Coalition for Compassion and Justice
Creating a Community-Wide Response to Poverty
About
In 2000, the staff of Prescott United Methodist Church found themselves spending a great deal of time counseling with homeless and low income residents, offering meal vouchers for the local Apple Pan Restaurant, and using a portion of their discretionary funds for gas vouchers. All three ministers felt someone needed to do more.
The PUMC Church and Society Committee was tasked to organize what became the Interfaith Coalition for Compassion and Justice, or ICCJ (now simply CCJ). Several local congregations helped create the organization, including:
Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Sacred Heart Catholic Church Temple B’rith Shalom
Prescott United Methodist Church The Center for Spiritual Living
American Lutheran Church St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
First Baptist Church First Church of the Nazarene
The Christian Science Church Prescott Community Church RCA
Trinity Presbyterian Church People Who Care
Open Door (then a program of PUMC)
Papers of incorporation were officially filed on November 1, 2001. The first program of ICCJ was Home Repair, an outgrowth of needs seen by Habitat for Humanity volunteers. Home Repair volunteers provided health and safety home repairs to low-income homeowners. ICCJ’s first grant was from Yavapai County Community Foundation for Home Repair on July 24, 2002.
On May 1, 2003, the Prescott United Methodist Church transferred management of its Open Door program to ICCJ. At that time Open Door offered food boxes, showers, toiletries and financial assistance limited to $100 per day of service. Open Door soon began expanding its operations, extending their hours of operation and providing school supplies to children of low-income families.
In 2005, ICCJ was shortened to CCJ, the Coalition for Compassion and Justice. While CCJ has no religious affiliation, the organization has strong ties to both religious and non-religious-affiliated groups.
Circles of Support became the third program of CCJ in 2005. Trained mentors began to help families on a personal level. Circles of Support is now collaborating with the Pathways of Hope program of Catholic Charities.
In 2010, CCJ launched the CCJ Thrift Shop and CCJ Catering in an effort to help fund the organization while furthering its poverty-relief mission.
Many good people have contributed to the success of CCJ. Little did the earliest participants know CCJ would grow as it has, thanks to fine leadership and community-wide support.
The Coalition for Compassion and Justice (CCJ) is a poverty-relief nonprofit serving Prescott, Arizona, and the surrounding area.
History
Collaborations
CCJ is a member of the Hunger Relief Collaborative, a group of local agencies which came together with the goal of providing a free meal every day in Prescott. Members include Church on the Street, Granite Peak Potluck Ministry, Feed the Hungry, Common Ground Ministry, and CCJ Open Door.
CCJ also helps increase the capacity of local nonprofits while they are in their early stages. CCJ has helped create the Prescott Area Women’s Shelter (PAWS) and the Anglo-Latino Alliance.
The Community Circle (TCC)
Assists motivated individuals to overcome poverty. Through shared case management and collaboration with eleven advocacy groups and community service organizations, TCC acts as an infrastructure that links and coordinates services and support options while empowering people to connect with community and resources. CCJ is a member agency of this group.
CCJ has received much support from the Yavapai County Community Foundation, and is pleased to be a Partner Agency of the United Way of Yavapai County. Our relationship with these organizations is one that enhances our three programs, Circles of Support, Home Repair and Open Door. YCCF and the United Way have touched the lives of many people in our community. We have already collaborated on projects and look forward to a future of more partnerships.
Vision and Mission
The vision of CCJ is of a comprehensive, efficient and sustainable community infrastructure that meets critical needs of those in poverty, and encourages and empowers people to self-sufficiency.
The mission of CCJ is to address the issues of poverty through its programs and collaborative efforts in the Greater Prescott Community by:
• Supporting the com- munity infrastructure of peer service providers
• Advocating for systemic changes that lead to a fair and just community
• Encouraging and facilitating self-sufficiency
• Providing critical services for those struggling with poverty
As a 501(c)(3) Public Charity, CCJ files an annual IRS Tax Exemption Form 990.
To learn more about the finances of CCJ, and to view our Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax
(Form 990),
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