The Journey to Dream Foundation

Hello, we are five students attending the University of North Texas (Henri, Noah, Tayseer, Mario, and Ben) who are contacting you to assist with a cause that we hold dear. In between studies, one of our team members, Henri, provides mental health counseling and coaching to teens, young adults, and families affected by trauma, addictions, and mental health issues. He and his wife have owned and operated their own practice since 2017, providing help and restoring hope to families affected by those issues.

Besides the usual routine of work and studies, we enjoy helping out Journey to Dream, a program that provides help and assists youth who have suffered from homelessness, addiction, and trauma. In Texas, for instance, one in every thirty adolescent, 13-17 years, experience homelessness, thus making it more likely for them to be prone to addiction, mental problems, and violence (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2023). The prevalence of food insecurity amongst adolescents from low-income households is also increasing, whereby 18% of these youths do not have dependable access to healthy food, thereby impacting their health, school performance, and general well-being (Feeding America, 2023).

The mission of Journey to Dream is to build safe spaces and offer such fundamental needs as shelter, meals, and educational and psychological help to youth grappling with such situations. For us, Journey to Dream's cause is important because we have experienced how crucial it is to ensure a safe space and provide resources and assistance to teenagers going through the storm in their lives. One of the young people Henri and his wife helped in the past said that once he got stable accommodation and a support network, he was able to concentrate on his studies and what career he envisioned himself in.

This is why we are starting this GoFundMe campaign – we want to make sure that the funds raised will support Journey to Dream and its mission. A simple donation, regardless of size, has an impact on these young people's lives.

This campaign has been launched by a community-focused team of students from the University of North Texas. Many of our group's members have faced the same traumatic experiences that have led numerous teens to the doorsteps of Journey to Dream for the adult guidance and support they need. As civically engaged students, we are passionate about supporting the mission of the Journey to Dream Foundation and hope to use our personal experiences to benefit this amazing organization.

The youth of our nation will provide the innovation and breakthroughs of tomorrow, but right now, millions of them are living in volatile, abusive, or unsafe situations. Without proper intervention, these children can become victims of homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health issues. Thankfully, the Journey to Dream Foundation works tirelessly to provide shelter, food, and educational assistance for 15,000 at-risk teens in the DFW area annually (journeytodream.com).

Help us celebrate 20 years of providing these invaluable services for vulnerable youths by making a life-changing contribution today. Your donations help provide the resources needed for the everyday goods and services these young adults so desperately need and deserve. These funds will directly transform lives and propel our nation's youth into productive and contributing members of society.

Our Mission: Empowering Homeless and At-Risk Teens

Welcome to the journey of hope and transformation with Journey to Dream Foundation! We invite you to join us in something truly impactful—a movement dedicated to embracing, equipping, and empowering homeless, hurting, and at-risk teens to attain recovery, conquer adversity, and lead purposeful lives.

We are a group of University of North Texas students embarking on a fundraising initiative and we are rallying behind Journey to Dream Foundation. Join us in supporting this mission and together, let's create positive change in our community.

Did you know?

Texas reports over 100,000 students experiencing homelessness at some point during the academic year. This number includes youth living in shelters, transitional housing, motels, hotels, doubled-up situations, or unsheltered locations such as streets or parks. The overall rate of homelessness in Texas has continued to trend upward in recent years.

The Journey to Dream Foundation supports 15,000 Youth annually. 9 out of 10 youth leave Kyle’s Place campus with stable housing, employment and either in school or with a high school degree

The Journey to Dream Foundation Offers:

Compassionate and expert mentorship from caring adults

Personalized support and assistance with case management

Connections to essential resources such as food and clothing

Coaching in essential life skills to foster independence

Access to mental health services and evaluations

One-on-one counseling tailored to individual needs

Recommendations and referrals for medical and dental care

Together, We Can Make a Difference

With just $25, we can provide hygiene supplies for one resident, offering them a sense of dignity and comfort in their daily lives. Additionally, a donation of $50 can cover the cost of trauma counseling for one resident, helping them heal from past experiences and build resilience for the future. Your contribution will not only provide essential resources but also serve as a beacon of hope and possibility for those who need it most. By investing in these programs, we can empower young individuals to break the cycle of homelessness, build resilience, and create brighter futures for themselves and their communities.

Testimonial of Transformation From a Journey to Dream Graduate

“I was 18 when I arrived at Kyle’s Place. I had nothing – no ID, no plans for the future, just the clothes on my back. I had one goal: to get my younger sibling out of foster care to live with me, but that seemed impossible.

At Kyle’s Place, I learned skills for dealing with past traumatic experiences, like when I was homeless and sleeping under a bridge, how to positively handle conflict, and ways to share my feelings.

I celebrated my 19th birthday surrounded by loving and supportive people. Thanks to the life skills I learned at Kyle’s Place, I re-enrolled in school and got a job. My experiences taught me the importance of giving back to my community. Today, I volunteer at the Salvation Army and share my story. It’s incredible to actually have other teens look up to me. Through it all, I’ve made it!”

