A New Journey - A Project of Heightened Independence and Progress

Help Us Ssupport Our New Journey

June 21, 2010

Greetings! I hope you are doing well and have some exciting plans for the summer months ahead.

Our New Journey is launching this year''''''''s next fundraising effort, a gift raffle. The raffle includes three prizes. First Prize is a $300.00 Gift card to Stop & Shop, Second Prize is a $100.00 Gift card to Stop & Shop, and Third Prize is a Cooking Craze gift basket ($75.00 value). The tickets are $2.00 each and there are 10 tickets in a book. The raffle drawing will be held on September 4, 2010 at the VFW in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ.

The monies raised last year to benefit Our New Journey provided one night of respite care per week for a caregiver for 9 months, emergency homecare to delay a nursing home placement, emergency utility assistance for one family and shower services for one onsumer twice a week for 7 months.

I''''''''m asking for your help in selling these tickets. If you are able to offer your support, please let me know how many books you will need or if you have any ideas on ways to sell our tickets. Also, email me your mailing address, so I can confirm that our records are up to date.

Thank you for your anticipated support. I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best~Anne Ciavaglia McMahon

Please stop the cuts to Personal Care Asisstance Services

Hello All~

Please help with this very important proposed NJ budget issue regarding personal care assistance services. The proposed cuts will have serious affects on so many people with disabilities & caregivers. We need to elicit a strong response to stop any cuts in the provision of these services:

27,000 New Jerseyans with disabilities affected! Governor Christie‘s budget cuts $2.00 an hour in rates for personal care assistance services which allows people with disabilities on Medicaid to remain in their own homes, instead of being sent to nursing homes or other institutions.

Those services include help in getting in and out of bed, bathing, toileting, dressing eating and shopping. With such help, many people with disabilities are able to work and participate in the social and public life of their communities.

The cuts will effectively cut the pay of personal care assistants from $9.00 to $7.00. It is difficult to recruit competent personal care assistants at the current rate. Reducing it to $7.00 will make that more difficult and deprive those who do provide those services of a living wage.

Please tell you state Senators and Assemblypersons to stop these cuts (see sample letter). Instructions for finding your NJ legislators is at the bottom of this message.

All the best~Anne McMahon

Message Subject: Please stop the cuts to Personal Care Asisstance Services

Dear [Decision Maker’s name here- send one to each State Assemblyperson and State Senator],

Governor Christie proposes to cut the hourly wages of personal care assistants from $9.00 to $7.00 an hour. Personal care assistants provide 27,000 people with severe disabilities on Medicaid with the supports they need to remain in their own homes, rather than be sent to nursing homes and other institutions. They assist with toileting, bathing, dressing, eating, shopping and other essential care and allow many people with disabilities to participate in their communities.

These cuts will make it even more difficult to recruit competent personal assistants; it will further impoverish those willing to provide these onerous but essential services. Finally, it is penny-wise and pound-foolish since these in-home services cost far less than their alternative, nursing homes and other forms of institutional care.

Please restore these proposed cuts in the budget of the Office of Home and Community Services, Division of Disability Services, Department of Human Services.

Sincerely,
(your name and address)

To locate your NJ legislators go to http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ and in the left column under “Members” select “find your legislator”.

A Message From Our New Journey's Founder

November 17, 2009

Hello All,

Greetings from Our New Journey! Our New Journey is focused on giving hope and help to families faced with the onset of illness or disability.

Implemented in April 2007, Our New Journey has helped more the two hundred families and continues to receive referrals daily. Assistance is tailored to address individual needs. Support is provided by individuals who have firsthand experience as caregivers, as well as by those who receive care.

Providing assistance and encouragement to the people we serve, Our New Journey is dedicated to working with one family at a time. This personalized service assists caregivers of the elderly and those with disabilities through:

Caregiver peer to peer support
Individual guidance directed toward understanding personal needs
Help with locating available services
Providing limited financial support for direct care assistance

If you or someone you know could benefit from our services, please feel free to contact me at 201-288-2867/201-884-9123 or through emailing anne@ournewjourney.org.

All The Best,

Anne Ciavaglia McMahon
Founder
Our New Journey

A BIG THANK YOU

I just finished looking at the pictures of the Beefsteak Fund Raiser. I want to thank everyone who contributed to it. It has helped me as a caregiver so very much. Thank You, again. Anne B.

The day after Mom cam home from the hospital

Topic: How Anne helped me.

I never really said "Thank you" to Anne for all the help and support she gave to me when I called her to tell her about my mom and the continued support througout the years. I brought mom to the doctor the day after she was released form the hospital. Mom was doing better but not well enough to be alone while I worked. I was at a loss. It''''s just "mom and I" and we always took care of each other, probably she took care of me more than I her. Now it was my turn. I had no one to talk to, no one who could help. Thoughts of losing mom and my job consumed me.

I spoke with my doctor about this new reality. He calmed me down somewhat and said two words, very calmly, "Call Anne". I did and my life changed. Anne took care of my doubts and allayed my fears about the future. Within 3 days, I had the help I needed, two wonderful caregivers who could look after mom while I was at work. Anne provided me the guidance and the strength to "get things done".

