Elijah's Heart
615-977-8096
Share page
2817 West End Avenue Suite 126-272
Nashville, TN 37203
Organization Details

Statements

Mission

Our mission is to assist underserved children and their families with a primary focus of community development, which includes literacy (education), hunger relief, financial and social life skills, and musical arts, and to raise awareness about their situations to inspire others to act.

Background

Elijah's Heart is the nonprofit founded and led by "Papa" Joe and Denise Bradford, the inspiration and life story behind the movie "Unconditional" (YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG7wzbyqNo0&t=221s, Walmart App: https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/Unconditional/419403) viewed globally and one of the most watched inspirational movies in schools, churches and prisons. In 1995, both with backgrounds in musical performance and orchestration, Joe and Denise began using their talents to train and develop at-risk children in musical arts. After the turn of the century, Joe and Denise moved to one of Nashville's subsidized homes and began helping dozens of children overcome various crises of food shortage and educational dysfunction (through literacy and tutoring.) In 2010 and after 5 years of learning under a covering organization, Elijah's Heart was formed as an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. In 2016, at the request of the MDHA CEO and Assistant Housing Director, we formed a headquarters on-site in Napier-Sudekum, Nashville's largest impoverished community with over 2,500 children plus parents in 801 homes. Through years of diligence, support, and successful partnering relationships, we formed The Elijah's Heart Community Development Model, which is comprised of several interconnected programs that together produce significant outcomes and results in charitable aid, increased healthy lifestyles, educational enhancement, violence reduction, economic empowerment, community engagement, and social growth.

Impact

Through our "Walk of Love" hunger relief and charitable aid program, our team leaders are mobilizing dozens of volunteers each month to pack and deliver food and other necessities door to door to several thousand residents to help fill the gap of lack in Nashville's largest impoverished community and other areas. Our literacy enhancement program is one of our key strategies to build a foundation in learning. Through our UNITY Productions musical arts program, we are empowering the lives of talented youth. The youth are involved in professional recording sessions with our in-house writers, musicians, voice trainers, and directors. Our life skills training program is expanding and empowering residents with skills in parenting, personal finance, and character training.

Our top goals in progress for this year:

1. Double our Walk of Love Hunger Relief volunteer force of individuals, businesses, churches, and other organizations.
2. Double our financial contributions from individuals, grants, businesses, churches, and other organizations.
4. Expand our musical arts and drama program to visit various venues to inspire supporters to volunteer and contribute to the mission of serving children and parents with Elijah's Heart.
3. Partner with private, city, state, and governmental entities to expand our community development model.

Needs

1. Additional financial contributions for each of our programs.
2. Our expansion to serve more children and families requires us to bring in more volunteer groups from churches, businesses, schools, and other organizations.

CEO Statement

We have always had a desire to spread the word to help economically disadvantaged and fatherless children and a concern for the wholeness of a child. After personally witnessing the poverty level of inner-city America, we developed the Elijah's Heart Community Development Model to bring enough supplemental food, healthy food, and other charitable aid to entire communities to reach every child and family in the neighborhood. Our model includes an innovative grocery ordering and delivery program. Also, we have witnessed a key factor in breaking the cycle of poverty through our 'Kids Love 2 Read' literacy program. Our "Unity Productions" program is growing greater each year as a tool to transform children's attitude and self-esteem through musical arts. We have young adult leaders with fresh ideas and amazing talent to instruct youth gifted in the performing arts. As an author and national advocate to reduce cycles of poverty, developing a widespread online life skills training program is paramount to our cause.

Board Chair Statement

As a co-founder, I have watched Elijah's Heart grow to serve thousands of impoverished and vulnerable children and families. Volunteers are drawn by the contagious love demonstrated by the Elijah's Heart team leaders. Even though this nonprofit organization serves in communities sometimes traumatized by violence, drug and alcohol addiction, functional illiteracy and other challenges, I have always admired the courage of the Elijah's Heart staff. The local and national commendations for excellence of service given to Elijah's Heart is an indication of their continued diligence.


Service Categories

Primary Category: Community Improvement, Capacity Building  - Community & Neighborhood Development 
Secondary Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Performing Arts 
Tertiary Category: Youth Development  - Youth Development NEC 

Areas Served

Under the signed agreement of MDHA, our community center and office are located in South Nashville in the largest traditional inner-city community area in town, but our programs serve children and families in each of MDHA's traditional family communities. We also serve the motel homeless and rural areas.

TN - Davidson
TN - Williamson