Word From Our Founder About Recent Changes
Dear Friends, Partners, and Supporters of Because Justice Matters,
When we pioneered the work of BJM a little over 9 years ago, one of our first ministries was manicure outreach. We started with one small table on the streets of the Tenderloin, connecting with a handful of women each week, and have watched it gradually increase as more and more women sought our relationship and resources. Over the years we’ve expanded and manicure outreach has become one of our leading ministries – when people think of BJM they often mention nails! Over the years many of you have partnered with us in volunteering, giving and advertising our work. Each of you has impacted the lives of these women, whether you walked through our doors or not. Thank you.
Since then BJM has grown beyond anything I could have imagined!
Five years ago we signed a lease for our own space, opening The Well in the Fall of 2013 and with that came an explosion of new staff and new ministries. We launched our dance program for youth and began small healing groups for women. Over the years we have tried to remain sensitive to how Jesus was leading us, not wanting to just run programs but desiring to always be at the center of what God has on His heart for women and girls.
At the beginning of 2017 we felt a shift coming. We have spent months praying and talking as a staff and leadership team. As we reflected on what was brewing in our heart, specifically a call to relaunch our strip club outreach, alongside the desire to find more strategic ways to connect with the local church, we have decided to make a change to our manicure outreach.
Starting this month we are moving our manicure outreach to once a month on Mondays. Then in the New Year we will host it once a month on Saturdays. We believe that this change will allow our staff to both continue providing a safe space to women, and nurturing relationships, whilst also having the capacity to start building towards launching an ongoing presence back in the strip clubs of San Francisco. It will also open up weekend service opportunities for local churches and volunteers, engaging more people in the work of loving the women and girls of our city.
This decision was weighed intensely by our team, and also talked over with women in our community who love the Lord, and who we consider leaders in the Tenderloin. These women agreed with our decision and offered guidance as to how best serve the neighborhood whilst also listening to Jesus. We did not make this change lightly and we believe that this is how Jesus is leading us forward.
This week we welcome a brand new volunteer coordinator! Laina Humbles is stepping into that role after we said goodbye to Jolene following her recent marriage. This Fall we will be adjusting our volunteer opportunities inline with her vision and the new changes to nail day. Expect to hear from us soon!
We value your partnership and hope that we can count on your support as we step into this new season,