Advance Memphis is staffed with people who care about the neighborhood near downtown Memphis. Residents in the community are eager to partner with Advance Memphis because they are exciting about the opportunities for jobs, soft skills development and spiritual growth that Advance offers.
Advance Memphis is a wonderful ministry. Steve Nash and his staff have made a huge difference for the city of Memphis. They are changing lives with their financial literacy programs and job training classes. It has been a pleasure to get to know Steve and his fellow workers. I can't say enough good things about Advance!!!!!!
AdVance Memphis is a success story. Through the efforts and strong commitment of Steve Nash and his amazing and dedicated staff, AdVance Memphis is putting people in poverty to work and on the road to financial freedom. By focusing on the people in one neighborhood and their individual journeys, AdVance has achieved success that few economic development agencies can match. They have worked hard to get to know the neighbors and the neighborhood and their reputation there sets them apart. I cannot say enough good things about this amazing organization.
I have seen and experienced the Kingdom of God advancing through Advance Memphis. As Advance seeks to restore dignity to men and women created in the image of God by training them in their Jobs for Life program, leading them in Bible Studies, sending them to work, or just being with them in their neighborhood they allow people like me to get caught up in what the Lord is doing through them. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of what the Lord is doing through Advance Memphis as he brings his Kingdom to bear in this city.
I first learned about Advance Memphis threw the career center back in 2007. They said that it was a non profit that helpes the community that I live in. Once I was there,I found out that it was also Christian base;I got to know and love the place. I love the place so much that I got envolved with the classes that they have to offer. I graduated from thier Jobs for Life class with honors. I recieve G.E.D training from them wich helped me get my High School Diploma after being out of school for 9 years,and I reccomend people everywhere that I go to go and be apart of everything that Advance Memphis has to offer, they've been good to me and I love to give back. Good luck to Advance Memphis and Thanks...
Advance Memphis provides a holistic, community-based resource center for low-income adults in the heart of inner-city Memphis. Because Advance puts personal relationships and a long term commitment to a single local community at the forefront of their ministry, clients from the most difficult demographics in terms of employment have found real success in their careers and in their financial lives. Advance provides top notch soft-skills job training and financial literacy classes in a small group setting, one-on-one budget counseling, computer classes, job referral services, Individual Development Accounts, and free pscyhological counseling. Graduates of Advance's program are proud to be a part of the work, and consistently return to volunteer and even to use their new found employment to help others from the neighborhood. Several graduates have gone on to become employees at Advance. As a former staff member, I saw single mothers and young ex-felons who had been to numerous large government funded welfare-to-work programs with little to no success find the relationships, the education, and the long term encouragement they needed to find and keep jobs.
Advance Memphis is an established non-profit whose entire staff is devoted to advancing the kingdom one relationship at a time within the community. It is amazing to see the lives touched by Advance Memphis. Not only are lives touched within the community but also those that volunteer to serve with Advance. The building of relationships with the people of the community has really begun to transform the community as they seek hope and purpose for their lives. It has been amazing to see and hear different people within the community tell their story of how their lives have been changed by something/someone from Advance. I'm excited to be a part of a program that stays focused on serving others and fostering relationships that mean something.
This past summer (of 2009), I spent three months working at Advance Memphis developing the GED program. Through this experience I got to observe the organization very closely. Perhaps one of the most noticeable and profound characteristics of Advance Memphis is it's love for the community and individuals in it. The programs that it offers are also very solid. It would be a difficult task to find an organization that loves any neighborhood (on organizational and/or personal levels) more than Advance Memphis loves the 38126 neighborhood and the people in it.
When I got involved at Advance Memphis several years ago, I naively believed that I would have a lot to offer the organization. On the contrary, the organization ended up teaching me and offering me so much. The staff and participants have done wonders to change my perspective about injustice and how to love and serve our under-resourced brothers and sisters. In my opinion, the greatest thing about Advance is the high standards that are set by the staff and the example that they are for the participants. The result has been a culture of excellence. Everything they do, they do thoroughly and do it well. There needs to be more groups like Advance, chipping away at systemic poverty - one relationship at a time. Best of all, everything they do is through the grid of a Gospel worldview.
I have worked with several nonprofits in my career, and Advance Memphis has far and away done the best job of actively seeking out community members and fostering deep relationships between staff, volunteers, and the community it is a part of. Advance does a masterful job of connecting its clients to excellent resources and people that truly bring change to the whole person, far surpassing its mission to provide the knowledge and skills to find work and save money. With a curriculum firmly rooted in the truth of the Bible and the good news of Jesus Christ, Advance is committed to lasting and holistic change. Furthermore, I am impressed with Advance's dedication to provide the community it serves with the best possible services. The organization is continually reviewing best practices and actively listening to the community it loves for input and direction. I have witnessed Advance change the lives of countless clients, staff, and volunteers and would encourage anyone to be a part of what the Lord is doing through Advance.
As a result from being a rebellious teenager, I became an alcoholic/addict with a criminal record. I came to a point in my life where I just didn't want to live anymore. I eventually fell to my knees and asked God for forgiveness and guidance. After completing a drug/alcohol treatment program, I was faced with discouragement when I began searching for employment. Not having any skills, along with having a criminal background, I was getting nowhere fast. I was referred to Advance Memphis and the Jobs for Life/Financial Freedom program. I learned basic computer skills to produce my resume and find job leads through net-working and the internet posting boards. I went through mock interviews and was taught how to develop a spending plan. Throughout the program, I was inspired and encouraged to seek a closer relationship with God. I now have a job that I love and have the chance to practice my new ability to be a good steward with the income that I have been blessed with. I have also learned to not search for happiness, to search for right living and happiness will be my reward. I thank Advance Memphis, the employees and all of the volunteers.