path-united

A Summer of Growth and Friendship at Barefoot Camp

jim@pathproject.org (Path United) — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 17:51:44 GMT

Bryan's Journey of Faith and Friendship

We can't help but celebrate the incredible journey of Bryan, one of our dedicated campers who just finished his third summer at Barefoot overnight camp. Bryan keeps coming back year after year, drawn by the promise of new friendships, exciting activities, and a deeper understanding of his faith.

Embracing New Experiences

Despite initial nerves and occasional homesickness, Bryan found the experience truly rewarding. He shared that while he was very nervous during his first year and still got homesick sometimes, the camp experience was worth it every time. The camp provided a safe space where he could forget about the hard things in his life and focus on the joy of new experiences and the support of a caring community.

A Message of Encouragement

For anyone considering attending the camp, Bryan’s advice was heartfelt and straightforward: they should definitely come because it would help them have a closer relationship with God and allow them to meet new friends. His enthusiasm and genuine love for the camp were contagious, making him a wonderful ambassador for the Barefoot camp experience .

Gratitude for Our Supporters

Bryan’s journey wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of those who contributed to camp scholarships. He wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the donors, assuring them that their money was being put to good use and was making a real difference in his life and the lives of so many others.

A Bright Future Ahead

As we look forward to many more summers filled with growth, friendship, and faith, we are deeply grateful for the community that makes it all possible. Your support ensures that campers like Bryan continue to have these transformative experiences.

Thank you for being a part of our mission to help young people flourish through unforgettable summer adventures.

Career Visits

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 18:43:02 GMT

Dreams of Tomorrow: Igniting Career Passions

One of our key ingredients to flourishing at Path is Vision for the Future. We believe that EVERY CHILD NEEDS to be able to see beyond their current circumstances. Exposure to new ideas, people, & places expands their view of who they could become.

This past year we were able to partner with multiple business owners to help inspire our students to dream about their future. Pictured you see that we were able to take multiple students to visit Santa's southern division of the North Pole for a Career Day with The Lumistella Company.

JoAnn Holmes, Esq. who serves on our Board of Directors also came this year to share her expertise as an intellectual property attorney. We are so grateful for her heart for the next generation.

We believe that EVERY CHILD NEEDS regular, meaningful interactions with the adults in their lives-parents, teachers, coaches, pastors, Path staff and more. Which means we know that it takes all of us with different talents and trades to serve our students well. A career visit is an opportunity for students to learn about different career paths and gain real-world experience.

During a career visit, students may meet with professionals in different fields, tour workplaces, and participate in hands-on activities. Our desire is to help our students explore their interests, so they can make informed decisions about their future. A future that we believe God has uniquely created them for.

If you'd be interested in sharing your career with our students, we would love to hear from you. Shoot us an email at info@pathunited.org and we will follow up with you!

Honorary Captain

jim@pathproject.org (Path United) — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:10:47 GMT

What if you had been given the opportunity of a lifetime?

Through our partnership with Upper90 , our Path student, Jose was allowed to be the honorary captain for Atlanta United on May 17, 2023. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine walking onto the Mercedes Benz field as an honorary captain of an MLS team. Jose said, “It was an amazing experience, I was thinking to myself ‘How did I go from a kid that didn’t know how to play to being in front of hundreds of people?’” Jose was among the first to join our program since it began in his community. At the same time, he joined Upper90 soccer. Upper90 and Path have worked closely together for several years to impact students growing up in mobile home communities. While Path guides students through their academic and spiritual journey, Upper90 uses soccer as a platform to disciple students. Through this partnership our students are given an affordable opportunity to play soccer. Recent Path surveys of our students and families we have learned students involved in extra curricular actives are more successful in their path to flourishing . As for Jose’s honorary captain experience, he says that it imparted him several goals and a drive to keep going. One of his goals was to join the soccer team at his own high school. As of February 2024, he has accomplished that and now wants to lead his team to a State Championship. Jose is motivated to flourish and win on and off the field.

Summer Camp

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 16:01:07 GMT

Beyond Academics: Summer Camp's Impact

Path summer wouldn’t be summer without a camp experience ! Every year, we take a group of students to day and overnight camp through our partners at Camp Westminster , Camp Grace & Barefoot Republic. Our students get to experience God outside of their normal day to day lives. It’s a time where they have the opportunity to try new things, and experience faith in a new way. Cris, who recently moved into one of our communities from Mexico, explains it like this, “I had a great time at camp. When we talked about God, I felt an inner peace in my heart.” We love it when the students have fun, but our greatest desire is that they know God loves them, loves others, and created them for a purpose.

What would you tell your friend?

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 15:32:06 GMT

At Path we believe deeply that our North Star should direct all of what we do in programs.

We want our students to know that God loves them, loves others, and created them for a purpose. But we don't just believe it for them; we believe it for all people - every.single.person.

At our Monday meeting, I shared a passage from Lamentations that is so common with our team. You can find it at Hobby Lobby right now.

"Because of the Lord's faithful love, we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, "The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will put my hope in him." Lamentations 3:22-24

But that wasn't the verse I started with. I went back further, where you hear the brokenness in the author's words. You can feel his feelings of hopelessness. Instead of starting with verse 22, I began in verse 16.

"He ground my teeth with gravel and made me cower in the dust. I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. Then I thought, "My future is lost, as well as my hope from the Lord." Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood, and the poison. I continually remember them and have become depressed." Lamentations 3:16-20

Radical honesty: I started there because much of 2023 felt this way for me. We tragically lost my brother-in-law on January 12th, and one month later, we said goodbye to our son and daughter, who'd lived with us for over three years. So when I say I could feel the depth of weariness in these words, I mean feel it down to my bones. I shared with them that the part that relieved me was in verse 21 when he called to mind why he could have hope .... *insert all the signs and fancy writing of verses 22-24* . His flesh, his humanness, would have left him there. It would have left him stuck in despair. Instead, he chose to put his hope in the Lord. He told his mind it was wrong, and his Lord was worthy of his hope.

It doesn't say his life was so easy peasy he hoped in the Lord because ...duh. It says he was depressed. He had no peace anywhere he looked. It says his face was in the gravel.

So I asked our team if your teammate was in this dark place - write out what you would say to them. Each of them was so quick to have the kindest, caring words to pick up and support their friends. It was so easy for them. Immediate really.

But then I asked, what if you were as kind and caring to yourself on the hard days as you are to your teammates, your students, and your friends? Imagine the change of heart if we could remember to speak to ourselves as we talk to our best friends.

So I ask you, what if you dared to speak to yourself with compassion and endless mercies the way God does?

Current Job Opportunity at Path United

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:42:00 GMT