Pathways' guests - and lobby - enjoy Christmas makeovers

By Karen Griner
If you drove or walked by Pathways' downtown shelter on Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard in December, you may have noticed a beautiful Christmas tree in the lobby, decorated with blue and gold ornaments and white lights.

The tree was a gift from Energen, who received it from Children's Hospital. It was designed by the Alabama Chapter of the International Internal Design Association. Pathways would like to thank these donors for this wonderful gift.

In case you missed it, don't worry - the artificial tree will be back in the Pathways' window next holiday season.

Pathways' guests were also treated to a holiday makeover. Volunteers, led by Sukeetha Stallworth, spent two days styling the women's hair. The ladies were then invited to have their picture taken by the tree and given a copy to send to relatives.


Janis Evans, Pathways' Volunteer Coordinator, reported that the women really enjoyed getting made over. 


"There were lots of hugs and thank yous," she said. "We may do this annually."

Karen Griner is the Development Director at Pathways. She can be reached at 205.322.6854 or karen.griner@pathwayshome.org.

Pathways' donors make Christmas wishes come true

By Karen Griner


When Joshlyn stepped inside a closet at Pathways, she was moved by tears by what she saw: A pile of presents stacked up as high as her chin, all for her five children.


"I didn't know where was all going to come from; I just kept praying," she said, describing her worries of how she was going to provide Christmas gifts for her 15-year-old twin sons, 11- and 13-year-old sons, and a 7-year-old daughter. "I can't find the words."


Employees of the engineering department of El Paso Corporation, a company that has strongly supported Pathways over the years, got together this year to adopt a Pathways family. They heard about the program through Pathways' website, contacted the agency, and were given a wish list for Joshlyn and her family. Together, they were able to purchase everything on that list, said Tony Garcia, an El Paso employee.


In addition, El Paso's IT department built a computer for Joshlyn, who is currently studying radiology at Jefferson State Community College. She said the computer will be invaluable in helping her complete her schoolwork. 


El Paso also donated $5,000 to Pathways to support its services, which include providing transitional housing, life skills classes, and a day center, where homeless women and children can receive shelter, a hot meal and clothing seven days a week.


This year, with the generous support of individuals and corporate donors such as El Paso, Vulcan Materials, and UBS Financial, Pathways was able to provide gifts for all of the families who had stayed at its shelters this year as well as purchase most items on the wish lists of its single women residents. Donations were also compiled into gift bags for visitors to the Day Center.


El Paso employees wanted to meet the family they adopted, so on Friday, a group came to Pathways to personally present Joshlyn with the gifts. In between several tears and even more hugs, the group helped her fill two vehicles with presents.


"It was a challenge and it was a lot of work," El Paso employee Tommie Hill said. "But it was very rewarding." 

WJ Christian students help homeless with toiletry drive

by Karen Griner


Many of us take for granted that we have a toothbrush and plenty of soap to make us feel fresh and clean each day.


Not the students at William James Christian Academy.


When they learned that people at their school have experienced homelessness, they decided they wanted to help by making a donation to Pathways. At first, they wanted to conduct a canned food drive, but opted instead to collect toiletry items when they heard there was a greater need for those items.


The fruits of their efforts - over 3,000 items ranging from toilet paper to high-end lotion - was featured on Fox6 WBRC. 

The initiative was headed up by the WJ Christian Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.


Students were excited to receive a visit last week from Fox6 news reporter Sarah Verser, who interviewed several of the honor students about the toiletry drive. They told her how they now have a greater appreciation for things like toothbrushes and soap and how they understand that others are less fortunate.


"There's actually a person who works at this school who had to live at Pathways once," said Sandra Pickens, a teacher at WJ Christian Academy who helped the students with the drive, told Fox6. "This person told me about the face of homelessness; she said there were students from this school who actually had to receive services from Pathways."


Using the Alabama-Auburn rivalry, the honor students motivated the entire school to get involved with the drive. Each student's team of choice would receive one point for every item donated. Whichever team got the most points earned a day of wearing team paraphernalia.


Alabama won.


"A homeless person is not necessarily someone you see on the sidewalk or sleeping on the street," Maria Dickens, Pathways' Executive Director told Fox6. "It's someone who gets up every day and goes to their job."


The items collected by WJ Christian Academy students - which filled the large Pathways van to full capacity - will make a tremendous difference to the women and children who live at Pathways' shelter and who come to the Day Center each day.


