Pathways invites you to Open House on AL Gives Day

Day Center cook Diane Harris welcomes homeless guests with delicious hot lunches.

In 2011, 1,145 homeless women paid a combined total of nearly 12,000 visits to Pathways’ downtown Day Center, where they were able to take a shower, get a hot meal, and take classes on how to improve their situations. On February 2 – Alabama Gives Day – Pathways will welcome the public to visit the Day Center from 9am-3pm with an Open House.

Visitors can meet Pathways’ staff, enjoy refreshments (including coffee, cookies and donuts), and take a tour of the Day Center, located at 409 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd N in downtown Birmingham (click here for directions).

Open House visitors will also be invited – though certainly not required – to support Pathways with a donation as part of Alabama Gives Day on February 2.

Day Center guests listen to a guest speaker.

Alabama Gives Day is a partnership of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits and the Alabama Broadcasters Association. Alabama Gives Day aims to make history by connecting new and existing donors with hundreds of Alabama nonprofits in just 24 hours. Never before in our state have Alabamians had the opportunity to come together in such a unique and synergized way to support hundreds of nonprofits during a dedicated day of giving.

A guest grabs lunch in the Day Center.

Pathways offers an array of services to assist homeless women and children. Its Employment Readiness Program teaches women how to write an effective resume and impress would-be employers in a job interview. It sponsors a holiday giving program to help mothers like Joshlyn put presents for their children under the Christmas tree. And it helps women like Dee and Robin, who struggled with drug addiction, get back on their feet and back on the path toward independence.

Computers will be on hand during the Open House for visitors to make a donation to Pathways, or gifts can be made from any computer throughout the day at razoo.com/PathwaysHome. Smart phone users may also donate by scanning the QR code printed on fliers that will be handed out during the Open House.

Here is a snapshot of what a donation to Pathways can do:

$ 25 provides two nights of shelter for a mother and her child.

$ 50 provides a month's worth of meals for women living on the streets.

$ 100 provides transportation for three homeless women in shelter to go on job searches.

$ 500 provides job training classes for a homeless woman.

$ 1,000 provides counseling and support for five homeless mothers and their children.

A woman browses through clothing in Pathways' Clothes Closet.
 Homeless guests in need of clothes are allowed
to pick out new outfits for free.

  

A Pathways guest listens to a guest speaker during a Day Center class.

The History of the Gives Day Movement: The Gives Day movement began three years ago in Minnesota as a means to increase philanthropy and help grow the individual donor base of nonprofits.

In 2011, Minnesota’s Give to the Max day saw 47,538 donations totaling $13.4 million. Colorado Gives Day recently had 52,000 donations totaling $12 million. Residents in other communities that have organized a Gives Day have overwhelmingly shown their support through donations, and while the immediate benefit is huge, the ripple effects of giving have helped spur other philanthropic endeavors in these communities. According to organizers in Minnesota, Colorado, North Texas, Pittsburgh, Seattle and other communities with a Gives Day, a key ingredient to their success has been through the support of the local media. 

Each year, over 1,200 women and children come to Pathways'
Day Center for a hot lunch, showers, life skills classes, and other
 services to help them get back on their feet.

“Rarely do local TV, Radio and Newspaper groups have an opportunity to make such a large impact on behalf of dozens of nonprofits in their local communities in just one day,” said Russell A. Jackson, Gives Day Manager for Alabama. “Alabama Gives Day certainly makes for an interesting news story, but it’s more than that. This is a day to help fuel the nonprofits that make our state such a great place to live and to help jumpstart their 2012 efforts.”

How does Alabama Gives Day work? On February 2, from midnight to 11:59pm, Alabamians will be driven to a dedicated online giving portal powered by Razoo at www.alabamagivesday.org where they will choose to make a gift to one or more of the hundreds of participating nonprofits.

A volunteer leads children in a crafts project during
Pathways' Learning to Be a Kid class.

“Connecting individual donors to nonprofits, while also promoting the safety and ease of online giving, is critical to helping our nonprofits be sustainable,” said John Stone, President and CEO for the Alabama Association of Nonprofits. “Never before has an event of this magnitude taken place in our state. This will be a defining moment for Alabama nonprofits participating in the event and the impact will be felt far and wide. We’ve seen what Minnesota, Colorado and other Gives Days have done, and with Alabama’s strong tradition of giving we believe that history can be made on February 2^nd.”

Pathways' Day Center is located at its downtown
Birmingham facility, 409 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd N.

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.