Tennessee: Jubilee Project Inc., SneedvilleSummary: Grassroots leadership development, economic development and community organizing in an area of widespread poverty. (#781350) Description: The Jubilee Project is a mission inspired by the Jubilee Year provisions in Leviticus 25: obeying God's command to enable the poor to provide for their own needs. Jubilee was begun in 1991 by United Methodists in Hancock County, Tennessee; and includes ministries of youth development with at-risk youth, small business development with low-income craft and farm producers, providing leadership and spiritual development for youth and adults, and assisting community efforts in health care, education, recreation, and the arts. With help from church workcamps Jubilee has renovated an old store to provide a youth center, small business incubator, shared use community kitchen, and technology training center; it continues to need workcamps willing to provide construction, Bible Schools, special youth programs, and small business training. Jubilee Project is funded by United Methodist churches, individuals, and a few foundation grants; and is run by a board; which includes United Methodist laypersons, the local pastor and district superintendent, and others elected by its 200 community members. The goals of Jubilee Project are: (1) to develop social and recreational opportunities for children, youth and young adults; (2) to create job opportunities and increase people's economic control over their lives; (3) to provide and enable learning opportunities, working through and assisting other groups whenever possible; (4) to improve the quality of health in Hancock County; (5) to respond to urgent community problems with appropriate aid and staff time, working with and through other groups whenever possible; (6) to network with related groups; (7) to obtain the resources needed for all the above. |