"(The donated toiletry items) make the difference between going a day without a shower, without brushing your teeth and having a day where you're clean," Dickens told Fox6.


Karen Griner is the Development Director at Pathways. She can be reached at 205.322.6854 or karen.griner@pathwayshome.org.


If you are interested in making a donation to Pathways, please contact Karen or Janis Evans, Development Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator, at janis@pathwayshome.org.

The Power of the Link

By Janis Evans

Photo credit: Adam Foster on Flikr

Community partners are essential to all United Way agencies. They give us at Pathways the ability to constantly impact someone’s life. Every time a person, like you, chooses to donate your time or your resources, a link is created. You become linked to not just our mission, but become connected to lives of the individuals we aim to reach.

Mother Teresa was once quoted saying, “Good works are links that form chains of love”, and I believe that is true. Every time a volunteer chooses to serve, an additional link is added to each United Way agency’s chain. The chain grows stronger every time community partners choose to donate items on an agencies wish list. They may choose to host an event in honor of a specific agency.  Every time a volunteer chooses to serve lunch in our Day Center or tutor a young child. The chain grows stronger. 

The chain is strengthening each time a group offers our guests the opportunity to gather for a bible study or offer a prayer of encouragement. The chain does not grow without community support. It does not grow without having a community recognize the need for agencies like ours. Pathways is a United Way agency, therefore linked to larger initiatives within our community. We are a chain of love created by links of our surrounding community’s compassion.  

If you are interested in learning more ways to help feel free to browse our web page www.pathwayshome.org or contact our Volunteer Coordinator Janis Evans at 205-322-6854 or janis@pathwayshome.org.

Janis Evans is the Volunteer Coordinator and Development Assistant at Pathways

By Heather Caygle

If you didn’t read our previous blog about Employment Readiness, here is a quick summary to catch you up:

Employment Readiness is a two-week class offered by Pathways. Volunteers from the Junior League of Birmingham teach the class, which covers a range of job-related topics including resumes, cover letters, job applications and mock interviews.

During a recent session, Lauren and Ashley, who both work in human resources at a local bank, taught the class. Although Lauren and Ashley have been members of the Junior League and volunteered at other places, this was their first time teaching Employment Readiness. 

Members of Pathways' team present a guest (center)
with a certificate after her completion of the
 Employment Readiness Program.

I sat down with both women after the first night and the last night of class to see how their thoughts evolved over the two-week session. Even for me, the end result was very surprising.

After the first night, both Lauren and Ashley expressed concerns about how the women would react to the class. They were both surprised at how open the women seemed even on day one. The class went well, although you could tell there was tension in the room because most of the women didn’t know each other. 

“The women were a lot more receptive than I thought,” said Lauren. “I was a little nervous before wondering how they would take to it but I was really pleasantly surprised.”


Ashley was surprised by how many women had previously held jobs and couldn’t find one now. The class included a former substitute teacher, telemarketer, nursing assistant and security guard.

“It’s interesting talking to them realizing this is not the first time they’ve tried to go out and find a job," Ashley said. "It’s disheartening to realize how hard it is for some people to find a job. It definitely opens your eyes to the fact that these women are out there looking and it isn’t as easy as you think.”

Even on day one, though, both women understood the most important thing: homelessness and joblessness can happen to anyone.

“It’s easy to kind of separate yourself from these women, but the truth is with just a few different things happening in each of our lives, we could all end up here. It’s eye opening to realize that with just a few twists and turns it could be anyone sitting here really wanting to find a job and provide for their children and not be able to,” said Ashley.

So how much could two women really change after eight days? Day eight - graduation day - was completely different than day one. There was laughter, smiles and hugs in every direction. Each Pathways’ woman chose to dance down the middle of the classroom aisle to receive her graduation packet and a big hug from Lauren and Ashley. The classmates and their two teachers had formed a real, lasting bond. The class ended with even more hugs and multiple “I love you’s.”

After the final class, I sat down with Lauren and Ashley one more time.

“I loved it. The class was awesome,” said Lauren. "The women were really impressive."

“I think we fell in love with them, even in just two weeks,” Ashley added. “It’s really easy to separate yourself and think they were here for a reason, but when you really get to know the women, you realize that’s not a fair assessment.”

