09/29/2025
Hey everyone,
It's been a minute since the last update.
Truth be told, there's been a number of stumbling blocks this year. Unforeseeable partner-event cancellations. A months-long stretch of unemployment after being "Elon'd" earlier this summer. And a number of hopeful candidates that fell through.
2025 was a rough one, for sure. ๐
As a true testament to faith and determination though, successes came through. Many new friends were made. I found new employment that's far more fulfilling than my last job. And with every "almost" candidate that fell through, I learned a LOT... about people, and myself. ๐ฏ
Blessed to say, Caerus Way is now fully funded to support a young adult's journey to "Opportunity through Community"!! ๐โค๏ธโ๐ฅ
But with the countless hours invested in false starts (& the lessons learned) I'm instituting some changes to how things will work:
๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ. Instead, initial applications will have to be submitted through the website (which I'll build soon.) This will include a required video upload to serve as an initial qualifier to help focus my time only on applicants that are serious.๐
๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ & ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ญ. While last month's dinner murder-mystery was awesome, it was the ONLY major fundraising event to come to fruition this year (two others were planned but fell through for different reasons.) The hope is that by having multiple smaller (successful) events, Caerus Way can gain a lot more traction in raising awareness in the community!๐
๐ ๐'๐ฆ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฒ. With current life circumstances keeping my treasured Co-Founder from being able to contribute, I need a female counterpart that has the time, energy and kind heart to join me at the helm - for everything from female candidate interviews to media engagements to just having another mind to collaborate with & bounce ideas off of. Someone to fill the role of an Executive Director and, over time, a friend.โค๏ธโ๐ฅ
๐ ๐'๐ฆ (๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ) ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ (๐ฉ๐๐ข๐) ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ซ. While offers of pro-bono services are always appreciated, I've been let down too many times in the past with offers of free professional video and pictures only to be let down (with the last event being a prime example.) I'd much rather be charged for the services, than not receive them as expected. If you are skilled in photography ๐ธand/or video editing๐ฅ๐ (or know someone who is) please send an e-mail to [email protected] and let me know!
I want to end this post by expressing gratitude to everyone that's been a part of this journey thus far. The family, friends, and small businesses that gave a little that helped a lot. All the other awesome non-profits in our amazing city I became friends with along the way. And everyone on here that follows the page, Likes the posts, and shares. From starting out as a guy who never ran any type of business in his LIFE that was given a dream to help others, this whole thing has been nothing short of a miracle - and for all the stress, worrying, doubt, and personal expenses along the way - I don't regret a single moment of it.
Immense love & gratitude to ALL of you. ๐๐ฅ
Love + Light
- Joseph