Mom is still with us, doing ok. I still have the two caregivers, who I trust implicitly. If it was not for Anne and her help and guidance, I don''''t know what would have happened to Mom or me. You see, I''''m John, the one to whom Anne refers to in the section Despiration led to Inspiration. Anne, thank you so very much!

A Note from Anne

October 2, 2009

Hello All~

It’s hard to believe that we have entered Our New Journey’s third year of operation. Focused on helping one family at a time, this unique service continues to give help and hope to families faced with the onset of illness or disability.

Since Our New Journey’s inception, we have helped more than two hundred families and receive new referrals daily. Each family gains access to available services that are designed to address their individual needs. The services are provided by both individuals who have firsthand experience as caregivers, as well as by those who receive care.

Providing assistance and encouragement to the families we serve, Our New Journey is a personalized service that assists families of the elderly and those with disabilities through:

      ~Caregiver peer to peer support
      ~Individual guidance directed toward understanding personal needs
      ~Help with locating available services
      ~Providing limited financial support for direct care assistance

As we continue to build Our New Journey, we need to increase our resources through financial contributions and various fundraising events. For every $15.00 donated, Our New Journey can provide one hour of homecare; for every $135.00 donated, an overnight respite service can be given. We and the families we serve greatly appreciate any financial support you can provide.

Click the "read more" section to review our most recent press release which highlights the type of help we offer. If you require additional information, please feel free to contact me at 201-288-2867 or through e-mail: anne@ournewjourney.org.

Warmest Regards,
Anne Ciavaglia McMahon
Anne Ciavaglia McMahon, Founder
Our New Journey

Our New Journey partners with fiVe BELoW

Hello All,

Our New Journey has partnered with fiVe BELoW, Paramus, NJ to hold our next fundraising event. During the month of August, any purchases made at their store will generate 10% of the sale back to Our New Journey. All you need to do is bring in the attached flyer, hand it to the cashier at checkout, and our organiztion will get credit for your purchase.

Please help us to spread the word by printing, copying and/or forwarding the attached flyer (click "read more").

Our New Journey offers caregiver peer to peer support; individual guidance directed towards understanding personal needs; help with locating available services; and limited financial support for direct care assistance. Volunteers are always needed, as are the funds to help bridge the gap between identifying the service needs with finding the resources to cover the cost. If you or someone you know could benefit from Our New Journey, please contact me at 201-884-9123/201-288-2867 or email anne@ournewjourney.org.

Thank you for your continued support.

All the Best,

Anne Ciavaglia McMahon
Founder
Our New Journey

ANOTHER THANK YOU

Hi, It''s Anne B. again! Just to update and let everyone know that I am getting some rest from caring for my very disabled husband thanks to everyone involved with New Journey. I can get my much needed sleep a couple of times a week without having to get up and suction my husband''s trach. I am so grateful that they were there for me. It is such a tremendous help. May God Bless You All. Sincerely....

"Desperation was my inspiration"...

Your phone rings. It’s the hospital.   “Your family member has just come into our Emergency Room…” and so begins a journey of fear and frustration that seems to have no happy ending. More frightening than those words however, are the seemingly premature ones, “Your family member will be discharged today.”
     Ask Founder of Our New Journey Anne Ciavaglia McMahon, what led her to establish a sorely needed support program for caregivers. Her response: “desperation was my inspiration.” After speaking with John (referred to her by Anne’s family physician) he expressed his total shock and emotional paralysis with the sudden responsibility of caring for his mother. Anne couldn’t help but come to his aid. She knew that she could share a treasure trove of information, thanks to her many years of professional and personal experiences.

Art Center of Northern New Jersey calling for Seniors to enter Annual Juried Exh

The Art Center of Northern New Jersey will be holding its Annual Juried Senior Art Show from July 17-August 11, 2009. Winners in the professional and non-professional categories will be entered in the New Jersey State Show.

Any visual artist, age 60 or over, currently residing in New Jersey, may submit up to two entries completed within the past three years. An entry must not have been previously entered in the New Jersey State Senior Citizens Annual Juried Art Contest and Exhibition.

Opening Reception and awards ceremony: Sunday, July 19^th at 2 pm

Entries winning first place at the county level automatically advance to the State competition. Only one entry per artist is accepted on the state level.

The deadline for return of entry forms is July 6, 2009. To request an application form for this juried Senior Art Show or other inquiries, contact the Art Center of Northern New Jersey: 201-599-2992 or visit our website: www.artcenter-nnj.org

Established over 50 years ago, the Art Center is located at 250 Center Street in New Milford, NJ. The center offers classes in all areas of the fine arts and has been approved by the NJ Dept. of Education for continuing education credits. Courses for children, adults/seniors follow a fall, winter, spring, and summer schedule and are taught during day and evening classes. The Art Center is Handicapped Accessible. Gallery Hours are: Monday-Thursday 9:30-4:00 pm; Friday 9:30-12:30 pm. Tour groups available. Weekends by appointment.