After four decades of extraordinary leadership, our founder Tim Mayworm retired in August, passing the torch to me as the new Executive Director of Journey House — a responsibility I accept with immense pride. Unfortunately, on Monday, September 16th, Tim lost his battle to pancreatic cancer. Tim and I were working on hosting a celebratory retirement event, but instead we are planning a “Celebration of Life” for Tim. He devoted his entire life to our community and he will be greatly missed by everyone whose life he touched. The world is a better place because of him and we are forever grateful for his presence in our lives. Tim's celebration of life will take place on Saturday, October 26th, 2024 from 1-5pm. Location details will come at a later time.

I first walked through the doors of Journey House in 2007 when I was a 16-year old probation foster youth, becoming part of the last cohort of Journey House group home residents. My role has evolved over the years, most recently serving as part of the executive team leading on major duties such as fundraising, public relations, programs development, board relations, and establishing major partnerships. Journey House has also evolved significantly since being part of the foster care system infrastructure for 25 years. Today, JH is a leading force in the field of social work, serving as a model for helping former foster youth create stability in their lives. We have over 450 individuals in our programs, with roughly 300 active program participants. We average 50 new intakes annually, with over 90 individuals currently enrolled in college. Since 2011, our students have attained 10 adult high school degrees, 8 trade certificates, 41 associate degrees, 69 bachelors degrees, 24 masters degrees, and 5 PhD’s.

For the past decade, Journey House has continuously expanded; adding three new programs such as Beyond Foster Care (BFC) which launched in 2015 to address the long-term systemic barriers preventing foster youth from succeeding in life. BFC has achieved major success passing five California laws and generating over $50 million in state resources to support former foster youth. We have also created a Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program that is assisting former foster youth artists to enter the creative arts economy through professional development programming. VAPA is helping foster youth launch careers in the arts, develop photography projects, secure art residencies and fellowships. VAPA recently concluded an art exhibit installation at University of California, Berkeley where foster youth displayed their work. We have also created Sisterhood, a support network dedicated to the women of Journey House where they can come together to find community and friendship. Through the expansion of our programs, Journey House has transformed from a small local organization to one that is recognized across the entire state of California.

We are at a crucial point in Journey House’s history and we will need your support in ensuring the next 40 years of Journey House. Tim made it abundantly clear that he cared very much about each and every one of our donors and it is my intention to continue on with Tim’s legacy here at JH alongside all of you. As we move into the future of JH, we will be developing a comprehensive 1-3 year roadmap to ensure the stability and integrity of the organization. Our team has a clear directive and understanding that we are here to be of service to our foster youth community, and work diligently to find ways to do more. With your help, we will surely succeed.

Jesse Aguiar