Mission & History

Here’s how we began…

In 1988 a group of business professionals began a Job Club at the Federal City Shelter in downtown DC. Their idea was to provide one-on-one mentoring; supportive services such as transportation, tools and uniforms; and training to help the residents find jobs that would lead to self-sufficiency and permanent housing.

The Job Club flourished, and the following year Jobs for Homeless People, as we were then known, received a grant through the McKinney-Vento Act to create a pilot program in the shelter. Officially incorporated in 1989, JHP’s model has proven to be successful at helping people transform their lives through meaningful employment and permanent housing. The organization legally changed its name in 1993 to JHP, Inc., an acronym that stands for both Jobs for Homeless People and Jobs Have Priority, names that reflect our mission.

JHP’s first focus is to make sure our client’s basic needs are addressed. Once this is achieved we start on the solutions—education and employment—that are going to help our clients move from homelessness to self-sufficiency.

JHP operates two shelters in Prince George’s County and one in Washington, DC. Our shelters provide meals, assistance with clothing and household essentials, comprehensive case management and wrap around services, which provide residents with the tools they need to become self-sufficient.

Adult residents participate in life skills, financial planning, education and employment classes, our Read, Learn and Earn program, Wellness Journey program, and our Healthy Mind, Healthy Life meditation program. Children at JHP are also are provided with tutoring and enrichment activities, like our Reading Circle program. Each shelter houses a computer lab equipped with high-speed Internet and a business office for the residents’ use.