The Jimmy Smith Foundation : Our Programs

The Jimmy Smith Foundation is committed to providing programs and personal mentoring to help kids and teens establish the building blocks of success. The Foundation works with youth organizations and athletic programs to offer an especially effective combination of fitness, personal development, and skill training along with integrated nutrition and wellness lessons. To achieve this, the Foundation offers the following six initial programs:

"The Huddle" Youth Program

This program allows select middle school and high school boys and girls an opportunity to complete 5 educational field outings over a 6 month period. Upon completion of all outings, selected participants will receive a certificate and be eligible for a scholarship and/or the Mentoring Program. The outings include the following:

Mentoring Program of Greater Jackson

This program is initially offered to youth who have participated and completed the "The Huddle" Program or that have been selected by one of our partnering organizations. The program is authored by Peggy Wall and embraced by committed NFL athletes working in the community.

Wellness Program

This program will be deemed a pilot program in mid-2010 that stands apart from the "The Huddle" and Mentoring Programs. However, through a clinical partnership and setting, a select group of at-risk youth will participate in a yearlong wellness program to curb childhood obesity in both Mississippi and Florida.

Drug and Alcohol Awareness Program

This program involves speaking engagements directed to audiences associated with school systems in Mississippi and Florida, along with other pre-selected non-profit organizations that offer outlets for drug and alcohol awareness programs.

The "Etta Smith" Resource Center Program

The resource center is located at the foundation headquarters and is open during normal business by appointment. The resource center has a work station and a computer with internet access, resource material, and a case manager that is in place to assist at-risk students with homework, career counseling, and life skills.

Volunteer Force Tracking Program

This program actively recruits, maintains and tracks volunteers that participate in our internal programs and our community partnership related events. This program allows the foundation to record its impact in the community by maintaining statistical data of what the Foundation volunteer force accomplishes.