Continuing to meet more people within the JOURNEYS community, I had the chance to talk with one of our Board Members, Lori. Lori talked about her history in the area, her work with JOURNEYS, and how her day job helps provide a unique perspective and approach to helping those in need in her community.

Take a look at what she had to say!


"I grew up in Buffalo Grove, and my husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to raise our three kids in this community and send our kids to the same high school we both attended.

We started working with PADS out of our church when our kids were in high school, and we did that as a family for about 10 years. It's really been an important part of our family to work within our community and do what we can to help members in our community that are facing homelessness or dealing with homelessness directly. 

I'm an attorney by trade, and while my daily work isn’t really related to non-profit work, it does allow me to think analytically and critically about problem-solving and risk mitigation. I can use some of those day-job skills to have more systemic impact in my community than just volunteering.  

In 2020 I was fortunate enough to participate in the United Way Board Leadership Institute. It was a great training program for people who want to serve on non-profit boards. Through that program I was connected with JOURNEYS. I don't know that I really, fully understood the breadth of JOURNEYS’ profile in the community before that since I was previously only working with PADS program.  

Beth, JOURNEYS’ Executive Director, is such a dynamic leader and very much engaged in this community, has lived in this community forever like me. I really loved her leadership style, and I was thrilled to be able to use my opportunity to serve on JOURNEYS’ board to better support the homeless community and expand services, especially during COVID. 

JOURNEYS has had programs that we've had in place for years that we've totally had to pivot from because of the pandemic, and I think that the staff has done an amazing job. The board has really just tried to support them along the way. So what we are trying to do - and I think the new building is evidence of this - is to evolve with the needs of the community. 

JOURNEYS has done an excellent job of trying to partner with existing community organizations that are already supporting this population in different areas, connecting them with mental health services, job services, and housing services. The care teams that are interfacing with people one-on-one have also had to get creative. For example, there have been clients for whom the best thing is to get them connected with a family member, and their family might be out in California or somewhere across the country. A train ticket could be a resource to this individual to get them back on the right track. It’s important to think creatively about what the community needs are, and how we can pivot our programs to meet the needs that exist today. 

As a community, I think we do a really good job of providing opportunities for supporting JOURNEYS in a number of different ways. Some people are involved day-to-day either working at the [HOPE] Center and working directly with clients, while others are delivering food, or doing some once-a-week or once-a-month support.  ​

Our events are another fun way to support JOURNEYS. I was just at the self-defense class, and I took my two nieces who are both in college. Everyone had a really good time, and it was very rewarding to be involved. We have lots of other events, like the Casino Night and the Bid for HOPE Gala that's coming up in the fall, and even a golf outing. There are lots ways for the community to make a connection and it's really rewarding to be one-on-one with people that are in your community and making an impact where you live."

-Arranged by Roxanne Gentry, Marketing Associate

I had the opportunity to sit down with our outgoing Young Professionals Board President, Stephanie Van Kampen. We talked about her time at JOURNEYS and her plans after moving back to her home state of Wisconsin. We've been so lucky to have Stephanie as part of our JOURNEYS community, and wish her the best of luck on her future endeavors. Thank you, Stephanie!

Take a look at what she had to say!


​"I’m originally from Wisconsin, about an hour north. After graduation, I got a job in Chicago. I was completely new to the northwest suburbs, but I was looking for some sort of volunteering experience. I had done a lot of volunteering in the past in high school and college, and I knew I wanted to find a good cause in the community, so after a little Googling, I found JOURNEYS. They seemed like they were a really great organization, helping a lot of people in need, and it sounded like something I wanted to be a part of.  

After going through JOURNEYS’ volunteer orientation, I was planning to be a PADS volunteer, but I found out that a Young Professionals Board existed, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to help out in addition to volunteering with PADS.  

​I really loved volunteering with PADS. I loved being out at the shelters, serving meals, and cleaning up. All of the people who helped to run those sites were very, very caring. Some people I met had been doing it for twenty or thirty years. Their dedication was astounding, and it was a great experience.  

Seeing the community come out to support JOURNEYS was amazing. I would be handing out flyers at the local Jewel-Osco, and so many people would come by. They'd give us donations without us even asking for them. So many people would come up to us with some sort of connection to JOURNEYS. They would say, “I volunteered at a PADS shelter.” Someone even said their father had founded one of the PADS sites. So many thanked JOURNEYS for the great work they did. It’s amazing to see the impact they have on the community.  

As the outgoing Young Professionals Board President, it’s been great to see the passion of our members. There have been so many times when something starts off as a small idea, like our virtual beer-tasting fundraiser, and there was so much enthusiasm behind it. It was so organized, well planned, and the team just really tackled it and did a great job. It’s been wonderful working with a group of people that has so much passion for helping at JOURNEYS. I would love to see YPB grow into a larger organization. The more the merrier. 

I’ll continue to serve as past YPB president for the next year. I’ll be doing that in a virtual capacity since I’ll be a couple hours away. I have full confidence that the new [YPB] board will keep going strong. They’re incredibly hard workers and very passionate.  
​
The homeless population definitely holds a special place in my heart, so after I move, I would not be surprised if I get involved with another local organization that provides services similar to JOURNEYS'."

-Transcribed and arranged by Roxanne Gentry, Marketing Associate​

​Meet JOURNEYS Josie, a new addition to our staff! Taking a cue from her distant cousin, Flat Stanley, JOURNEYS Josie, or “JJ,” if you prefer, is excited to explore and learn about everything we do here, from open to close to special events!  

JJ’s first day was spent at the front desk of the HOPE Center shadowing our volunteers. She got acquainted with our client intake process, greeting everyone who walked in the door and offering a warm welcome. She even got to meet our resident reptile, Myrtle, who was extremely excited to meet someone at JOURNEYS closer to her own size.  

JJ loved interacting with clients as well as the volunteers and other JOURNEYS staff. The most difficult part of her day, she said, was handling the paperwork, since it’s difficult to handle paper when you have paper thumbs – a bit slippery! 
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We’ll post JJ’s continued adventures every other week. We’d love it if you designed and shared your own JOURNEYS helper like JOURNEYS Josie, so you can find a template on our website for download. Take a picture of your creation and share it on social media. You can tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or you can use the hashtag #journeysjosie. 

We're so excited to have Josie on the team!