History of the Justice and Peace Office
The organization’s purpose was to create a center for advocacy and educational opportunities, which would advance individuals’ level of self-sufficiency and expand their prospects for a brighter future. In its 30-year history, JPO has empowered low-income individuals and families of Central Florida to build better lives through educational programs and support services.
The Justice and Peace Office was envisioned and founded by Sister Teresa McElwee, a nun with the order of Notre Dame de Namur, and was led by her until two months ago, JPO has a history of advocacy, the creation of fourteen separate programs, and the building of the Apopka Family Learning Center (AFLC) in its list of accomplishments. Today when one hears the name of the Justice and Peace Office, they are inclined to inquire about the name and how it originated. The philosophy of the name is simplified by the following quote: “If you want Peace, work for Justice”.
JPO has raised the standard for community based-organizations by extending the mission beyond the confines of JPO and working to establish other non-profit organizations that will support the poor. Many of these programs founded over the past 30 years have become agencies in their own right and now operate separately from the Justice and Peace Office.
Examples of these include GROWS Literacy Council (Greater Reading or Writing Skills), which teaches English to speakers of other languages established by the JPO in 1988; Preserve the Callahan Neighborhood Group (1980); Concerned Citizens of Apopka Women’s Auxiliary Association (1978); Single Mothers in a Learning Environment (SMILE); and the Community Trust Federal Credit Union (1982).
In 1980, the Callahan Neighborhood Association was formed to help that historically African-American community to guard its identity, homes, and businesses against the intrusion of big business development. In 1982, The Community Trust Federal Credit Union was organized to assist the poor with general banking needs. Other programs of the Justice and Peace Office include: Horizons Unlimited Development Corporation, Partners in Ground Level Justice, and the “Kids in Motion” (KIM) program.