Flashback Friday: Tapping into the power of social media
Journey House supports former foster and probation youth in living fully independent, successful lives. Many people don’t realize that children who remain in foster care until aging out at 18 (optionally 21) are expected to be able to provide their own food, shelter, clothing, transportation, medical care, and college expenses with little assistance from Day One of their “emancipation.”
When Journey House Founder and Executive Director Tim Mayworm began serving as a Catholic Chaplain for the Los Angeles County Probation Department in 1977, he saw these struggles firsthand. In 1983, he opened a six-bed group home for boys on probation and in foster care. Since then, Journey House has helped some 400 former foster youth transition to society via emotional support and guidance on housing, education, employment, and independent living, plus financial aid to help pay for college and vocational school.
To attract more supporters and funding, Journey House needed to raise its profile—and today, that means a serious strategic marketing plan with a focus on social media. Enter JRP volunteer Earnesto Williams, a seasoned marketing expert and Business Affairs Manager at Apple. “My key goals were to attract more followers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter by taking a more focused approach to social media marketing and outreach,” she says. As an extra bonus, the plan she developed was implemented by youth in the Journey House program, giving them a valuable hands-on learning experience.
The results were immediate. Journey House programs appeared more frequently across key social media, and donations increased. Program Director Jorge Camarena, MSW, says, “Earnesto is wonderful! We continue to work from her plan, and we’ll make every effort to implement its strategies to accomplish our mission.”
Thanks to volunteer Linda Taubenreuther for writing JRP social media posts!