Hey Everyone, Micah here!

I met Ashley in the fall of 2019 when we were both working for The Walt Disney Company. We connected pretty much immediately, as we both had a lot of similarities. We both studied anthropology, we both love Disney, and we both have a strong desire of helping other people. Ashley and I often talked about what our plans have been, her plans for immigration law and myself with wanting to eventually make my way into the Nonprofit sector. Life has a way of changing things around but we have stayed connected despite life taking us on different paths. Obviously, when she asked me to assist with starting a Nonprofit, it was a no-brainer.

My connection to The Janice Hart Foundation runs fairly deep. I have watched multiple family members, myself included, step into the role of a caregiver at some point or another, in a range of aspects from temporary to full-time. Several years ago, my grandma took care of my grandpa until he was placed in hospice. She visited him daily until his passing, all while her own health was greatly declining. Most recently my father left his job to care for my Oma (my other grandmother), full-time, for over a year. I watched my dad struggle first, with the loss of income and then returning to work after she passed, all while still trying to grieve the loss of a loved one.

I felt like when I was younger family was suppose to watch over their loved ones. As I grew older, I realized it was because of shortfalls of provided care available. The cost to have people come in to care for someone can be astronomical and at times can be more cost effective for family to step in and do the care themselves. So, while family steps up, they then let taking care of themselves fall to the wayside. Mental health issues become more prevalent because they cannot always get the help they need while caring for their loved one. Some caregivers even begin to miss doctor’s appointments and elective healthcare because they don’t have access to people who can help them.

Caregivers need assistance and support and The Janice Hart Foundation is here to bridge the gap. I look forward to the future and growth of the organization and hope you follow along the journey!

Hello friends!

I’m Brandy, Mental Health Director for The Janice Hart Foundation (TJHF) and I’m so honored to be a part of this beautiful, heart-centered organization whose mission is to support the needs of caregivers in our community!

I met Ashley, our founder, years ago through a mutual friend and immediately felt how passionate she was about helping people. That is something I immediately connected with since I work in the mental health field and am passionate about helping people as well. Little did I know we would reconnect years later and I would have the opportunity to work together to create a community for caregivers! Ashley has created a wonderful team here to accomplish our shared goals in supporting you!

My journey into working in the mental health field stemmed from my own experiences of needing support in challenging moments of transition in my personal life. I understand what it feels like to go through difficult times alone and with very little support. It makes those times much more challenging without the connection and support from other people who understand what you’re going through and can offer emotional support, guidance, and resources. We were never meant to live in isolation from others or to operate in an overly independent way as our society has unfortunately taught us. I firmly believe we survive trying times, heal, and thrive in our life when we are connected with others, and this is exactly what TJHF is built on…a foundation of connection and support.

It's often a universal experience that caregivers are left to navigate caring for their loved one(s) in isolation. Caring for a loved one in their time of need is one of the more difficult experiences to go through in life because of the toll it can unfortunately take on our mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and even financial health. Being a caregiver is still difficult to manage even in the best-case scenarios where there are supportive family members who are able to share in the responsibilities. However, there are a lot of families where this doesn’t happen for one reason or the other. That’s where TJHF steps in to fill in the gap; that’s our mission! We want you to have the supports YOU need to be able to take care of yourself through this so you can focus on what’s most important…being there for your loved one.

It is our greatest hope that you and your loved ones will join us on this journey of creating a support network for those who love so big that they’re willing to make sacrifices to support a loved one during their greatest time of need. We want to give back to you, our caregivers, who give so much of yourself to care for the ones you love the most. With deep gratitude, and I speak for all of us here, we just want to say thank you for all you do. We’re honored to support you!

Love + Light,

Brandy

Hiii it’s Jillian!!

Ashley and I met last year at Saint Leo University, where I was her student assistant. Ashley and I hit it off right away, and I could tell she had a kind heart. When she approached me with her plan, I was thrilled that she wanted me to be a part of it.

I have a lot of respect for caretakers because I used to be one for my mother. I went through all of the highs and lows that come with being a caregiver. Having to watch my loved one be in so much pain was the most difficult part of caretaking for me.

I have a lot of respect for caretakers because I used to be one for my mother. I went through all of the highs and lows that come with being a caregiver. Having to watch my loved one be in so much pain was the most difficult part of caretaking for me. It felt like I was never doing enough for my loved one and that made me feel terrible. I was only 20 when I had to take care of my loved one and I knew nothing about caregiving. I felt like I was never good enough and that caused me to feel very overwhelmed.

I was confused as to why God had allowed me to experience such suffering, but with time and with the help of others, I realized that it was for my own benefit. This experience was to make me stronger, give me knowledge, and It made me gain so much no confidence in myself. I believe that if I had had a community to lean on during this experience, it would have been much easier on my brain.

I struggled with taking care of my own needs and at times felt like I needed a break. I didn’t want to talk to my friends about what I was going through mentally and I think that made my brain feel worse. I believe that if I had had a community to lean on during this experience, it would have been much easier on my brain.

I am a psychology student who is fascinated by the brain and how having a positive mindset can change everything. I want to spread compassion and optimism to everyone around me, as well as help break mental health stigmas. I am excited to watch this non-profit thrive, help connect to others, and have a positive impact on people's lives.

Let's continue this conversation on http://www.instagram.com/tjhfcares.

Hello lovely humans! Can you believe it has been almost two months since our website launched? How crazy is that?! Thank you for supporting our journey as we learn to navigate the Nonprofit World. I believe in our mission so much and in my gut I know we will succeed.

I have had the honor of hand picking my board and every single individual on the board was selected because of the connection I formed with them. Some members I have known longer than others, but each individual means so much to me and are essential in driving our mission through each step of this journey.

Something that I believe sets our nonprofit apart from other nonprofit organizations is the community and the family we are trying to create. In the coming weeks you will hear from each of our board members and their why. Why they chose to be a part of this organization, their stories that accompany their journeys in building this family/community. You will be able to ask them questions and connect with each of them in the same way that I have over the last decade. 

It is important for me to show you why I picked each member of the TJHF family. I cannot wait for you to get to know these lovely individuals on a more personal level. Get to know them and their why. Hope you enjoy getting to know our family. I cannot wait to get to know yours. 

Xoxo,

Ashley - President and Founder