Journey: Healing Together - Erie Gives

$275 raised by 7 donors

Journey: Healing Together (EST: 2022) has grown out of the shockwaves of political unrest, the persistent COVID pandemic, inflation and continued unrest shaking the foundations of our community. J:HT is a sibling nonprofit organization of Journey to a Trauma Informed Life, LLC (EST: 2019) that will nurture connectedness among diverse groups, organizations, agencies, and universities to foster restoration and healing throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania. - Click here for more info about our Journeyer Care Fund

Ways Journey: Healing Together invests your generosity

Erie's Journey to Wellness: The Learning Collective - envisions a future where knowledge, healing, and opportunity are not confined to traditional institutions but shared through relationships, storytelling, and collective care. This initiative offers an alternative to legacy education models that have historically excluded or tokenized marginalized voices.

By centering lived experience as expertise, the Learning Collective seeks to transform how Erie approaches learning, leadership, and wellness—moving from extraction and hierarchy to reciprocity and restoration.

It is an honor to have received Phase 1 funding from the Erie Community Foundation's LGBT Endowment Fund.

Phase 1 | Community Feasibility & Input Study

Goals

Listen to communities most impacted by inequity to identify meaningful, accessible educational opportunities.
Map existing strengths and gaps across local agencies, clinicians, and peer-support systems.
Co-create a pilot-year plan rooted in equity, sustainability, and shared ownership.

Methods

Focus groups & listening circles with LGBTQ+, BIPOC, disabled, and neurodivergent residents.
Surveys of community organizations, peers, and local universities.
Two to three “prototype” pop-up workshops (e.g., résumé building, self-care for helpers, affirming-practice micro-trainings).
Advisory Circle (6–8 members) to co-design the 2026 pilot framework.

Deliverable
A Community Vision & Feasibility Report outlining needs, partnership opportunities, and metrics aligned with Erie’s broader value-based wellness outcomes.

(Detailed budget available upon request.)

Wellness Weekends - An essential part of an individual's and family's healing journey is being able to reengage with their community. Yet, for many who have grown and benefited from trauma-focused therapy, reentry is difficult. Many times, support networks need to be rebuilt from scratch. Journey: Healing Together provides a variety of safe, sober activities one weekend each month. $250-$300 are invested as well as volunteer hours for each monthly weekend. Click here to learn more about our Wellness Weekends.

Crafternoon - So many of us learned new crafts and artforms during the pandemic but had no community to share it with. We meet monthly to share, craft, and enjoy building relationships with one another in an open and affirming safe environment.
Game Night - on the third Friday of the month we open our space up to game geeks of all ages. It's fun, light-hearted, and full of group challenges. Bring your own games or play along with others with what we have here!
COMING THIS FALL: Hyper-Fixation Station - is a proposed monthly community event designed to foster creativity, social connection, and community engagement through themes workshops and hands-on learning experiences. Each session will highlight a unique craft, hobby, or skill led by a local artist, business owner, or community member with expertise in that area.

Heal, Write, Hear - Paused until fall 2026, we offer a supportive creative writing session. Come prepared to write your own personal project or focus on one of the prompts provided. You have an opportunity to hear authors of all genres share some of the things they are working on, or share your own (no pressure or critiques!). Advance on your own healing journey with the support of others on theirs!

Host for other Community Support and Interest Groups - Have a group you'd like to start up or be a part of that you can't find in our community? Talk to us about supportive volunteers, hosting, and start-up assistance. (Past/Present Groups Include: Erie's Journey to Recovery, D.I.D. Support Group, Anime Club)

Join us for Wellness Weekends events on the 3rd full weekend each month.