Both Lauren and Ashley were surprised by how impressive the women were during mock interviews and their work histories.

“They were all awesome interviews. Some of them were better interviewees than me and that’s what I do for a living,” said Lauren.

“The caliber of women in this class was great,” said Ashley. “There was one lady who has worked at Taco Bell for 19 years and been promoted three times.”

The two women who came to teach the class ended up learning a lot as well.

“I was just reminded to be grateful and to remember the small things,” said Ashley. “It’s really easy to take everything for granted.”

“Even small things like having the opportunity to go to college or to finish high school," Lauren said. "It makes you appreciate that you had that, especially seeing how hard these women have to struggle not having that.”

At the end of the two-week session, Lauren and Ashley expressed a range of emotions: happy, sad, surprised. But mostly, they just felt an outpouring of love. 


“I just think these women are phenomenal. And how much love they have for us, I didn’t expect that,” said Lauren.

“Every night this week we couldn’t wait to get here,” said Ashley. “We couldn’t stop talking about them all week long. I felt like I would be helping. I never expected to be helped. It’s been great.”  

           

Heather Caygle is senior studying public relations at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is spending the summer working with Pathways.

Employment Readiness Helps Women Get Back on their Feet

By Heather Caygle

Pathways is not just a shelter for homeless women and children. At Pathways, we help get women on their feet and keep them there. One of the ways we do that is by offering the Employment Readiness Program.

Pathways guests participating in a recent
Employment Readiness class.

During Employment Readiness, two volunteers from the Junior League of Birmingham meet with homeless women eight times over two weeks. The classes, which last 1.5 hours, cover a range of job-related skills, including resume writing, cover letters and mock interviews. The evening classes have been so successful that in August Pathways began offering the program on a rotating basis during the day to visitors of the agency's Day Center.

So what is the class really like? I went behind the scenes during Pathways' latest Employment Readiness session to find out.

Employment Readiness is:

• Educational: On the first day, women dive right in by taking a quiz focused on resume basics. Each day the women learn about a different work-related skill. Day two covers resume writing (do’s and don’ts, buzz words to use and formatting). Day four focuses on job applications (including common mistakes made). Day seven is all about mock interviews (complete with proper interview attire). Other topics covered include how to write a cover letter, where to look for jobs and how to build self-esteem. 

“Learning to construct a resume is something I’ve always had trouble with," said Strawberry, one of the women who participated in the Employment Readiness Program. "I’m so happy because ever since high school, I’ve always wanted a resume that looked like this and now I have it.”  

Pathways' Program Director Dawn Mitchell, right,
works with an Employment Readiness student on her
 personal plan for seeking employment.

• Heartfelt: It isn’t just resume writing and mock interviews. Over the course of two weeks, the women really grow closer. Each day, laughs are shared and personal stories are revealed. On the last day of class, smiles and hugs went all around. At the end, Ashley, one of the teachers, was even holding one woman’s baby girl, bottle-feeding her. Soon after, the baby, still in Ashley’s arms, let out a big burp.  

• Eye Opening: Many things people take for granted often pose obstacles to homeless women. “What address will I use?” “What if I didn’t finish college or high school?” “I haven’t had a job in years. How do I put that on my resume?” Those were all issues that teachers Lauren and Ashley helped the women solve.

• Honest: Women at Pathways come from many different situations. Just in this class alone there were women that had worked in many different jobs, including as a substitute teacher, at the Red Cross, as a telemarketer, a nursing assistant and a security guard. The 15 women in this class all had different life stories and backgrounds but were all hoping for one thing—to get back on their feet. The class works because, even with all their differences, there is an abundance of honesty and respect.

At the end of the two-week session, the women walked out of that classroom not only with several copies of a properly formatted resume, but with their heads held high and their hearts hopeful.

A group of women proudly show off their certificates of
 completion from Pathways' Employment Readiness Program.

Heather Caygle is a public relations graduate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She  spent the summer working with Pathways.

Hopelessness to Hope

By Carolyn Johnson

Photo credit: Ryan on Flickr

Admirable accomplishments. Those of us at Pathways see them over and over with the success of our clients. We witness the plight of our guests, the defeating, life-changing trauma of losing a home, running out of personal resources, and lack of support from family and friends. This can lead to desperate calls to shelters for a bed.

