History / Founder
In its 30-year history, the Justice and Peace Office (AFLC's former name) has empowered low-income individuals and families of Central Florida to build better lives through educational programs and support services. Our organization’s founding 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.
The JPO was envisioned and founded by Sister Teresa McElwee, a nun with the order of Notre Dame de Namur, and was led by her until 2008. JPO has a history of advocacy, the creation of fourteen separate programs, and the building of Apopka Family Learning Center (AFLC) in its list of accomplishments. Today, when one hears about our history as the Justice and Peace Office, they often ask how the name originated. The philosophy of the name is simplified by the following quote: “If you want Peace, work for Justice”.
The JPO 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 thirty years have become agencies in their own right and now operate separately from the Justice and Peace Office.
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 examples of organizations and programs started by the JPO include Greater Reading or Writing Skills (GROWS) Literacy Council, which teaches English to speakers of other languages, Concerned Citizens of Apopka Women’s Auxiliary Association, Horizons Unlimited Development Corporation, Partners in Ground Level Justice, AFLC's Kids in Motion program, and Single Mothers in a Learning Environment (SMILE).