Monday, October 15, 2012

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Monday, October 1, 2012

Who Journey's Helps - AMAZING Sucess Stories

SUCCESS STORY
Mary and her four children showed up at a JOURNEYS shelter on a frigid January night with nowhere to go. Her husband had left her family without saying a word the summer before. She immediately found part-time work in food service, but could not make enough money to cover rent. She was finally evicted right around Christmas. Her brother in Niles let her stay with him for a few weeks, but told her to leave when his landlord threatened to evict him because of Mary’s kids.
When she came to JOURNEYS, she was humiliated and fearful. She was hesitant to open up to staff. Our first job was to show we were worth being trusted. Within the first week, our caseworkers helped enroll and advocate for Mary’s kids in local schools. When Mary saw this, she started to warm up. She admitted she was lonely and overwhelmed. She had spent her adult life as a stay at home mom and was unprepared to be both mother and primary wage earner.
Within the month, JOURNEYS helped her apply for and be accepted for food stamps and subsidized family medical care. Staff then gave her a job lead for full-time work. She aced the interview, in large part to her warm personality and can-do work ethic. With a steady income, she applied to Pathways Development Institute (PDI). A great candidate, within four months of starting work with JOURNEYS, she was accepted into the PDI program and was housed in Palatine.
Her family was ecstatic. The kids now had some stability in their life for the first time in a year, and they no longer had to hide their homelessness from peers. For Mary’s part, she told staff they had helped her to discover her own strengths and resiliencies. She was soon promoted at work into the management track. Today, she has been stably housed for almost six months now and is looking forward to moving back to her hometown of Rolling Meadows soon.


NEAR HOMELESSNESS
Jack and Vanessa, and their three daughters, have been coming to JOURNEYS for about three years now. During the first year, we helped get them out of the shelters and into transitional housing. Currently, we provide the services that other agencies are unable or unwilling to extend.
Jack works full-time as a tradesman, but consistent work has been spotty since housing construction slowed down. Vanessa juggles stay at home mom duties, studying for her GED, and working part-time in retail. JOURNEYS has been focused on job development for both spouses, education coordination for the whole family, and providing parenting education and family case management.
With JOURNEYS supportive services such as food pantry and Christmas gifts for the girls, and working with the girls’ school social workers, the family was not only able to keep their housing and family stable during 2011-2012, but actually move out of the transitional housing program and pay for rent independently. This was a huge step for the family, and one that has been given long-term support by JOURNEYS for the last few years.


HOMELESSNESS
Jeff is a 40 year-old man who works full-time as a tow truck driver. Because he earns money based on vehicles towed, his income can vary wildly. He also has numerous health problems, including diabetes and high anxiety. Despite having an outwardly mellow personality and loving to tell jokes, he says that his health issues “run in the family”.
In 2011-2012, JOURNEYS provided shelter for Jeff during the cold months, although sometimes he preferred to sleep in the tow truck or the unheated garage of his tow truck company. JOURNEYS also connected Jeff with a nurse practitioner that visits JOURNEYS once a week to get him on a stable regimen of prescription medication, without which working would be extremely difficult.
Jeff has been saving money over the spring and summer so that when the shelter sites open up again in fall 2012, he no longer needs to use them because he is renting his own room or apartment. JOURNEYS has also been helping to coordinate Jeff’s appointments and treatment plans with doctors and other agencies such as the Department Human Services. Hopefully, with JOURNEYS assistance Jeff will need less and less of us this upcoming year.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Fun Family 5K for a great cause :)



Hello everyone... Registration deadline is 6:00pm, September 28th
This is a fun, family friendly event and there are fun things going on in Palatine so why not make a whole morning of it. There is a farmers market and a fall festival as well.  I really hope to see you there  :)
JOURNEYS' Race for Home 5K
October 6, 2012 at 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Palatine Towne Square
Saturday, October 06, 2012
Race for Home: 5K Run/Walk
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Towne Square, downtown Palatine
150 W. Palatine Rd.
Palatine, 60067
847-963-9163
JOURNEYS | The Road Home has been serving Palatine's homeless and those facing homelessness since 2001. The Race for Home is one of our largest fundraisers of the year, raising money to fund valuable agency resources. This is a brand new course that has been certified especially for JOURNEYS, beginning and ending at the Towne Square. Pledges are requested to support operating expenses of the PADS Shelter Program, and the person who raises the most pledges wins a bicycle. Sponsor opportunities are available. All ages are welcome, and children in strollers are FREE. Awards will be given to the top overall male and female finishers, and the top three finishers of each age division.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Race For Home 5K

