About Us
Jericho Village Wylie—An Empowerment Initiative of Agape Resource & Assistance Center.
Who Is Agape
Resource & Assistance Center?
The Agape Resource & Assistance Center in East Plano, TX helps women, moms and their children facing situational homelessness. With the help of case workers and counselors, women and children typically stay with Agape from 6 months to a year, during which they gain the skills, strength and stability for self sufficiency.
The Problem
The facts are astounding and sadly, Extended Stay Hotels have become temporary housing, for some and are now frequent stops along the school bus route.
61,000 Collin County residents live at or below the poverty line
8,000 Families are one crisis away from being homeless
16,000 Plano ISD students rely on free or reduced lunch programs
300 Beds are available to shelter the homeless in Collin County
4,000 Homeless that are turned away each year
3,000 Turned away are women with children
What Is Jericho Village Housing?
Jericho Village™ Housing is an innovative approach to creating life empowerment by aiding people with transitional housing, support services, sustainable income stream development and other resources to function in the greater community by helping to stabilize their lives, with the intent of them becoming self-sustaining adults.
The Visionary
Rev. Janet Collinsworth, CEO of Agape Resource & Assistance Center, is the brains behind the concept of Jericho Village. She saw a desperate need and set out to find a way to meet that need.
She is the public face of Agape Resource & Assistance Center, Inc. A community activist, Janet strives to make a difference for women and their dependents who end up homeless for any number of reasons.
Filling A Gap
“The Village fills a gap that people sometimes don’t think about… It can help people who have a job but struggle to make ends meet.”
More Than A Roof
Agape Resource & Assistance Center was founded to help homeless women and children in Collin County overcome crisis. From a job loss or a family crisis to domestic violence, the reasons women become homeless are varied and often complex. A woman’s homeless situation becomes even more difficult and complicated if she is a mother.
Agape women and their children need more than a roof. They need supportive services and a community that will launch them to a new life. Jericho Village embodies this community of transformation, strength, perseverance, and family – exactly our hope for all neighbors who will live in Jericho Village.
Building on the success of our programs, Agape will work with the City of Wylie to develop an inclusive, scaled‐rent urban village. Locating Jericho Village in Wylie allows our women and children to remain in Collin County, while providing access to a community with a relatively low cost of living compared to other areas. In addition, the support from the city, other non‐profits, and churches in Wylie promises to create a long‐term supportive family for our residents.
Naming of Jericho Village
Most people are familiar with the biblical story of Jericho. Dating back to between 11,000 and 9,300 BCE, Jericho is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited community on earth. The rich, multi-cultural history of Jericho tells the story of humanity, its evolution, struggles, perseverance, adaptation, tears and joys. Jericho, with its fertile, spring-fed oasis and its control of important trade routes, represented wealth and abundance. The city was surrounded by high, formidable walls that refused entrance to those who approached. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, seeking a home and stability. God guided the Israelites to silently march around the city for 7 days and, on the 7th day, the people gave a mighty shout and the walls of Jericho fell, allowing the Israelites to enter and conquer the city.
Looking deeper into that story of faith and conquest we see how one woman, Rahab, changed the course of history. Before crossing the Jordan River Joshua sent 2 spies to go look at the land, especially Jericho. The spies went to Jericho and entered the house of a prostitute, Rahab, and spent the night there. Although Jericho was a Canaanite city and the people worshipped many gods, Rahab was deeply influenced by stories she heard from travelers who stayed at her house (also an inn of sorts) about the God of Israelites, the parting of the Red Sea and the many conquests the Israelites had made. The king of Jericho demanded she bring out the spies, but she hid them instead. She told the 2 men she hid them because she believed “The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.” Rehab risked her life to hide the 2 spies Joshua sent. After sending the King’s men on a wild goose chase, she helped the men escape Jericho, but only after they promised to spare her and all her family. After the walls came tumbling down, Joshua fulfilled the promise of the 2 spies and spared Rahab and her family.
By faith, with determination and perseverance Rahab not only saved the lives of herself and her family but changed the history of Jericho and the Israelites. Rahab, once shunned, shamed, and marginalized, was accepted into the Israelite community and with that support and acceptance, changed the trajectory of her family tree, eventually leading to King David and on to Jesus, the Christ.
Like Rahab, women in the Agape program, and our neighbors who will find a home at Jericho Village™, must overcome adversity to survive. They work hard and step out on faith believing their sacrifices will result in a better future for themselves and their families. Yet, despite this faith, they are faced with seemingly impenetrable barriers and walls to achieving this goal. We, like the Israelites, must surround them with strength and help them bring down the walls that prevent them from fulfilling God’s purpose in their lives.
Jericho continues to stand as a testament of God’s faithfulness. It embodies transformation, strength, perseverance, community, and family; exactly the hope for the neighbors who will live in Jericho Village™.
Get In Touch
Plano, TX 75086
