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Who We Are

JCity Center for Hope and Renewal, Inc. is a faith-based, independent, nonprofit community development organization focused on long-term needs in Johnston City, Illinois and the surrounding area. Our goal is to work with volunteers and other agencies connecting individuals and families with counselors, mentors, and resources to improve mental health, relationships, addiction recovery, financial stability, and adequate housing.

What We Do

When our programs as a community development organization are fully implemented we will address long-term needs in the following areas:

• Mental health

• Addiction Recovery

• Relationships

• Finances

• Housing

Through partnership and cooperation with other nonprofit and community organizations, we currently offer mental health and family counseling, invested community counseling, addiction recovery coaching, and personal and family financial mentoring.

Services

Invested Counseling

For the disadvantaged in our community, the Center offers “invested counseling,” which allows the uninsured or publicly insured to exchange community service hours for clinical counseling sessions.

Additional Services

A financial mentoring program built on a growing base of volunteers is available for those on government assistance or the “working poor” who just need help learning how to make ends meet. As the volunteer base grows and gains expertise, the Center will offer guidance for those struggling to find adequate housing in our community. The Center will advocate for those caught in the bind of tenancy in substandard “contract for deed” houses.

JCity Center plans to host various community support groups. Currently, SIMI (Southern Illinois Men of Integrity) and a nondenominational women’s Bible study meet weekly. Facilitator training for mental health support groups is now in progress. AA, NA and other peer-led recovery groups are also welcome to use the facility.

Get Involved

Give online now

Fill out volunteer application

• Pray daily for our ministry

• Share life skills

• Assist with promotion (prepare mailings, distribute fliers, make phone contacts)

• Social media management

• Help with/oversee yard work (flowers, clean up, maintenance)

• Provide a meal

• Attend a meeting or encourage others to come

• Volunteer as a mentor

• Partner financially

• Initiate a new program (your burden or passion for the community)

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What Is Invested Counseling?
JCity Center for Hope and Renewal offers a unique type of professional counseling that allows individuals, couples, and families to exchange of hours of community service or local church ministry for counseling sessions. Invested counseling is predominantly for those who are underinsured, have no insurance, or have coverage under Medicaid, All Kids, or Medicare that prohibits them from seeing the Christian counselor of choice.

Areas of counseling available include mental health, trauma, relationships, grief, conflict resolution, and spiritual issues. Depending on availability of counselors, sessions may be scheduled for children and teens, as well as adults. Clients with private or employer-provided insurance coverage may not qualify for invested counseling but may receive counseling at the Center through our partner agency, Caring Counseling Ministries.

Community service or ministry may be provided by a family member or friend for those who are unable to fulfill the requirement, i.e., the elderly, disabled, small children, etc. The service may be provided in Johnston City, the surrounding area, or in the client’s local church. Telehealth (online) counseling is available for residents of Illinois who live at any distance from the Center, provided the service hours are worked in that person’s community or local church and verified by a pastor or other community leader.

The professionals who provide invested counseling services are well-trained Christian counselors, either clinical or pastoral, who volunteer their time for this ministry.

Who We Work With

Take Action Today, another faith-based nonprofit organized in West Frankfort, needed a home base for their first recovery resource center and were offered space in the Center. Both organizations joined hands and held a grand opening at 504 East Broadway, October 4, 2021. Take Action Today’s ministry of providing addiction recovery peer support specialists has been well received in the region by law enforcement and addiction recovery professionals. Utilizing continued grant funding, Take Action Today is opening Franklin County office with the goal of serving four Southern Illinois counties by establishing resource centers in other communities. Also Caring Counseling Ministries of Marion agreed to provide services of a licensed clinical professional counselor in a satellite office at the Center. Through partnership with CCM, JCity Center offers mental health and family counseling for clients with private or employer-provided insurance.