Many times in our society, when we hear about the courage and determination of ordinary people, it becomes the talk of the "water cooler" crowd. We hear about it on the news, it becomes a featured in-depth story on shows like 20/20.

There are many stories of great accomplishments at Pathways, but are few are made public and given much fanfare.

For example, 64-year-old Lydia tells us of her overwhelming fear of her family and friends discovering that “she is a failure by living in a shelter”. Lydia worked hard to keep her secret. She would make excuses to leave a social event with friends to get back to the shelter in time for curfew. She had to sell most of her belongings to stay afloat prior to entering shelter. Lydia had been a nurse in another state and came to Birmingham to help her aging and ill mother. This situation did not work out. There were family problems coming from all directions, and Lydia left that situation. She then had a stroke, and other medical problems began to pile on. She believed the important things in her life were lost forever.

Lydia was encouraged by and somewhat challenged to redirect her well-honed skill of determination to conceal her homeless plight from friends and family. She was challenged to look forward so she could move forward. She landed a part-time job in the home health field that matched her skill set. She received budgeting assistance, saved money, worked on the relationship with her family, and recruited a few friends to help her collect furniture items in a storage she obtained. Lydia was now planning ahead, preparing for her exit from the program. I began to have fewer visits from her in my office. She had gained her own sense of hope.

Lydia used her time wisely and worked hard to pull her “new life” together. She told me before she left that she feared being happy, because for so long she believed she was not allowed to feel. Coming to the shelter offered her a fresh start, but she also was afraid that she could not do it alone and would once again fail.

Just like many of our clients who work hard against feeling hopeless, I had to remind Lydia that the trick is not to fight against hopelessness but to fight for hope. It is up to her to choose which door to open.

There are many courageous women who overcome “the bad” in their life. Women who are determined to move forward, to have faith in a spiritual sense as well as in themselves. Women with stories of hope, where confidence grows within them, where problems become redefined as challenges, and failure becomes a victory.

These are huge events like an amputee climbing Mount Everest or a woman who went from getting food stamps to becoming one of the most successful authors of our time by writing the Harry Potter Series.

These are truly great examples of how we can do it with a great deal of patience and determination.

Photo Credit: Leonardo on Flikr.

Carolyn Johnson is a social worker at Pathways.

UAB Nursing Students Help Homeless Women Unwind

By Janis Evans

Homeless women who visited Pathways' Day Center on September 1
were  pampered with manicures courtesy of UAB nursing students.

Take a moment and close your eyes. Think about all of things that cause you to be stressed. Now, open your eyes and take a deep breath and close them again. This time, imagine that you have no care in the world. In fact, you are walking down the beach, the waves are touching your feet, and the water is perfectly fine.

UAB nursing instructor Sharon Hamilton
demonstrates a stress-relieving technique.

Many people who encounter stress are taught how to manage their stress. The techniques mentioned above are a few stress relieving exercises. However, what do you do when your entire living situation is a stressor? You are not given the option to walk down the beach. How do you manage the stress of life?

On September 1, nursing students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham visited Pathways and addressed this very topic to homeless women visiting the agency’s Day Center.

The students began their health talk by defining stress. They identified common stress factors, triggers, and when stress is most likely to occur in women. They showed how stress can be good and bad and explained to the guests how to deal with stress.

UAB nursing students explain to Pathways'
guests different to cope with stress.

The presentation concluded with an open discussion, which allowed Day Center guests to ask questions, give personal examples, and share their personal tips on how to deal with life’s stressors.

A UAB nursing students treats a Pathways guest to a manicure.

After the presentation, the UAB students eased some of the guests’ stress by treating them to manicures. “Sometimes it feels nice to be pampered!” said Sharon Hamilton, the students’ instructor.

Janis Evans is the Volunteer Coordinator and Development Assistant at Pathways. She can be reached at janis@pathwayshome.org.

Struggling with addiction

By Carolyn Hogan

Photo credit: Sara Robertson on Flickr

Dee came to Pathways in April 2010. She was an energetic, petite white female that had “personality”. Dee was every bit of 100 pounds, wet with sand in her pocket. She stayed at an emergency shelter at night and, as other clients usually do, came to Pathways' Day Center for day services. These services  include  a hot shower, laundry facilities, use of client phones, food, life-skill classes, referral services, and an area to relax and get out of the elements. 

