{"id":6757,"date":"2024-05-14T22:28:50","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T05:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=6757"},"modified":"2026-08-30T20:42:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T03:42:35","slug":"the-jeremiah-program-in-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/the-jeremiah-program-in-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jeremiah Program in Las Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chic<\/span><\/div>
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This article was printed in<\/em>
\nChic Compass Magazine - Issue 18<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Pam<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Pam Carlston holds a Certificate of Congressional Recognition as Maria Tucker (center) awards the JP Las Vegas Champion for Change Award to Dr. Shartriya Collier on behalf of Nevada State University President DeRionne Pollard.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Jeremiah Program in Las Vegas<\/h1>\n

Disrupting Generational Poverty<\/p>\n

By Kendall Hardin \/ Photography courtesy of Jeremiah Program<\/p>\n<\/div>

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We are bombarded with endless appeals for an infinite number of causes impacting the planet, like climate change, hunger, human trafficking, and poverty. But poverty is pervasive even in America. So, how do we turn it around in today\u2019s environment?<\/p>\n

How exciting, then, that the Jeremiah Program (JP), one of the country\u2019s most proven models for attacking poverty head-on, has finally come to Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

The program started 25 years ago in Minneapolis and has now spread to eight other cities, with Las Vegas and Baltimore joining the national nonprofit in 2022. The organization is lauded as one of the most successful models for disrupting the cycle of generational poverty by building economic mobility among single mothers and their children, two generations at a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cJP is a national thought leader on generational poverty and the systemic barriers facing single-parent families,\u201d cited Chastity Lord, President and CEO of the Jeremiah Program. \u2008\u201cOur success lies in our commitment to meeting the moment, addressing structured inequities, and supporting the leadership of women facing the issues of early childhood education, college access, income inequality, and access to affordable housing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over 27% of Nevada\u2019s family households are headed by a single parent, and nearly one in every three single-mother families lives in poverty. Young single parents disproportionately come from Black and Latinx families who face structural barriers to accessing higher education, quality jobs, and economic mobility.<\/p>\n

Research shows that achievement gaps between children in low-income households and those in higher-income households emerge in the earliest years of life, and these discrepancies widen as children grow older. So, how does JP upend this inevitable outcome?<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Las Vegas JP team headed by Executive Director Maria Tucker (far right).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

A Universe of Support for JP Moms<\/h3>\n

The Jeremiah Program is built on the belief that five key pillars can disrupt poverty two generations at a time: 1) career-track college access and career support, 2) quality early childhood education, 3) empowerment and leadership training, 4) safe and affordable housing, and 5) a supportive community.<\/p>\n

To become a JP Mom, a woman must participate in 12 weeks of Empowerment and Leadership Training, meeting weekly with her family coach to develop a plan. The process takes about six months to address all barriers and find the balance each mom requires to proceed with the program.<\/p>\n

While JP started as a residential model in the Midwest, the Las Vegas model provides a scalable \u201ccommunity hub\u201d built on a constellation of public-private partnerships. In just two years, the Las Vegas model has partnered with Acelero, College of Southern Nevada, Nevada State University, Camino Verde Group, SCE Credit Union, and the Children\u2019s Cabinet. The program is in early conversations with local workforce development programs.<\/p>\n

Once a young single mother herself, Maria Tucker, armed with a Ph.D. in Environmental Sociology, joined the organization as the Las Vegas chapter\u2019s first executive director two years ago. She assembled a start-up team comprised of a family services director and three coaches to qualify moms for the program and provide ongoing support for navigating the puzzle of researching and accessing all the critical resources facing today\u2019s women who are both single parents and college students.<\/p>\n

\u201cSingle mothers entering college worry about when, not if, things will go wrong,\u201d explained Tucker. \u201cLike dealing with low-wage job fluctuations, unstable housing, and unavailable child care. Cars that break down. Kids who get sick. And no family or professional connections to lend support and encouragement.\u201d<\/p>\n

JP aims to guide and champion moms through today\u2019s complex support systems. The JP team functions as resource experts to connect moms to whatever they need. Non-residential campuses create a new kind of community, one that fosters the famous JP sisterhood among women helping other women.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Creation of \u201cMompreneurs\u201d at JP\u2019s First Spark Tank<\/h3>\n

\u201cTalent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,\u201d claimed Tucker, emcee of the closing event of the National JP Summit in Austin in 2023. Among the attendees were 200 JP moms and alums gathered to celebrate the finalists of Spark Tank, JP\u2019s pitch competition inspired by the famous Shark Tank television series.<\/p>\n

The competition provides a chance for moms to present their ideas about a new business model that creates wealth for their families and produces genuine change in their communities. In the last two years, 82 moms signed up for Spark Tank, dedicating a day and a half with volunteer coaches to refine their pitches and present their ideas as effectively as possible.<\/p>\n

Both motherhood and entrepreneurship can feel isolating and overwhelming. For participants, the feedback from their coaches and other moms proved invaluable. As Tucker underscored, \u201cThat\u2019s a key part of what Spark Tank was intended to do: build the community of JP mompreneurs through feedback and entrepreneurial idea sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n

From all Spark Tank participants, coaches select finalists to present their pitches at the summit\u2019s closing dinner. A diverse panel of judges selects the top three winners, and the audience votes for their favorite choice, the winner of the Inspirational Entrepreneur Award.<\/p>\n

Women Helping Women - Paying the Change Forward<\/h3>\n

Spark Tank challenges JP Moms to tackle local problems and fund businesses that uplift their communities. Each woman is judged on her \u201cability to receive constructive feedback and present her idea in a way that showcases her passion, personality, and identity.\u201d Top winners receive cash prizes, which, in turn, leverage additional local funding and support.<\/p>\n

Spark Tank winners inspire others with their resilience and creativity. Among the winning concepts:<\/p>\n