J-Walking

The J-Walking Program is a semester-long service opportunity.  Participants visit the Dream Center, a transitional housing facility in Saint Cloud which aims to create a safe, stable space for the men to face their problems, find wholeness, and successfully integrate back into society.  We work with the Dream Center to provide an environment in which the men are able to learn the tools and skills they need to change their lives for the better.

As a recurring service opportunity, participants are encouraged to build relationships with the men.  Saturday mornings provide the optimal setting for fruitful conversation, card games, and story telling.  While maintaining a safe and professional distance, J-Walkers create bonds with men that society typically separates from the rest of the world. 

In addition to the relational aspect, the J-Walking program partners with Community Kitchen to put extra food from the on-campus dining facilities to good use within the community.  We share in their mission to utilize surplus food on campus and in the community as a catalyst for education, collaboration, and community action by serving a meal at the Dream Center each Saturday. 

After each visit, J-Walking leaders facilitate a group reflection to debrief the day's event.  As a group, we reflect on our conversations and interactions so that we maintain intentionality with our actions.  Our reflections help Jesus Christ and social justice remain at the root of the J-Walking program.

Fall 2023 Dates:

September 30, 2023

October 21, 2023

November 4, 2023

November 18, 2023

December 2, 2023