About Us
Jefferson Park Ministries, Inc. (JPM), founded in 2002, is a 501(c) (3) tax exempt, faith-based community organization in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Our mission is to serve immigrant families and youth by providing services to enhance their quality of life, while promoting empowerment to manage day to day activities. With family orientation being one of its primary focuses, JPM provides a range of culturally-competent services for the Haitian community, as well as services for other at-risk minority populations, including Latinos and African Americans. The agency enables vulnerable, Haitian immigrants and others with limited literacy to navigate through the social service system by reducing language and cultural barriers, while educating the broader community about cultural sensitivity and diversity.
JPM’s clients are primarily of limited language proficiency, live at or below the poverty level, and are marginally employed, unemployed or at risk for unemployment. Our organization has a solid record of accomplishments in designing and implementing programs that address the needs of disparaged families and youth.
During the past year, more than 800 clients have been served through 13 programs including Adult ESL and Literacy, Chronic Disease workshops for adults, Santé Pour Tous I and II (Health Literacy for All) in Union County and Essex County), rent and utilities assistance, food pantry, after school and summer programs for youth, and social services for families. Our plan is to continue to advance this mission to help create lasting results for families by developing practical skills such as financial literacy and job readiness for parents while enriching the lives of children through educational programs, after school program, and fun recreational activities, all the while paving the path for families to move forward independent, healthy community.
~Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you~ Matthew 7 : 12
Our Purpose for Existing
Our purpose of existence is to become the primary source providing services to the Haitian community and the community at large within the city of Elizabeth and the State of New Jersey. We want to be the heart, the hands, and the voice of those who cannot help themselves.
~“It is beautiful to express love and even more beautiful to feel it.”~ Dejan Stojanovic
Our Dream for Tomorrow
Our vision is to become the community’s primary resource for programs and services that contribute to individual and family stability, as well as development among Haitian and other immigrant groups.