Our initial launch goal was to raise $70K by October 31st. We are so grateful to each and every person who contributed in some way to help us not only reach our goal, but far exceed it! Now we're excited to tell you what we've been up to since we launched...
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Seven incredible men and women from all over the city have committed to serve on our initial Launch Board. We've already had our first dinner to introduce everyone and our first Board Retreat will be November 14th. Over the next year, they will help us shepherd and clarify the vision for UP Nashville.
STREET LEADERS We have selected six high school sophmores and juniors to be our first crop of Street Leaders. They represent the nations of Thailand, Rwanda, Congo, and Zimbabwe. We are so excited to begin training and pouring into them in preparation for the opening of our After School Program in January. Read more about our Street Leader Program here.
DIRECTION TEAM Teacher, Missionary, Counselor, Nurse, Accountant, School Administrator, Social Worker - these are just some of the amazing people that have said yes to helping us on the ground in executing the strategy behind our mission of helping refugee youth heal, learn, and direct their own futures for good. We have already put them to work and know they are going to be invaluable to us.
SCHOOL PARTNER The first partner school for our After School Program is Haywood Elementary! Haywood serves the second highest number of refugee students among Metro Nashville Elementary Schools. Many of these students are from Southeast Asia and Africa. We will be working closely with teachers and administrators to identify the very first students that we will start serving in January!
1. LOCATION - We are looking for a location in South Nashville, preferably with a gym and a field, to host our After School Program and Summer Camp. We have some upcoming meetings with churches that could potentially be good fits. 2. TRANSPORTATION - We need at least one, preferably two, 15 passenger vans, to bus kids to and from our programs. We are open to other transportation options besides purchasing, including partnering with a church or other non-profit. 3. FUNDING - We are so excited and grateful that our initial launch goal has been reached (and exceeded!), but creating sustainable funding partners is a huge need to keep this work going. We are continuing to meet with individuals, churches, and foundations to share our heart and vision.
This verse gave inspiration for the very first UrbanPromise site in Camden, NJ, in 1988. UrbanPromise's work in Camden over the last 30 years has inspired over 20 replications around the country and across the globe. UrbanPromise Nashville is the newest of those sites! Find out more about the history of UrbanPromise here.
UrbanPromise Nashville's continual prayer is that the Lord will pour out an abundance of heaven's resources to invest in the lives of refugees in our city, whether that be through prayer, volunteers, connections, or finances. To get involved, email us at info@urbanpromisenashville.org. To give, click the donate link below. Know that your gift of any amount will go directly into this work that will impact lives for good, all for the glory of God!
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