Dee never met a stranger and would give anyone her last penny. But after a month or so, something strange began to happen. Dee’s crystal personality became cloudy and grim. She had been hanging out with a crowd of ladies who always complained and caused trouble with night staff at other local shelters. When I would pull Dee off to the side to talk, she seemed happy and okay. But she was definitely not the same person. As time passed, I found that this crowd was hooked on prescription drugs and would sometimes fake illnesses to obtain their “fix”. This all became too apparent when Dee came into the Day Center one day, staggering and complaining of headaches and dizziness. After about a half hour, she fell out of a chair. The paramedics were called, but they couldn’t find anything wrong with her. Because of her stated symptoms, they took her to the hospital. Later that day, Dee returned, feeling better and complete with two new prescriptions. And the games began.

Dee and her friends were eventually put out of shelters and boarding homes but somehow managed to put together enough money to get a room at a nearby motel.  Sometimes, Dee would call Pathways for help, crying and saying “they’re not my friends”. Other times she called a friend for support, only to be left on the side of the road. Dee’s only alternative was to call for support from her family. Pathways assisted her in contacting her sister, who was sympathetic but declined to take Dee in. This was when I found that Dee had been through six recovery programs only to leave with the promise to start over. Her family seemed to have lost  hope. 

Pathways did not give up on Dee. Together, she and I cried and prayed, and she asked God and her family for forgiveness and a new start. Then, Dee received a phone call from her sister, who had found a recovery program in Tennessee. The fees were waived, and Dee seemed to be on the path to her new start.

But to my surprise, a week later I looked up and saw Dee standing in front of me. She had managed to wiggle out of going to treatment - again.

However, this time, she had managed to stay clean long enough to be eligible to return to one of Birmingham's area shelters. Maybe this was the new start. She initiated an approach to set new goals with her social worker and enrolled in classes at Fellowship House. After attending classes on a regular basis, she was given first choice for the next in-house program slot. She has since graduated into the next level, acquired housing and independence.

To make this long story short, I consider this a huge success for someone who dared to take advantage of her second - or rather third - chance. At last sight, Dee had gained at least 90 pounds and wears a smile that is contagious.

Carolyn Hogan is the Day Center Coordinator at Pathways.

Annual Sporting Clays Event Benefits Pathways

By Karen Griner

Five dozen sportsmen and women took aim at homelessness last week by participating in Pathways' 13th annual Sporting Clays event.

The annual event is Pathways' largest fundraiser, netting approximately $30,000 a year in support of programs that help homeless women and children.

Sporting Clays is a sport where participants shoot at flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun. Points are awarded for every target hit, and each team and individual compete for the highest score.

“It’s a unique way for people to have some fun while still giving back in their own way and supporting a cause that continues to be an issue,” said Greg King, Vice President of Marketing for Iberia Bank and chair of the event.  “To the extent that we can chip away at homelessness and solve the issue, it makes the community a better place.”    

Fifteen four-person teams gathered at Selwood Farm in Alpine the morning of August 26 and enjoyed a warm breakfast, sponsored by Dunn Investment Company, before heading out into the woods for a fun morning of competition. Afterward, they unwound on the porch of Selwood's lodge, overlooking a beautiful view, while feasting on a catfish lunch provided by CEMEX and waiting for the scores to be tallied. Birmingham Coca-Cola Bottling Company generously provided refreshments.

IberiaBank and National Cement were Major Sponsors of the event. Their teams went head-to-head with teams sponsored by Alabama Power, Altec, BBVA Compass, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, CMH Architects, Energen, Gray Construction, J.H. Berry & Gilbert, Kenworth of Birmingham, Kirkpatrick Concrete, One Stop Environmental, and Rives Construction Company.

In the end, National Cement proved to be the champions with a score of 368. Alabama Power came in second with 315 points. The top two shooters, members of the National Cement and Kirkpatrick Concrete teams, shot 96 and 93 points, respectively.

In addition to the companies who sponsored teams, food and beverages, Pathways is also extremely grateful for the the support of EBSCO, Warren Averett Kimbrough & Marino, Brasfield & Gorrie, Massey Hauling Company, Regions and Vulcan Materials. Thanks as well to the Junior League of Birmingham for sending a member of its Corps of Volunteers to assist with the event, and to the individual volunteers and staff who came out to Selwood to help make the event a success! 

