ALL ABOUT US
A History of Stafford Junction:
After an assessment by the Sheriff's Department in 2002 of the Olde Forge neighborhood of Stafford County, the Fredericksburg Area Baptist Association began the Olde Forge ministry project in May of 2003.
The Sheriff's assessment cited many challenges in the Olde Forge neighborhood, including:
- Poverty conditions in some families,
- Reported and unreported domestic violence,
- Alcoholism, drug use, and resulting problems in families
- Unemployment
- Unsupervised children with no organized activities
- No support system for single-parent households
- In-flux of non-English speaking Hispanic families
- Lack of communication between landlords & tenants to address issues
The ministry began offering activities for children and youth, assessing the situation, and surveying the community support. We hosted neighborhood events, Bible studies, after-school programs, field trips, and summer activities. We forged a relationship with the property owners association, and began working together to re-build the community. We built relationships with the youth and families in Olde Forge and brought resources to the community through partnerships with local government agencies, schools, churches, and civic organizations. One key partner, Stafford County Department of Social Services, partnered with us to recruit staff members through a grant with Virginia Community Corps/Americorps. We celebrated growth and change in the community---renewed hopefulness, better discipline, and a willingness to volunteer. We were invited to share an abandoned building with several other non-profits, and we built (with lots of volunteer help) an office and a youth center. In 2005, Olde Forge Junction received 501c3 recognition from the IRS. On December 15, 2009 we changed our name to Stafford Junction.