About | Rise Nonprofit

LOVE RISES BECAUSE PEOPLE RISE WHEN THEY ARE LOVED.

RISE is a faith-based nonprofit that walks alongside adults in Hattiesburg who are ready to build a different future. Through RISE Thrive, participants spend 10 weeks developing faith, practical life and employment skills, goals, and connections to community resources. Graduation is followed by nine months of Action Plan support and mentoring, creating approximately a year-long investment in each participant. RISE believes people are worth investing in and seeks to help each person know their God-given value, become better equipped to navigate life, and continue moving toward greater stability and independence.

What We Believe

RISE is a Christian ministry. Faith is not a footnote here. It is the foundation.

We believe God has a plan for every person who walks through our doors. We believe dignity matters more than efficiency. We believe that helping someone should never come at the cost of who they are.

So we do not offer handouts. We offer education, mentoring, encouragement, and structure. We walk alongside people, not ahead of them. We stay when it would be easier to leave.

People are worth investing in.

Our Story

RISE began in 2001 as the Pinebelt Christian Women's Job Corps, founded by Linda Donnell with a conviction that people deserve more than a program. They deserve love, support, and a real chance.

The ministry launched through a partnership with PACE Head Start, walking alongside mothers of children enrolled in the program. Over time the work grew, partnerships deepened, and the ministry expanded to serve men as well.

RISE has built meaningful relationships with organizations throughout the Hattiesburg area including the Mississippi Department of Human Services, The Salvation Army, Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources, and Pearl River Community College. These partnerships allow RISE to connect participants with the resources they need while staying focused on what RISE does best: walking alongside people for the long term.

The name changed. The conviction never did.

What Makes RISE Different

Most programs help people start. RISE helps people finish.

Our year-long model combines ten weeks of faith-based education with nine months of continued mentoring and support. We focus on the whole person, not just employment. Biblical truth alongside practical skills. Relationship alongside instruction. A community that knows your name and notices when you show up.

The group is intentionally small because transformation happens in relationship, not in crowds.

The People Who Built This

Linda Donnell founded RISE and established its foundation of dignity, relationship, and faith. Janice Swiggum followed as Executive Director, guiding the program through years of steady growth. Catherine Jorns stepped into leadership in 2016 and brought significant vision to the organization. Under her direction, RISE formally expanded to include men and launched the Adult Literacy Program. Catherine poured her heart into this ministry, and her legacy continues to shape everything we do.

Nicole Hauff now serves as Executive Director, committed to strengthening what those before her built and carrying the mission forward.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

LOVE RISES BECAUSE PEOPLE RISE WHEN THEY ARE LOVED.

What We Believe