Last but not least, Pathways would like to thank the Sporting Clays committee for all of their hard work and dedication: Greg King, Stewart Cox, Bart Moore, Randi Rhone and Robert Robertson. You all make a difference in the lives of homeless women and children!

Karen Griner is the Development Director at Pathways. She can be reached at karen.griner@pathwayshome.org.

Generational Homelessness

By Carolyn Johnson

Recently, Pathways assisted a young lady, whom I will call Sharon. This young lady had been in one of our facilities as a child along with her mother. As a homeless adult, Sharon wanted to come to Pathways because she remembered how safe and comfortable she felt as a child client. She talked about how her mother was helped and how, as a child, she did not feel singled out at school because she had the same school supplies as all of the other children thanks to Pathways. At the time she contacted Pathways for herself, she was not on good terms with her mother. Sharon receives Social Security due to a physical disability that leaves her unable to work. Shortly after moving in to Pathways, she found out she was pregnant. Sharon described feeling alone and unsure of her ability to manage it all. Both Pathways staff and guests showered her with emotional support.

Sharon found an income-based apartment within walking distance of the shelter. She quickly made friends and keeps in touch with Pathways staff. She received assistance with baby items, help in managing her bills, and continued emotional support and encouragement. Before her baby was born, she and her mother reunited. Her mother was with her when Sharon’s healthy baby boy was born. Sharon, her mother, and her beautiful baby came by Pathways to visit recently, and they all seem to be doing well.

There probably is not a one-answer response to what causes generational homelessness. However, we can speculate on a few contributing factors, such as a lack of educational opportunity, being stuck in a certain socio-economical state, learned dependency on community services without offering the skills for self sufficiency, a lack of direct exposure to other life choices. These and more may give some notion of how generational homelessness may occur.

Carolyn Johnson is a social worker at Pathways.

The Lunch Hour

Volunteers Cindy Rayburn, left, and Linda Stone serve up
smiles and a delicious meal from Milo's  August 5 to homeless women at Pathways' Day Center.

By Janis Evans


During the weekday, between 11am and 1pm, downtown Birmingham becomes exceptionally busy. The local eateries are all filled with hungry workers. These workers take pride in the “lunch hour.”

However, in downtown Birmingham, you will find many homeless women heading toward Pathways’ Day Center. 

Every day, 365 days of the year, homeless women and children staying at First Light, Salvation Army, the YWCA, Pathways and the streets head to Pathways’ Day Center for their “lunch hour”. These women all gather in the Day Center and enjoy a hot meal. These meals are sometimes prepared by our talented onsite cook, but every second Friday of the month, Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church generously caters the meal.

On August 5, we interviewed two volunteers from Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church as they prepared to serve the “lunch hour” meal. These volunteers were Cindy Rayburn, Pathways’ 2011 Board President, and Linda Stone.

Q: How long have you been serving the Noonday meal?

A: 1 year and about 6 months or so!       

Q: Why did you choose to serve the noonday meal at Pathways?

A: The church – Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church (VHUMC) – has always had a need for feeding those in need. The first year that VHUMC started preparing and serving the noonday meal at Pathways the church’s chef prepared all of the meals. Lately, due to changes in the chef’s schedule, VHUMC chooses to have the meal catered. Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church felt that this would be a great way to spread information about their church as well as Pathways.

Ingredients from this salad were generously donated by
local farmers who take part in Birmingham's weekly Pepper Place Market.

Q: Many volunteers often state they have learned a lot during their time at Pathways. Can you describe one experience that you will always treasure about your time at Pathways?

A: Homeless women are just like you. They are very relatable because all of the individuals are diverse and each woman could represent you.

Q: How would you encourage others to volunteer at Pathways?

A: Volunteering at Pathways is fulfilling. It is fulfilling because you get to see who you are helping. Especially with the economic crisis causing people who would otherwise not be in this situation to become homeless.

Pathways is very grateful to have Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church prepare and serve the “lunch hour” meal to our guests. If you or an organization that you represent would like to assist with the preparing and serving of a meal at Pathways, you may contact Janis Evans, Pathways’ Volunteer Coordinator, at  janis@pathwayshome.org or (205) 322-6854. 

Janis Evans is the Volunteer Coordinator and Development Assistant at Pathways. 

Zumba finds home at Pathways

by Karen Griner

Pathways' Program Director, Dawn Mitchell (center) joins
Day Center guests during a recent Zumba class.