Saturday, October 06, 2012
Race for Home: 5K Run/Walk

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Towne Square, downtown Palatine
150 W. Palatine Rd.
Palatine, 60067
847-963-9163

JOURNEYS | The Road Home has been serving Palatine's homeless and those facing homelessness since 2001. The Race for Home is one of our largest fundraisers of the year, raising money to fund valuable agency resources. This is a brand new course that has been certified especially for JOURNEYS, beginning and ending at the Towne Square. Pledges are requested to support operating expenses of the PADS Shelter Program, and the person who raises the most pledges wins a bicycle. Sponsor opportunities are available. All ages are welcome, and children in strollers are FREE. Awards will be given to the top overall male and female finishers, and the top three finishers of each age division.

For more info go to http://www.journeystheroadhome.org/landing/events/#RaceforHOPE

Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JourneysfromPADStoHOPE/events

Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/343134269106128/

Friday, October 15, 2010

Host/ Hostess Challenge!!!

My highest candle party sales for a single hostess were $709.35 The hostess holding that record is one of my closest friends Jill :) I challenge you to book a party and beat her sales (Jill if you want to keep your record book another show and beat it) The hostess achieving this goal with the highest sales by December 31st will receive a an extra special gift from me in addition to all of her free product, Hostess specials, and half off items!!!! Good luck, And may the best host/ hostess win!!! 

~Your Candle Lady
   Christy Matthews

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

$10,000 Room Makeover Giveaway!!!

Wanna win a $10,000 room make over? The SWEEPSTAKES has begun!!!! Go EVERY DAY To www.partylite.com/sweepstakes for your chance to win daily prizes plus the $10,000 room makeover
grand prize!!!! You will need my consultant code to enter: HJPPX9

Exciting changes...

    As I'm sure you all know I love candles... but let me tell you why I LOVE PARTYLITE!!!14 months ago I decided I wanted to sell Partylite. I have a full time job, But I thought if I could get free products and make "extra" money to do fun stuff with my family (while still having free time to do so) I would be a happy girl. In my 1st 3 months of business I made aproximately $1,500 in cash, recieved over $1000 In FREE product, and had more money to do things that I normally couldn't afford to do with my family!! I also earned free catalogs and business tools and I was indeed a HAPPY GIRL!! 


    A few months went by and my circumstances changed, My hours were cut at work and I stopped getting child support.  So I booked more shows and voila I made more money!! I felt so priveleged to work for a company that not only allowed me to work around my schedule, but alowed ME to change MY schedule whenever I wanted to :) How cool is that??? So I continued to work more when I needed more money and work less when I didn't. It worked out well, I havee money when I need it because I always have Partylite to supplement my income. I will say my sales were less than fantastic, But my needs were met and as I said before I could constantly change my goals to meet my needs and so I did!

    I am also proud to say I have an amazing group of colleages that are like minded but have different visions for their business. We get together and support each other often and truly want the best for one another. No competition, no rivalry, just honest caring individual with goals and hopes and dreams... It is a beatiful thing! 

   Once a year we go to conference, it is the most amazing bonding experience!! I attended my 1st Partylite conference (Of many God willing) And from the second I walked in that enourmous people filled room a feeling of self worth, confidence, and a feeling that I belonged there in that moment completely overcame me. It was like  I was destined to walk in that room. I can't explain it, but it was like an out of body experience I felt in that moment like Partylite could and WOULD change my life if I let it!!

That was the day I decided to LET IT!!! I wasn't given a chance to supplement my income, I was given a chance to change my life... For that I am greatful to the greatest most rewarding company I have ever worked for I am going to hold on with both hands and let Partylite change the life of not just me, but my family as well! 
Thank you Partylite :)