Hope Builders:
Christian Women's Job Corp

A HAND UP: From Dependency to Self-Sufficiency

The twenty-six year old mother of two exclaimed, "I have only seen a Bible at a distance, on a coffee table or a piano, but I have never touched one, until my mentor gave me one!" This project trains mentors to assist those who are poor and perhaps coming off welfare to become self-sufficient. Hope Builders/Christian Women's Job Corps will create an environment where persons can discover common ground with and mentor those who are seeking to move from dependency to self-sufficiency and together partner for change and growth.

Why Should I Be Involved?

There are 40 million people in poverty in the U.S. In Virginia, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the beaches of the eastern shore and to the multi-cultural environment of northern Virginia, the poverty facts are:
• 13% (942,570) persons live in poverty
• 17% (325,450) children under 18 in Virginia live in poverty.

Answers do not come readily when addressing the reality of poverty and the crippling effect of long-term dependency. Ministry one-on-one, or mentoring, is one solution to this complex problem. Hope Builders/Christian Women's Job Corps is mentoring towards long-term change.

The Bible teaches that we aim to meet the needs of others, especially of those who are hurting. The Old Testament emphasized communal responsibility in the care of the priests, debtors, the poor, and the widows. Believers are admonished by the words of Jesus to minister to the "least of these" (Matthew 25:40), our brothers and sisters who need a hand-up. Paul encourages the earlv church to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2), and to bear, each one of them, their own burdens (Galatians 6:5).

Hope Builders/Christian Women's Job Corps provides opportunity for the church to address poverty in Virginia, by walking beside an individual through his or her journey towards self-sufficiency. This is a ministry of building hope and changing lives. Through this ministry the church can celebrate God's redemptive work, while witnessing life-changing experiences in the lives of others.

What is a Mentor?	CWJC Models
• A role model • A listener • A guide • A motivator • An advocate	1. A Church 2. Association of Churches 3. A Community Facility
Hope Builders/CWJC Key Elements	STEPS IN DEVELOPING A HOPE BUILDERS/CWJC SITE
• A mentor for each participant • Bible study for spiritual growth • A covenant between every participant and mentor • Networking • Assessment of community and participant needs • An advisory council Ministry evaluation • Certification of Project Coordinators and training of  leaders.	1. Choose a Project Coordinator 2. Select an Advisory Council 3. Choose a ministry model 4. Conduct a community assessment 5. Develop a resource network for your locality 6. Recruit and train mentors 7. Identify and recruit participants 8. Establish covenants 9. Implement Ministry 10. Evaluate Ministry

Contact: For more information contact Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia, P. O. Box 8435, Richmond, Virginia 23226, 804/915-5000 or 1/800-255-2428.