Inspiring Hope. Creating Real Change.
Life’s circumstances or missteps can lead to incarceration or other life challenges that can be difficult to overcome. It’s better for everyone in our community when we can ensure a person has the chance to put the pieces of their lives back together; creating a community where everyone has an opportunity to succeed.
JustDane accomplishes this through field-tested initiatives that have transformed lives for over 15 years:
- Our 2 year recidivism rate ranges from 9-15% compared to the state average of 67%
- Our Just Bakery students are job ready to pursue their careers.
- Our workshops provide eye-opening experiences.
- Our guests in recuperative care through the Healing House return to the community healed and renewed.
Years Helping our Community
Our Initiatives
Just Bakery
Just Bakery is an educational and vocational training program. The program works with individuals who are experiencing significant barriers to employment (homelessness, criminal conviction history, lack of education, and/or a lack of work history or skills) and are learning.
Just Connections
Our Youth Programs including: Mentoring Connections, Family Connections and Reading Connections
Journey Home
Journey Home works to reduce recidivism (return to prison) by creating a stronger safer community for those returning. It focuses on the areas of residency, employment, support and treatment—as well as transportation and education.
Peer Support
Our Peer Support Initiative provides a solution that helps formerly incarcerated individuals find success in life while making our community safer for all.
Circles of Support
Circles of Support is a reentry program that provides individuals leaving prison with a support system.
Healing House
Healing House is a recuperative care shelter for families experiencing homelessness; offering a safe, nurturing place for these families to heal when an immediate family member needs to heal prior to or following a medical procedure or hospitalization.
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Our History
Look through 50 years of social action, restorative justice, and community inclusion
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1970
Madison Urban Ministry
MUM was formed by First Congregational UCC Servants on the Errands Committee, with other congregations signing on.
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1971
Project home
Project Home, as part of MUM, creats Over 55 Employment Service and spins off from MUM.
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1972
Eastside community health center
Eastside Community Health Center is developed-eventually merged with Mifflin St. Community Health Center.
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1973
Non-Profit Status
MUM is officially designated a non-profit agency.
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1974-75
Dialogue
Beginning of MUM and Clergy informational and dialogue Meetings. MUM initiates a year of seminars on Understanding Prejudice and begins producing a newsletter about social action.
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1977
Task Force & Initiatives
MUM Community Education Task Force is formed to block closing of inner-city schools and the Downtown Organizations and Volunteers for the Elderly (DOVE) is formed to provide free meals for seniors twice per year.
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1979
Conferences
MUM forms a Task Force to conduct pilot and 3 conferences 1981 on Power, Poverty, and Politics.
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1980
Wexford Ridge Project
Beginning of Task Force for Weford Ridge Project, which lead to the development of Wexford Ridge Community Center and Food Pantry.
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1982
1982-Labor Unions
Church Labor Task Force initiated to support labor unions in Dane County.
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1984
Focus on Homelessness
MUM begins to focus on homelessness- leads to development of the Drop in Shelter for the Homeless and Transitional Housing Inc, which later became Porchlight.
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1989
Drop in Shelter
The Drop-In Shelter, in the works since 1984, spun off and became Transitional Housing Inc.
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1990
Housing Coalition
MUM is asked to facilitate the formation of a Housing Coalition to address access to affordable housing, develop a housing project model, and advocate for homeless individuals.