Step Up Ministry

StepUp Ministry is committed to the hundreds of jobless individuals and families in our community who want to work and change their lives. We believe in their future. We believe in their capacity to take responsibility for their lives. We know they need a community that cares, educates and challenges them so that they can endure, learn and grow. By being that community, we fulfill our mission to promote stability.

StepUp Ministry empowers people in crisis and at risk–-unemployed, low-wage and homeless individuals— with direction and hope to change their lives by becoming employed and gaining the necessary life skills to build a stable life for themselves and their children.

Elements of the StepUp process include:

Job Training and Placement:  Participants enter StepUp through a mandatory, 25 hour, week-long job training experience.  The curriculum develops communications skills, teaches conflict resolution, reflective listening techniques, interview skills and job retention.  Participants graduate with a current resume, personal interview training and clothing appropriate for job interviews.  After successfully completing job training, StepUp employment counselors assist participants with job placement.

Life Skills:  Once employed, the StepUp participants are eligible to apply for the yearlong Life Skills training.   This four phased, incentive driven curriculum offers weekly classes covering goal setting, financial literacy, personal responsibility and development, vocational development, physical and mental health, and ready-to-rent classes.  Adult life skill participants are required to bring their children.

Children’s Program:  This intense curriculum, for children of Life Skills participants, is designed to break the cycle of poverty.

Scholarships, Vocational Curriculum, Alumni Classes:  Continued support for StepUp participants is available to help move these people toward stable, life-sustaining futures for themselves and their children.

Volunteers:  StepUp Ministry offers meaningful volunteer opportunities.  Volunteers are trained to mentor adults and children.  Depending upon your interest, you can choose weekly mentoring of adults or children through our Life Skills curriculum or serve through a number of other volunteer opportunities. 

StepUp Staff:  StepUp has a staff of 26 people, five of whom are StepUp graduates.

To learn more about StepUp Ministry or to become involved as a volunteer, please visit our website at www.step-up.us.