Jobs for Life Site Spotlight - Against the Grain, Franklin, TN

September 29, 2007
Written by Monique Rogers, Raleigh, NC

What is sacrifice? Have you ever believed in something so much, you almost lost everything that you worked for? Could you lose the home that you built out of love? Would you have enough faith to pay for an idea out of your own pocket? By supporting something that they believed in, Rob and Meredith Kendall, founders of Against the Grain in Franklin, TN, were just hours from foreclosure, when an envelope with 25 one hundred dollar bills was anonymously presented to them. They were able catch the note up on the house, sell it and then pay it off.

But why did they almost lose their house? They wholeheartedly believed in and financed an idea that had been weighing heavily on their heart. Initially, the Kendall’s lived the American dream, owning their businesses and a home and each brought in a six figure income. But they wanted more. Meredith reiterated her explanation to Rob, “When we woke up, it was more like, ‘Rob, I’m tired; this is not what we were supposed to be doing’.” Their desire was to help people; they wanted to go into missions.

“We never thought of missions as in our backyard reaching single moms and their kids,” says Meredith. Initially, there was no structure. Meredith and Rob just opened their home for dinners, self-esteem classes and Bible studies. While the children were actively involved downstairs, their mom’s were upstairs being introduced to a life of purpose.

Initially designed to assist unwed mothers and their children, Against the Grain ministry established its footing on Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

In December 2006, the Kendall’s were introduced to Jobs for Life (JfL). Rob excitedly explained, “We could teach our moms how to parent better. We could teach them how to handle their money. We could help them raise their self-esteem. But we didn’t have a solid curriculum on job readiness or a network of resources in place”. He went on to describe the circumstance, “It is a feeling of hopelessness to know you can have a better life, but don’t have the resources to get out of your current lifestyle”. With Jobs for Life, AtG is able to connect to the Jobs for Life Business Partners in there area for job opportunities for their JfL graduates. According to Rob, “Jobs for Life fit our existing curriculum perfectly.”

The heart mission of Against the Grain is to “demonstrate the love of Christ to disadvantaged children and single mothers through service and by empowering them to become self supporting, knowledgeable, involved members of society”.         

Today, three life changing programs are in place to help deliver that mission to AtG’s targeted families. “Reach and Teach” provides tutoring to nearly 100 children each week who live in the communities operated by Franklin Housing Authority and the surrounding neighborhoods.

AtG’s “Jail Program” provides case management for women who are incarcerated Williamson County Jail. The recidivism rate for women who are incarcerated is 62% within 12 months of being released.AtG works with the women to develop a plan when they are released. Since August of 2006, Against the Grain has worked with 16 women who have been released and only 1 has returned to jail.

The women enrolled in Against the Grain’s “180 Program” understand that their plan for life isn’t working and they need to do a 180. This challenging program requires a minimum two year commitment to group and individual training designed to instill new disciplines of life. Each woman is partnered with a life-coach who joins her at a monthly support group and maintains regular accountability. By the end of the first year, AtG’s “180” mom’s have completed a comprehensive life-stewardship curriculum that results in a sustainable plan of independence.

Throughout the first year, “180” helps each woman identify the root causes of her struggles and develop a customized plan to overcome her specific challenges. The training includes Budgeting 101, two 6-week parenting classes, Jobs for Life training, Financial Stewardship, Purpose Driven Life and Self Esteem classes. In addition to referral services, educational opportunities are made available through scholarships and partnerships with several local colleges and tech-schools. During the second year of the program the life-coach and the AtG staff work with the mom to ensure the implementation of the training and completion of her customized plan.The “180” mom also becomes an encourager for a new mom beginning the program.

Success stories continue to come out AtG’s Jobs for Life training. Following a recent job interview, an excited 26 year old single mom of three, shared,

“The training I received in the Jobs for Life program has helped me land a great job. When I got into the interview, I was confident. The questions they asked were what I had been prepared for. Without this training, I would have been flustered and would not have known how to respond to basic interview questions. This training is awesome”.

“At (JfL) week 12, we had employers come and do mock interviews with the women. They all got individual attention and each got something different from it, which is what they needed. It was a fabulous, fabulous night that made it all worthwhile. The women finally saw an end result…It is amazing to watch. Even the women are noticing a difference in one another,” reported Meredith Kendall.

So what’s down the road for Against the Grain? It is a dream of the Kendall’s to one day be able to open additional regional and national Against the Grain offices so that more single mom families can be nurtured and equipped for a more meaningful life.

“Romans 12:2.” New International Version (NIV). 1984. International Bible Society. 7 Sep 2007 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012:2

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