Fund Aims to Develop Leaders and Revitalize Jackson Community

Rendering of the future Discipleship House.

Jason “Smiley” Abrams has a vision for creating a sustainable community in Jackson, Mississippi – one that will empower college students and young professionals to grow as leaders and invest in the city they call home.

Abrams, Area Ministry Director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Founder of the Andy Abrams Foundation, has spent over 15 years serving students across Mississippi, Memphis and West Florida. Several years ago, he began to see the need for a space that could provide stability and community for students in college and after graduation. “I’ve seen how people from all over the world come to Jackson, but then there’s not a lot that keeps them here,” Abrams explained.

This realization led Abrams to purchase a property in West Jackson six years ago with the intention of transforming it into a living and learning space for young leaders. The house, located just a block from West Capital Street, holds deep personal significance for Abrams – it’s in the same neighborhood where his father did ministry work when Abrams was a child. After years of struggle and setbacks, including dealing with squatters and navigating the complexities of renovating a historic home, Abrams has finally gained the momentum and resources to bring his vision to life as The Discipleship House. Through the newly established Mississippi Reparative Actions Fund and Mississippi Reparative Actions Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi, Abrams has already secured several donations to fund the $633,000 renovation project and is looking for more.

Beyond the physical renovation, Abrams has meticulously planned the programming and leadership development that will take place in the space, something he saw first-hand through intentional community living at the Spencer Perkins Center with Dr. John Perkins. The Discipleship House will be open to college students and recent graduates who have demonstrated leadership potential, providing them with affordable housing, mentorship and a curriculum focused on financial management, health and wellness and spiritual growth. Scholarships are also another goal of the fund, hoping to keep students in school through graduation.

“I want to customize a strategy to develop them where they are,” Abrams said. “One person may be on track to become a doctor. They may be currently working as an EMT. They’re in school. What can we do to help them the year that they’re finishing up their senior year before they go to med school?”

Abrams’ ultimate goal is to see these young leaders fall in love with Jackson and choose to stay, invest in the community and potentially even purchase homes in the same neighborhood. By providing a supportive, intentional environment for personal and professional development, Abrams hopes to create a model that can be replicated across the country, empowering the next generation of leaders to make a lasting impact.

“I want to create a model that can help one sustain the work,” Abrams said. “Because it’s going to be people serving in a missionary type of role that’s committed their lives to just serve. I want to be able to give to them. And then I want to help build the people that are more in the for-profit world to be successful, and that they can pour back into communities however they can.”

Donations can be made to the Mississippi Reparative Actions Fund or the Mississippi Reparative Actions Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi. Donations to the endowment fund are eligible for the Endow Mississippi state tax credit.