The Zumba craze has found a home at Pathways.

Each Friday since July 22, about a dozen or so homeless women who are staying at First Light, Salvation Army, the YWCA, and Pathways have come to dance and get fit during a 1-hour Zumba fitness class now being offered at Pathways’ Day Center on Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N.

The idea of starting a Zumba class at Pathways came from Nena Moorer, a first-year board member of Pathways. Nena is a certified Zumba instructor and teaches the class to guests alongside fellow Zumba enthusiasts, Zay Allen and Valerie Green.

Pathways' Board member Nena Moorer 

hands a Day Center guest a "hip scarf" 

used in Zumba to help participants 

keep time with the music.

“This is my way of giving back,” Nena said. “It has just been uplifting to see the smiles on the ladies’ faces.”

Nena was on a dance team in high school and in recent years has run 5Ks for local charities. But she missed dancing.

“It’s been spiritual and fun for me, and I’ve made lots of friends,” Nena said as a Pathways guest came up to her and gave her a hug.

Nena, Zay, and Valerie have lost a combined total of 150 pounds through Zumba, and they hope to pass the health benefits onto Day Center guests.

Zay, who is a pastor’s wife, is accustomed to helping people work on their spiritual side. “With Zumba, you work the spiritual side and the physical side together,” making the body complete, she said.

Nena Moorer (front row, left) and co-instructor Zay Allen (front row, right) lead a
Zumba class to homeless women and members of Pathways' staff.

Karen Griner is Pathways' Development Director. She can be reached at karen.griner@pathwayshome.org.

Robin's Story: I survived and I'm not going back

By Heather Caygle

Robin is the embodiment of good ole’ sunshine. You know the kind that shines through the window on your face as you're riding in the car and it feels so good it instantly warms you soul? 

Yes, she is that kind of sunshine.

Not only does she have a sunny demeanor and bright eyes that light up the entire room. On the day I met her, she was also dressed in sunny yellow — her shirt, earrings, sunglasses and even her headband all coordinated.

Robin has a lot to be happy about these days. On July 29, she will be celebrating three years sober. She is also holding a steady job and even has her own apartment.

“Now I live alone and it’s all mine. It’s the best,” she says as she motions to the small but quaint and cozy one-bedroom apartment she now happily calls home.

Robin has come a long way since she was arrested for check forgery in Florida in 2008 and sentenced to 13 months in prison. Back then she was on heavy drugs, specifically crack, and spent time in and out of jail.

When Robin was getting ready to be released, officials asked her where she wanted to go.  “I looked on the map, put my finger on it, and when I moved my finger aside it said 'Birmingham, Alabama,'” she says.

Robin ended up at Pathways, where she was put on a regular schedule, attended narcotics anonymous meetings and offered structure and support from a loving staff. Her eyes light up when she talks about the impact the women’s shelter has had on her.

“Pathways-WOW!” she says with giddy excitement. “It was the staff that really helped me because I had a really bad attitude problem and they didn’t give up on me.”

Pathways is not just a homeless shelter for women and children. The goal of the nonprofit is to help get women on their feet and then keep them there by offering classes that teach basic financial skills, such as managing a bank account, and qualities needed to be successful in the job market, including how to create a resume.

According to Robin, the staff at Pathways wouldn’t let her get away with her “bad attitude” and encouraged her to challenge herself in many ways — including by staying sober and attending classes to learn about employment readiness and how to stay “fiscally fit.”

Robin is proud of her accomplishments and happily shows off a colorful collection of red, blue, yellow and white chips attached to her purse — tokens given to her to symbolize sobriety.

As she fiddles with the chips, running her fingers over each one, Robin continues to gush about Pathways.

“If it wasn’t for Pathways sticking by me, I would be on the streets probably smoking crack again. They didn’t give up on me.”

Pathways’ caring and supportive staff serves more than 1,000 women and children, many with stories like Robin’s, every year.

“I have pictures of them on my wall because that is my family,” Robin says of the staff.  “I am grateful that they stuck by me when I didn’t stick by myself.”

Now that she is happy, healthy and sober, Robin says she is never going back to her old life.

“I threw away that old behavior and that old life. I survived and I’m not going back,” she says confidently.  “It took me a long time just to get my foot in this door, but I got it in there and I’m keeping it in.”

Heather Caygle is senior studying public relations at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is spending the summer working with Pathways.