About Justice Overcoming Boundaries (JOB)
Mission
JOB’s mission is to invest in the development of community leaders so that they may address issues that affect them, their families and their communities.
Board of Directors - Executive Committee
Mother Patricia E. Andrews-Callori - President
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
Eva Pacheco - Vice President
Excellence and Justice in Education (EJE)
Dr. Geoffrey Hueter - Treasurer
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Ms. Estela de los Rios – Secretary
Center of Social Advocacy
History
JŌB began in 2003 when a group of clergy began coming together to envision a regional, county-wide, faith-based organization focused on addressing the disparities in San Diego County. The leadership of JŌB committed to engage other community institutions in an effort to build bridges across race, class, and geography, bringing more people to the table of justice. In October, 2004, JŌB held its inaugural event with a 2,000 person public meeting.
JŌB is presently staffed by two full time organizers and is continuing on its path to becoming a powerful countywide organization.
2007 Goals
Issues and Actions:
- Through public actions, in relationship with national partners, advocate for a national comprehensive immigration policy
- With our partner, ACORN, carry out a campaign that will win a countywide agreement from hospitals that they will make publicize their charity care services.
- Create more accountability related to affordable housing and seek remedies for mold, lead and infestations in San Diego’s low-income communities.
- Through a leadership led process identify next “Issue” campaign to be prioritized
Base Building:
- Recruit ten new member institutions
- Build strong core teams in all member institutions
- Strengthen spiritual component of our organizing work
Money:
- Raise $70,000 through the Fiesta Del Sol
- Raise $20,000 from individual donors
- Raise $50,000 through Private Foundations
My Vote Counts:
- Register 1,000 new voters
- Organize Three Citizenship Fairs that will lead to 750 new citizenship applicants
Leadership Development:
- Train 200 leaders through the Fiesta Del Sol, our issue task forces via our local and national training events.
Organization:
- Expand our Board to include all new members
- Build strong Task Forces that will lead the issue campaigns
FAQs
What is the Gamaliel Foundation, and how does it relate to JŌB?
The Gamaliel Foundation, is an international network of faith-based organizations. It supports member affiliates like JŌB by connecting them with a network of grassroots, interracial, multi-issue organizations across the United States and in South Africa.
Gamaliel helps create and sustain affiliate organizations, provides them ongoing resources and training, and is the vehicle through which these organizations act on national and international issues. Currently, there are fifty-five affiliates in seventeen states in the United States and Kenya and three provinces of South Africa. JŌB is one of three affiliates in California.
What community issues will JŌB work on?
Issues our leadership is presently committed to are:
- Civil Rights for Immigrants (Comprehensive Immigration Reform)
- Healthy Homes and Affordable Housing
- Equity in Education
- Health Care Access
These are issues that our membership believes are having the most impact on their members and communities. Task Forces are created that provide an opportunity for congregations to work together toward a solution. Potential solutions are brought to a major public meeting for resolution.
What is community Organizing?
Community organizing is a strategy for re-building communities, revitalizing congregations, and developing individuals into effective leaders and agents of change.
I still have unanswered questions about JŌB . How do I find answers?
JŌB is a dynamic organization, so questions are common and welcomed. For further information, please contact the President or the Lead Organizer on staff.
Meet the Staff
Norma Chávez-Peterson
Norma Chávez-Peterson, while Community Revitalization Director of the MAAC Project, was one of the community leaders that founded Justice Overcoming Boundaries of San Diego County in 2004. With over 13 years of experience in the field of community economic development, she currently serves as the Director of Justice overcoming Boundaries.
Norma is a Mexican Immigrant, raised in San Diego. Over the last fifteen years, she has volunteered, worked, and served on the boards of several community organizations in the Latino Community. After attending University of San Diego after high school, several community colleges, Norma worked her way to receive her Bachelors degree from San Diego State University in Political Science and Chicano/a Studies in 2000.
Then, under her leadership at MAAC Project, Norma was responsible for several innovative community economic development projects including; resident leadership, community technology centers, first-time home buyer opportunities, and played a critical role in developing their community organizing and advocacy capacity.
On October 3rd 2004, Norma was part of the organizing team that organized “Rolling Thunder” a public meeting with 2,000 San Diego County residents standing up for Civil Rights of Immigrants, Healthcare Access- Prop 72, Equity in Public Education and Affordable Housing at the Town and Country Convention Center.
In 2006, Norma was co-chair of the April 9th March for Dignity, Respect and Hope, the largest march in the history of San Diego.
Norma continues to develop her professional community organizing skills with the support and mentorship of Mary Gonzales, Western Region Director for the The Gamaliel Foundation.
Under her Leadership JOB continues to develop itself as a multi-racial, interfaith countywide organization committed to social justice.
Jessica Nolan
Jessica Nolan is a dynamic individual with a background in cross-cultural communication and non profit work who thrives on challenges and collaborative efforts. She has traveled extensively through Eastern Europe, West Africa, Kenya, Central America and South America.
Jessica graduated with High Honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in International Relations. In the fall of 2003, while studying abroad, she volunteered with a refugee-created grassroots organization at the Buduburam Liberian Refugee Camp. She taught sexual and family health education and English literacy to 180 refugee women ages 16-72 and assisted trauma healing interviews and discussions for 30 women.
Jessica Served as the Public Outreach and Development Coordinator for Everyday Gandhis—a Santa Barbara-based NGO that collects and tells the stories of ordinary people creating peace in their communities, particularly in ‘hot spots’ around the world, utilizing media of all types (visual, written, spoken).
After University, Jessica interned in Guatemala with Stitch—a Non-profit organization that assists women’s labor rights in Central America. Here she co-taught union-rights workshops for female factory and plantation workers and helped coordinate delegations from the USA to Guatemala.
Currently Jessica works as a Community Organizer for Justice Overcoming Boundaries in San Diego. She organized the Public Relations for the 100,000 person March for Comprehensive Immigration Reform that happened in San Diego on April ninth 2006. She also co-coordinated the inaugural year of the Fiesta Del Sol-San Diego.