Together, we can empower dreams and create a brighter future for our youth. Thank you for your generosity and support.

The information provided is based on data from the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) and the Texas Homeless Network (THN)

At Risk Teens Need Your Help!

Journey to Dream is a nonprofit located in Denton County that has provided youth with a truly safe space Since 2004. As a faith-driven and inclusive organization that is committed to empowering teens, Journey to Dream offers all-encompassing services for teens finding their way through the challenging adolescent years. With help from donors (like you) JDF has provided: housing, clothing, medical and dental care, academic assistance, and counseling, impacting 15,000 young people annually.

This organization is also responsible for things like: helping reunite a teen with their biological mother, facilitating a foster-to-adopt home setting and utilizing Peer Assisted Learning and mentorships to meet the needs of today’s youth.

We often find ourselves overwhelmed with statistics like these:

In 2021, 20% of the population ages 12–17 had at least one Major Depressive Episode during the past year. [1] In 2023, 2.08 million teens reported using drugs in the last month, while over 21% of 8th graders had used illicit drugs during the same time. [2]

It is plain to see that the world has become a scary place for teens, and many of our youth are suffering needlessly from a lack of basic necessities. From haircuts, supplies and new clothes for school to providing life skills classes, JDF is here. They don’t stop there! With the help of generous donors, like yourself, JDF also provides substance abuse prevention, conflict resolution, and mental health support.

On this journey of life, we all need a helping hand from time to time. Please, join us in support of this organization as they work tirelessly to provide for those who cannot provide for themselves.

A great example of that support is Kyle’s Place:

Kyle's Place is a unique residential campus that offers stability, support and direction to youth that are homeless, escaping abuse or suffering loss, neglect and/or displacement. Their in-class activities help our youth find their areas of strength to help them gain confidence and skills to become successful adults. Graduates from JDF programs understand the power of giving and are more likely to donate their time and efforts to community needs, continuing the cycle of giving.

Since today’s teens face extraordinary challenges (with lifelong consequences) before they’ve fully developed the skills to cope with them, please consider helping Journey to Dream Foundation. If we work together, we can help those who support teenagers faced with these challenges by providing aid and empowering those working to overcome homelessness and trauma.

The funds we raise for this foundation will be strategically allocated to ensure that Journey to Dream can continue to fulfill its mission of providing housing, support, and resources to struggling teenagers. By providing your support, you ensure ongoing support services to local adolescents. YOU ensure access to a consistent and reliable source of guidance, resources, and support as they continue their path of healing and development. Without your help, these kinds of programs could not exist. Without your help, thousands of our youth would not be able to share positive testimonials of survival, compassion and persistence. It only takes a little bit for each of us to make a BIG impact! Graduates from JDF programs have experienced the power of “little-bits”. Little bits of time, little bits of money, little bits of effort from all of us can make a huge impact. Please consider helping us reach our fundraising goal.

For inquiries or to learn more about the Journey to Dream Foundation’s mission, please visit their website at www.journeytodream.com.

References

Hello! My team and I are students from UNT. We have decided to partner with the Journey to Dream Non- profit to help make a visible impact on the youth homelessness pandemic that is spreading across our nation like an abhorrent fire. The Journey to Dream Non-profit is an organization based out of Denton, Tx that offers a residential campus in effort of producing home stability, in-school programs to better educate and prepare youth for the challenges of adulthood, and support services to meet homeless youth where they are. Like JTD, we share the same goal of ending a crisis that affects the future of our nation. When looking at youth homelessness, the US, despite being an economic superpower, has a massive homelessness problem and 40% of that group are youths that are below the age of 18. This problem extends to everyone including to people within our group who have had firsthand experiences dealing with this destructive force from the perspective of having a sibling go through homelessness. Jeremiah saw how it strained the relationships around the people within his family and how it caused him to personally struggle with the fact that he could not do anything to change the problem at its core. With the help of organizations like JTD there can be successful initiatives to combat this fire spreading across our nation. For example, Kerri a JTD graduate, came out to her parents as gay and was kicked out of the house. She had to resort to bouncing around friends and extended family’s houses till she ended up at JTD. Through connecting with JTD, she was able to get housing which helped her grow mentally, emotionally, and she is now learning how to let go of the shame and family disappointment she felt towards her family. Through their efforts, JTD has been able to reach 15,000 teens annually. All the donations will go directly to JTD in efforts to expand their organization, their in-school programs, their residential campus, support services, and their overall reach and impact across north Texas.

Nelson Mandela once said that "Freedom is meaningless if people cannot put food in their stomachs, if they can have no shelter, if illiteracy and disease continue to dog them". So, I ask that you support us in our endeavor, so that the future of our nation that is enslaved to poverty, hunger, and homelessness can enjoy the fruits of freedom as well.

Ways to contact the Journey to Dream Non-profit for more information are as follows:

Number: (469) [phone redacted]

Website: