Shame on Fred Jordan Missions #10- For encouraging truancy?

Got this post from a Downtown Los Angeles Schoolteacher!

For over ten years, Fred Jordan Missions has hosted a Back to School New Clothing Giveaway. Great event but all praises should go to Foot Locker and In N Out. Again, Fred Jordan Mission's just hosts the event (or at least judging by watching it for the last few years, the Men in Fred Jordan Missions' half-hearted rehab program host it. In all fairness, you really can't call a program a rehabilitation facility if no one on staff has any training, zero, I mean, on addiction/recovery.)

Anyway, this event is held every year on a School-day! Regardless of the fact that the well respected and much revered principle of 9th Street Elementary (the Skid Row, elementary school) has personally called and asked the Mission to hold the event on the weekend. Regardless of the fact that the Downtown Community Council has asked them to hold the event on the weekend. Regardless of the fact that all other Downtown Service Orgs. have collectively asked them to hold the event on the weekend.
Nope, every year kids sleep on the street for two nights, missing up to three days of school so they can get shoes for school. Weird, right?
Well, you may be asking yourself why the Mission doesn't just hold the event on the weekend and the answer might just break your heart.
More people watch television News during the week than on the weekend. Translation, the mission defies the entire Skid Row community service providers request so that more people can see the Mission on TV.
Willie Jordan (President, Fred Jordan Missions) have you forgotten Matthew 6:2-
" When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others."

Shame on Fred Jordan Missions #9- For not understanding Homelessness

I'll never forget watching Willie Jordan (President, Fred Jordan Missions) on television talk and act like she understood poverty and homelessness. She doesn't have any training or education at all on the subject. None.
Furthermore, not one Fred Jordan Missions employee, has any training of substance in the issue of homelessness and poverty. Not one.
Further, furthermore, not one person on the board has any background on the subject. Not one.
Contrast this with educated and highly trained staff at the Los Angeles Mission, Union Rescue Mission and the Midnight Mission and you'll begin to understand the reasons for all the issues that are pointed out on this Web Blog.

Anyway, this ignorance came to a head when Willie Jordan was asked point blank by a reporter, "Why are there so many people on the street?"
She responded, "bad decisions."
BAD DECISIONS? Really?

Lets look at the facts:
1. The average age of a homeless person in the U.S. is 9 years old.
2. 20%-25% of homeless suffer from severe mental health problems.
3. A national study showed that 13% of the homeless became homeless because of physical illness and disease.
4. Half of all homeless women cite domestic violence as their primary cause for becoming homeless.
5. As many as 25-40 percent of homeless people work full- or part-time, but cannot afford to pay rent.
6. 22 percent of homeless people are veterans.
7. As many as 25-40 percent of homeless people work full- or part-time, but cannot afford to pay rent.
Now, Willie Jordan, which of these statistics show bad decisions: getting sick, being a child, becoming mentally ill, going to war?

I encourage any potential donor to give their money to an organization that uses facts to determine the causes of homelessness. Demand that your charity be trained and well educated on the subject. You would demand that of your doctor, or your contractor or even of your Pastor, wouldn't you?
When it comes to helping people recover from homelessness, ignorance is not bliss.

Shame on Fred Jordan Missions #8- For how you spend people's donations (pt. 5)

So funny. Thanks for the work. I guess this site proves that in the new era, no organization can act with total impunity. Eventually, the truth will get out.

I worked for Fred Jordan Missions for many, many years and saw many horrible practices but what always stands out in my mind was what the Mission did with the shoes that Foot Locker generously donated for the poor children of the city. Now, don't get me wrong, at their Back to School New Clothing Giveaway, when the cameras are there, they do give away a ton of shoes and that rocks. But what always broke my heart was how many shoes went to the staff and to the Jordan's themselves. Willie Jordan (President, Fred Jordan Missions) used to send down lists and lists of shoes that we were to pull for her grandkids and children of friends of the family. Tom Jordan, even told me, every year that I worked there to, "take a few pairs for myself and for my wife." Now, I was no saint back then but I would not have taken a pair of shoes even if the President of Foot Locker himself handed them to me. No way. I had shoes at home and the kids that we gave them to had none. But the Jordan's man, they didn't feel that way at all. Peter took 3 or 4 pairs for him and each of his friends. The Mission allowed the Building Manager to take 2 or 3 bags to sell or do god knows what with. It was crazy, watching the Jordan's just trip all over themselves to take those shoes. It broke my heart. Crazy thing was we that were even told when the Foot Locker reps were coming down to the Mission so that we could pull those shoes for Willie and the Jordan's behind Foot Lockers backs.

Speaking of donations, we also used to get a truck load of donations from a local Bed, Bath and Beyond every week or two and Willie Jordan herself, instructed me to pull anything good and put it up in this room that we called Willie's room. I mean if it worked at all or wasn't ripped or broke, I had to put it up there. And I'm more than ashamed to admit it but I did it too. Crazy, the stuff you do when it becomes, "normal" and when your told to do it by someone you love and respect. Anyway, Willie would come down to the Mission, 6 or 7 times a year, (not counting times the cameras were there) go straight up to that room and point out the things she wanted and we'd pack it up in her car while she stopped by the women's service to say, hi. Also, when her friends and kids came through town, she'd take them up there and they would take stuff too. One time when my wife and I moved, Willie told me to go up and take whatever I wanted, but thankfully for my conscience now, that, I never did.

Shame on Fred Jordan Missions #7: For lying about Willie Jordan's credentials and background.

Reading about Fred Jordan's relationship with David Berg has helped me understand, Fred Jordan, the man, much better. Berg was well known for his perverse proclivities for young women and his, "nothing will stand in his way," attitude to have them.
Apparently, Fred Jordan also shared this attitude.
In the late 1950's, when Fred Jordan was in his late 40's he divorced his wife and the mother of his first son. Why, you ask?
In order to marry his then, twenty something secretary. WILLIE JORDAN!

Now, unlike Fred Jordan Missions theological stance, we at "FJM, shame on you," have no problem with the divorce. Wealthy televangelists, like Fred Jordan, have been divorcing their wives and marrying young woman, since the beginning of time. However, the problem is when Fred Jordan Missions, revises the history of the Organization and of it's founder, Fred Jordan, or the current president, Willie Jordan (Fred Jordan Missions, President). History cannot be made up to help give credibility to a Non-Profit.
See, Fred Jordan Missions own website claims,
"CHURCH IN THE HOME television first aired on Sunday, November 4, 1951, with Fred and Willie Jordan as hosts."
http://www.fjm.org/audio_video/
This cannot be true. Willie was not Willie Jordan in 1951. Fred was still married to his first wife. Willie was still in her teens or early twenties at the time and Fred was 42.
Come on people, let's be honest!

Shame on Fred Jordan Missions #6- For showing awesomely bad judgement in essentially being the principle benefactor of a sex cult.

The Children Of God, now disbanded, was a sex cult, most notably known for its extreme and heretical fundamentalism, accusations by its members of, incest, bigamy and federally prosecuted for soliciting illegal donations. Children of God, founder David Berg had a close relationship with Fred Jordan, often referring to him as, "King Saul" in internal memos. In fact, in an article from November, 29, 1971 published by the New York Times, Fred Jordan was referred to as, the cult's, "principle benefactor." A title that Fred Jordan, did not challenge.
http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/New_York_Times:_Ill_Winds_Buffet_Communal_Sect

According to testimony from past members, Fred Jordan would use Berg to solicit teens and young people to join, Jordan's "Soul Clinic." Jordan would then put these young people on his television show and use them to solicit donations from donors. According to past members of the Children of God, as young people they would go on Jordan's television show and pretend to be drug addicts, former prostitutes, anything to solicit donations.

In a 1972, book entitled, "The Jesus People" authors, Enroth, Ericson, and Peters say this about the relationship between David Berg and Fred Jordan:

"Jordan describes himself as a representative of the establishment who
felt a need to reach radical youth. Since he could not do this
himself, he associated with the Children of God. On his television
show, Jordan often spoke as if the Children of God were his ministry,
but this was not at all the case. He was the benefactor, not the
administrator. His program distorted the Children of God by making
them look more ordinary and unexceptional than they really are. He
camouflaged those eccentric doctrines with which he did not agree. His
appeal to businessmen for funds to support the Children of God was,
"You'd better help us reach these tough kids, or they'll destroy your
businesses. We're the only ones who can reach them." Jordan plays on
the desire of right-wingers to keep America Christian and orderly,
followed by an appeal for funds."

So close was the relationship that Linda Berg, (David Berg's Daughter) in her book, "The Children of God: The Inside Story," writes,

"Dad learned many business tactics from Fred Jordan, not all of them good. Dad developed the philosophy that it is okay to present facts in any way which will produce positive results, because "we are, don't forget, doing a good work for the Lord." Fred Jordan was second only to my grandmother as the major influence on my dad's life and character. My uncle recently said of my dad, "He was a man who would never be under authority. He always resisted authority." Dad had struck a happy medium with Fred, who himself was under no authority."

