OUR CITY'S CHALLENGE
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
-- Nelson Mandela
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POVERTY
45% of children in Memphis live below the poverty line, the highest child poverty rate in the United States.
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OPPORTUNITY
Shelby County has 35,000 Opportunity Youth, meaning youth ages 16-24 who are not in school or working.
EDUCATION
JIFF youth are an average of 4 years behind in school as compared to their peers.
THE JIFF SOLUTION
At JIFF, we recognize that external factors often lead youth into crime. Our programs seek to challenge any outside barrier to provide holistic healing to the youth and to the community.
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FAITH
God has equipped each of our youth with exactly what they need to succeed. JIFF's mission is to help them realize that potential inside of them through Christ.
Due to lack of opportunities, many of our youth feel extreme hopelessness. We combat this by encouraging them to create their own life plan and supporting them to pursue that plan.
HOPE
LOVE
We believe no youth is "bad" regardless of his or her actions. Because of this, we consistently show them that they are loved WHERE they are and for WHO they are.
OUR GOALS
JIFF believes in realistic and achievable goals which are in the best interest of our youth. Within the next three years we will:
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Take JIFF to its maximum capacity in serving 700 youth each year.
MAXIMUM
CAPACITY
Link each JIFF graduate with a community-volunteer mentor who will continue to work with the youth for one year through our Live Life Together Program.
COMMUNITY
MENTORS
The JIFF model works, reducing recidivism and changing lives, and the data to support our success is documented. Our long-range goal is to first expand into satellite offices within Memphis. Thereafter, we would like to increase our presence in other cities around the country.
EXPAND
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