Jobs in Community 2006 Graduating Class

The Uptown Alliance Jobs in Community program (JIC) celebrated its second class of graduates in 2006 at Holy Community United Methodist Church in Uptown Memphis. The ceremony marked the end of a four-week training program in which participants received both classroom instruction and on-site training for the hospitality industry. Participants will receive continued assistance from JIC in the application and interview process, as well as continued one-on-one mentoring from JIC staff.

The guest speaker was Modeane Thompson, a well-known community and church activist, who was recently honored by the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis with the 2006 Women of Courage award.

The JIC program was started in 2004 by the Uptown Alliance, a Christian ministry in the Uptown Resource Center at 314 Auction Avenue. According to executive director Steve Druelinger, JIC represents something that has been lacking in Uptown for years: hope.

"Even with all of the economic development downtown, too many of this neighborhood's residents are getting left behind," Druelinger said. "Participants in the JIC program are not just looking for a job, but hope for a brighter future. So far, 30 percent of our participants have no high school diploma or GED, and 80 percent are unemployed when they come to us."

For more information on how to partner with the Uptown Alliance, please contact Steve Druelinger at (901) 576-6983 or by email.

For more information on becoming a volunteer mentor for a JIC graduate, please contact Andrea Thompson Adam at (901) 576-6983 or by e-mail.