Center for Just & Caring Communities
Mission
The Center for Just and Caring Communities is based upon the premise that just and caring communities are created and sustained by transformational relationships. Reciprocal and interactive connections between individuals, families, groups, communities, and society at large exist to either strengthen or violate healthy relationships within these systems. The Center exists to conduct research and to promote strategies that uplift, restore, and transform these relationships with a special emphasis on vulnerable persons and communities.
Initiatives Leadership History
Upcoming Events
- September 5, 2025 - Master Class Workshop: "Trauma Response in School Settings" with Karen Dotson and Anita Rhinehouse
- September 29, 2025 - Remember Me Commemorative Walk
- October 3, 2025 - Master Class Workshop: "Crisis of a Medical Diagnosis" with Jill Wells
- October 15, 22, 29 - Mentor U with United Way and North Parkway Middle School
- October 21, 2025 - Campus and Community Day, Special Project: "Build Day" with Sleep in Heavenly Peace
- November 7, 2025 - Master Class Workshop: "Ethics of Integrating Trauma Centered, Trauma Sensitive Yoga into Practice" with Dr. Tammy Patton
- also in November - UU hosting Room in the Inn, a partnership with Area Relief Ministries
Initiatives
The Center has initiatives in two areas:
- Faith, Church, and Community:
- Ongoing education, training, and promotion of service-learning opportunities to involve faculty and students in specific vulnerable communities.
- Research around faith, church, and community engagement.
- Community service projects linking the university and the community, such as Room in the Inn, CANstruction, poverty simulation, etc.
- Trauma, Faith, and Resilience:
- Ongoing education, training, and promotion of service-learning opportunities to involve faculty and students with specific traumatized populations
- Research around trauma, faith, and resilience
- Community service projects such as those targeting critical incident and stress management, victims of violent crime service and advocacy, trauma support for law enforcement professionals, etc.
Center Leadership
Nita Mehr, FellowCenter History
Established in 2009, the Center for Just and Caring Communities is based on the premise that just and caring communities are created and sustained by transformational relationships.
Reciprocal and interactive connections between individuals, families, groups, communities, and society at large exist to either strengthen or violate healthy relationships within these systems.
The Center exist to conduct research and to promote strategies that uplift, restore, and transform community relationships with a special emphasis on vulnerable persons and communities.
Founding Professors
- Mary Anne Poe, Director (center)
Professor Emeritus - Nita Mehr, Fellow (left)
Professor Emeritus - Theresa Blakley, Fellow (right)
Professor Emeritus