Now this is where it gets crazy!!!!!!!!!

Eventually, Fred Jordan, riding the David Berg bandwagon created another Children of God, and registered it as a non-profit in California. A sister church so to speak, of Berg's located in Texas. Both Children of God compounds were operated on property owned by Fred Jordan.

In 1971, furious and concerned parents of the members of the Children of God members formed an organization that was called "Free-Children of God," with the intent of showing the world how dangerous the Children of God was. At first, according to Linda Berg, "Fred Jordan had been using the Children of God to promote his TV show in L.A., and felt obligated to align himself with our cause and help us combat Free-COG. For that reason, he hired an attorney for us." By the end of the year however, Jordan, had been forced to terminate his relationship with Berg when "Free-Children of God", threatened to sue him if he did not expel Berg from his Texas property.

In 1975, "Free-Chidren of God," sued both Berg's "Children of God," and Jordan's "Children of God," for $3.8 million in a federal lawsuit filed in New York for, "alienation of their children by a commune chain."

In the 1975 lawsuit, although Fred Jordan was the principle benefactor of the, "Children of God," although both "Children of God," compounds were on his property, although he had promoted, "The Children of God," on his television show as though he ran it, Fred Jordan had the audacity to make the claim that the two organizations had absolutely nothing to do with one another. In an act of sheer insanity Fred Jordan plead, "Mistaken Identity."

Fortunately, a judge saw through the lie and refused to drop Fred Jordan from the lawsuit.

http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Oakland_Tribune:_Covina_Man_Still_Tied_to_Church_Suit
http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Fred_Jordan

*It should be noted that in all of our research for this post, we at "Fred Jordan Missions-Shame on you," found that it is universally believed that Fred Jordan did not know of Berg's problems with bigamy and incest. However, we believe that this oversight speaks volumes about his character. He was the principle benefactor of the organization, the young people lived on his property, he put them on his show to help him raise money, and for the love of God, he founded another organization in California and used his Downtown Mission as its staging ground and then tried to tell a judge that, the two organizations had no connection. Come on Fred! Really?

In the end, Linda Berg wonders, I've often thought about all the money the public donated to "help the Children"; neither I nor the COG (Children of God) will ever know what it was really used for."
Linda, if it makes you feel any better, we at "Fred Jordan Missions-Shame on you," have no idea what any of the money the organization raises is used for.

Shame on Fred Jordan Missions #5- For letting their staff (the owners son) steal donations

I totally knew that guy Peter as well. So weird. I used to volunteer for Fred Jordan Missions and one time around Christmas, Peter told us underlings to round up all the Bratz Dolls. These monstrosities:

Anyway, there was literally a roomful of toys that donors had brought to give to the poor kids of Los Angeles, so in the end there was like 7 or 8 bags of Bratz related merchandise. Oh, and it was the hottest toy of the time. Every kid wanted it.
So the leader of the Mission asked Peter, why he wanted us to bag up all of the most popular toys. We figured because of the seductive nature of the dolls the Mission did not want to give them out. Nope. Turns out, Peter was taking them to his girlfriends niece. I swear to god. Seven bags of toys for his girlfriend. I was shocked. But the real shocker came when the Director asked Peter if his Mom (Mission President, Willie Jordan) knew what he was doing.
He told him, "yep, and you can take stuff too if you want it."
I couldn't believe it.
I always wondered if the donors knew they were donating toys to Peter's girlfriend!

Shame On Fred Jordan Missions #4- For how they spend donations (Part 3)

I am so glad I found this website. I used to run in the same circle as the youngest son of Fred Jordan (from my goth/punk days). This moron: (when I knew him, he smoked, drank, cursed, was getting divorced)

Fred would be so proud!

One time he was griping to everyone about how his Mother (Willie Jordan, President of Fred Jordan Missions) spent her time bouncing around 3 homes Fred Jordan Missions owned or shared ownership in.
1 was in Chino Hills and looked over Los Angeles, 1 was in Palm Desert and sat on one of the holes of a PGA West golf course and 1 was in San Clemente and had a pool that looked over the Pacific Ocean, (oh and he added, that that one had an elevator.)
I always wondered if the Donors of Fred Jordan Missions were aware that they bought the President of the "not for profit, Mission," three homes!