conditions and trying to reinforce the place with tarps and wood
Please donate and share our situation is urgent.🙏💔
tinyurl.com/Lubna-family
Please donate and share our situation is urgent.🙏💔
tinyurl.com/Lubna-family
November 17, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Please give if you can ❤️
Please give if you can. Winter has arrived in Palestine and heavy rains have flooded the streets. What Israel has done is much more than bombing and starvation. People have no way to survive the rain & cold. Please give if you’re able ❤️
November 17, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Please give if you can. Winter has arrived in Palestine and heavy rains have flooded the streets. What Israel has done is much more than bombing and starvation. People have no way to survive the rain & cold. Please give if you’re able ❤️
Join us!! Things are really, really heavy lately. Come build or paint a bench for your neighbors! It’s a small thing we can do to take care of each other. (And also a way to do what the city seems to be unable to do).
November 15, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Join us!! Things are really, really heavy lately. Come build or paint a bench for your neighbors! It’s a small thing we can do to take care of each other. (And also a way to do what the city seems to be unable to do).
Yet another tax on people for being poor.
Coming to your neighborhood soon?? No where else in the city is NDOT ticketing for expired tags in neighborhoods. I live in Napier area. Two of my neighbors were ticketed last week. We have NO DRIVEWAYS!Plus the BnB’s on our street. This doesn’t feel good. It needs to stop!
November 14, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Yet another tax on people for being poor.
We brought the ask for a fare freeze to the Mayor’s Office, CHYM leadership & the WeGo Board & leadership on 10/29 - TWO WEEKS AGO. The fact that none have appropriately responded to the growing crisis our neighbors face is incredibly telling. Thank you to CMs, orgs & individuals continuing to push.
Emails continue to come in & council members continue to issue public statements urging WeGo to call a Board meeting.
I thought it would be helpful to share my conversations with my colleagues, so I’ve started a thread on what my experience has been. publicsquare.nashville.gov/2023-2027-te... /1
I thought it would be helpful to share my conversations with my colleagues, so I’ve started a thread on what my experience has been. publicsquare.nashville.gov/2023-2027-te... /1
Traffic & Parking Updates
This discussion topic was requested by Council Member Quin Evans Segall. From CM Evans Segall:We have a few policy updates coming out of T&P that I’m getting questions about. I’ll be posting those...
publicsquare.nashville.gov
November 11, 2025 at 11:22 PM
We brought the ask for a fare freeze to the Mayor’s Office, CHYM leadership & the WeGo Board & leadership on 10/29 - TWO WEEKS AGO. The fact that none have appropriately responded to the growing crisis our neighbors face is incredibly telling. Thank you to CMs, orgs & individuals continuing to push.
Reposted by kelly…kitty?
Alhamdulillah, today Allah has blessed me with a new born baby boy whom I named Rakan.I hope he grows up in safety, peace, dignity and a good life. Far from death,destruction and wars.Thank you to everyone who asked. Here I am again, sending you love🙏🫶😍🌸
gofund.me/46ce1af1
gofund.me/46ce1af1
October 21, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Alhamdulillah, today Allah has blessed me with a new born baby boy whom I named Rakan.I hope he grows up in safety, peace, dignity and a good life. Far from death,destruction and wars.Thank you to everyone who asked. Here I am again, sending you love🙏🫶😍🌸
gofund.me/46ce1af1
gofund.me/46ce1af1
Reposted by kelly…kitty?
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
😍😍😍 cannot wait for this book from everyone’s favorite sports economist. (Okay, maybe not a favorite of team owners & their lobbyists but certainly mine 😂)
Cover just dropped. Coming in 2026 from Oxford University Press.
November 9, 2025 at 1:33 AM
😍😍😍 cannot wait for this book from everyone’s favorite sports economist. (Okay, maybe not a favorite of team owners & their lobbyists but certainly mine 😂)
Fuck this. Stay tuned on how to join the fight against this.
A government contracting document details plans to open a national call center in the greater Nashville area to coordinate efforts to track unaccompanied immigrant children and deport them.
ICE Plans Nashville Call Center to Track Migrant Children
Facility would use state and local police information to locate and potentially deport unaccompanied minors
www.nashvillescene.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Fuck this. Stay tuned on how to join the fight against this.
On Tuesday, Council passed a resolution supporting the Mayor’s Office & partners in their SNAP response. An amendment requested Mayor’s Office work with WeGo to suspend fares. Amendment adopted & resolution passed unanimously with 33-0-0 vote. The Mayor returned the unanimous resolution unsigned.
November 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
On Tuesday, Council passed a resolution supporting the Mayor’s Office & partners in their SNAP response. An amendment requested Mayor’s Office work with WeGo to suspend fares. Amendment adopted & resolution passed unanimously with 33-0-0 vote. The Mayor returned the unanimous resolution unsigned.
ALL OF THIS.
And also, as I’ve mentioned before, verbal & physical assaults on bus operators dropped FORTY PERCENT with fare free implementation in NYC & Kansas City. There is NO LEGITIMATE REASON to delay freezing fares.
All we’re missing is the political will from @freddieoconnell.bsky.social
And also, as I’ve mentioned before, verbal & physical assaults on bus operators dropped FORTY PERCENT with fare free implementation in NYC & Kansas City. There is NO LEGITIMATE REASON to delay freezing fares.
All we’re missing is the political will from @freddieoconnell.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 3:54 PM
ALL OF THIS.
