Imagine if there was a way to receive a notification on your phone showing where YOUR help and talents are needed. This is becoming a reality for many folks in the Jackson metropolitan area. As residents of Jackson, Jacob works as a surgeon at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Amy is an attorney and mother of two. These two larger-than-life individuals with hearts of gold searched Jackson Leadership Foundation’s Nehemiah Network volunteer portal and found volunteer needs at a nonprofit called Soul City Jackson.
At the time, Jacob and Amy had never heard of Soul City Jackson’s neighborhood programs in Midtown. Now, over a year later, they are wholeheartedly invested in serving the Midtown community through Soul City Jackson. They developed a specifically meaningful relationship through the volunteer portal, now joyfully sharing their beautiful home with a young friend from Soul City Jackson who was in a season of transition and homelessness.
Amy reflects, “We have been challenged and blessed so much through what seemed like a simple click on the JLF site to help with a meal.” You, too, can join Jacob and Amy in forwarding hope in our capital city through Jackson Leadership Foundation and JLF’s Nehemiah Network.
In 2018, Jackson Leadership Foundation (JLF) was established by local leaders as part of a global network of leadership foundations. This global network is made of 42 leadership foundations in cities such as Dallas, Knoxville, Lexington, and Memphis with more than 40 years of experience serving cities. JLF’s mission is to see the spiritual, social, and economic transformation of Jackson – one community at a time - through the empowerment of leaders, development of ministries, and networking of volunteers and donors.
To that end, JLF operates five ministry programs in Jackson ranging from its volunteer clearinghouse called Nehemiah Network to its leadership development program called Leader Lab, all the way to community mentoring programs such as Red Door Jackson and Partners in the Gospel.
Each week, JLF’s Nehemiah Network facilitates needs of the various ministries throughout Jackson, ranging from hot water heaters to large work crews. Every month, coaches in JLF’s Leader Lab program work to expand the potential and performance of grassroots leaders throughout Jackson. Whether it is a homeless ministry in South Jackson or a mentoring program in Fondren, JLF works to provide necessary leadership assistance plus volunteer and donor networking to support leaders, scale organizations, and connect Jackson’s ministries with people in the metro like Jacob and Amy who are willing and ready to be a part of the solution in our city.
In 2020, Forbes published a report that 45% of nonprofit employees will seek new employment within five years. Of that group, 23% said that nonprofits would not be among the types of organizations they intend to pursue. What is the reasoning behind the “burn-out?” Could there have been better ways to keep leaders and their teams serving those who need food, education, assistance, direction, or training? Jackson Leadership Foundation provides a place for the nonprofit ministry leader to receive the leadership assistance and networking support needed to not only survive but thrive. And your help is needed.
JLF’s Nehemiah Network volunteer portal can connect your time, talent, and treasure to ministries throughout Jackson in need of your help. You can support needs ranging from children in need of tutoring after school instead of being home alone… to young men struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol… to families longing to learn English as a second language… to teenagers who have aged out of foster care in need of workforce development and financial literacy skills. Join hundreds of others throughout the metro area who, like Jacob and Amy, provide hope to those who are waiting. Visit www.JacksonLeadershipFoundation.org, find our “Volunteer Get Connected” App in the App store, or contact Marianna Stone at MStone@jacksonleadershipfoundation.org to learn how you can get involved.
