‘Journey to Hope’ Helps Those Facing Life Challenges Find Hope And Healing

Charitable Words’ Project Manager and Alumni Scholar Brittany York joined Journey to Hope this past summer as an intern and is now employed part-time as the nonprofit’s Marketing and Development Coordinator.

The nonprofit’s ultimate goal: “to be known as the regional place where people who are hurting and suffering as a result of life’s challenges go to find hope and healing,” says Diane Kinsella, Journey to Hope’s Executive Director (pictured above).

It currently accomplishes its mission as it serves more than 450 clients, offering a variety of support and coaching groups at little or no cost.

Since Brittany began her work in June, she’s accomplished the following: crafted and designed a revamped, quarterly print newsletter, in addition to a weekly e-newsletter — also redesigned and in-color — which has allowed the organization to expand its outreach (the e-newsletter’s open rate was previously at 18% and is now at 30%), established a social media presence, and helped bring in $2,000 in funds from the nonprofit’s first-ever crowdfunding campaign.

“The impact Brittany has had here at Journey to Hope — let me count the ways,” Kinsella says. “From the production of a greatly improved newsletter to the development of a Facebook presence that has grown our online visibility, and the insights that she’s had to share with our fundraising team around how to do online fundraising — it has made a marked difference and improvement in what we could do by ourselves.”

For Brittany, the position is a perfect fit as it allows her to not only put her communicative skills to good use, but it also allows her to raise awareness regarding groups for which she’s passionate about — groups that have the potential to change lives.

“Last month, in conjunction with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, we hosted a meditative yoga and journaling group for individuals who are coping with the loss of a loved one,” she says. “We also offer a variety of job search groups, groups for caregivers, and I might even have the chance in the future to host a boxing class —the idea is still in the works — but it would be a healthy outlet for individuals to cope with life’s stresses and challenges.”

According to Brittany, everything the nonprofit does is centered on helping individuals heal while realizing they can be resilient and maintain a life of balance.

“We provide individuals with knowledge so they know that once they leave Journey to Hope, they’re equipped with the right set of tools to address conflict, cope with loss, and emerge victorious,” she says. “And the fact that they have others sitting beside them, who are going through similar situations — it lets them know they’re not alone in this world — that there are people who care and who will listen. They can find strength in togetherness.”

If you would like to support Brittany in her fundraising efforts at Journey to Hope, click here.

Perks include everything from an Over-the-Rhine Brewery Tour for two to a performance at the Aronoff Center followed by dinner at Orchids.

You can also sign up here if you’d like to receive Journey to Hope’s weekly newsletter.