And also, as I’ve mentioned before, verbal & physical assaults on bus operators dropped FORTY PERCENT with fare free implementation in NYC & Kansas City. There is NO LEGITIMATE REASON to delay freezing fares.
All we’re missing is the political will from @freddieoconnell.bsky.social
And also, as I’ve mentioned before, verbal & physical assaults on bus operators dropped FORTY PERCENT with fare free implementation in NYC & Kansas City. There is NO LEGITIMATE REASON to delay freezing fares.
All we’re missing is the political will from @freddieoconnell.bsky.social
Reposted by kelly…kitty?
A family friend was telling us about what her husband shared about his experience in Broadview before he was deported back to Mexico. She's been sharing to friends and family because she's just in disbelief & horror what her husband told her. She wasn't able to talk to him until he was in Mexico.
November 7, 2025 at 3:08 AM
A family friend was telling us about what her husband shared about his experience in Broadview before he was deported back to Mexico. She's been sharing to friends and family because she's just in disbelief & horror what her husband told her. She wasn't able to talk to him until he was in Mexico.
Reposted by kelly…kitty?
We create so many unnecessary burdens for both the provider and recipient rather than doing the morally correct and bureaucratically efficient thing.
THEY ARE NOT ALLOWING ANY MORE PEOPLE IN LINE AT MAC TO RECEIVE JOURNEY PASSES. Tell your people so they don’t waste time and money trying to get there. This was entirely avoidable. We knew people were going to come out like crazy for these passes. Free bus access is life changing. #bagthefarebox
November 6, 2025 at 7:14 PM
We create so many unnecessary burdens for both the provider and recipient rather than doing the morally correct and bureaucratically efficient thing.
Reposted by kelly…kitty?
It probably did not help that last time they were not have any requirements to getting a journey pass through MAC.
November 6, 2025 at 6:26 PM
It probably did not help that last time they were not have any requirements to getting a journey pass through MAC.
WeGo said there’s stigma associated with showing a bus driver a SNAP card yet their IG story right now is them filming a line of SNAP recipients waiting for a Journey Pass at WeGo Central. Absolutely disgusting & indicative of how much they value positive PR over the dignity of our neighbors 🤬🤬🤬
November 7, 2025 at 3:11 AM
WeGo said there’s stigma associated with showing a bus driver a SNAP card yet their IG story right now is them filming a line of SNAP recipients waiting for a Journey Pass at WeGo Central. Absolutely disgusting & indicative of how much they value positive PR over the dignity of our neighbors 🤬🤬🤬
This entire thing has descended into mass chaos and confusion. Every single part of this mess was completely avoidable. BAG THE FARE BOX AND FREEZE FARES NOW. Journey Pass roll out being expedited before being ready is NOT WORKING. So much conflicting information and confusion.
THEY ARE NOT ALLOWING ANY MORE PEOPLE IN LINE AT MAC TO RECEIVE JOURNEY PASSES. Tell your people so they don’t waste time and money trying to get there. This was entirely avoidable. We knew people were going to come out like crazy for these passes. Free bus access is life changing. #bagthefarebox
November 6, 2025 at 5:40 PM
This entire thing has descended into mass chaos and confusion. Every single part of this mess was completely avoidable. BAG THE FARE BOX AND FREEZE FARES NOW. Journey Pass roll out being expedited before being ready is NOT WORKING. So much conflicting information and confusion.
💀💀💀💀💀
TBF people in that social class usually need to pay to have a relationship
“Payment creates a relationship” is not an argument that any leader of an allegedly progressive city should be making with a straight face.
November 5, 2025 at 7:18 AM
💀💀💀💀💀
Council just UNANIMOUSLY requested the Mayor’s Office work with WeGo to immediately suspend fares until WeGo’s next board meeting on November 20th or upon the resumed disbursement of SNAP benefits, whichever comes first.
It’s past time for @freddieoconnell.bsky.social to step up for our neighbors.
It’s past time for @freddieoconnell.bsky.social to step up for our neighbors.
Council just unanimously approved a bus fare suspension amendment to a SNAP resolution (left). WeGo announced new Journey Pass enrollment events earlier today (right) but council just sent a clear message that we must do more
Share these events with SNAP recipients and service providers:
Share these events with SNAP recipients and service providers:
November 5, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Council just UNANIMOUSLY requested the Mayor’s Office work with WeGo to immediately suspend fares until WeGo’s next board meeting on November 20th or upon the resumed disbursement of SNAP benefits, whichever comes first.
It’s past time for @freddieoconnell.bsky.social to step up for our neighbors.
It’s past time for @freddieoconnell.bsky.social to step up for our neighbors.
This is classist bullshit. Also, none of this is for free! We subsidize WeGo’s operations & if they’re really going to be so devastated by a fare freeze for a period of time then let’s use OUR TAX DOLLARS from CHYM (just drew $104mil) to cover it. Homeless & poor folks pay sales tax just like us.
(should highlight that this is CLEARLY coded language. What he’s saying is, when we give people things “for free” they don’t respect them. Let’s skip past the fact that we’re already paying to subsidize WeGo’s operations & jump straight to the Reagan-like patronizing bullshit of this argument)
November 4, 2025 at 6:05 PM
This is classist bullshit. Also, none of this is for free! We subsidize WeGo’s operations & if they’re really going to be so devastated by a fare freeze for a period of time then let’s use OUR TAX DOLLARS from CHYM (just drew $104mil) to cover it. Homeless & poor folks pay sales tax just like us.