JOI’s mission is to create a community of people whose lives have been affected by life challenges. To strive to develop support for each other, spread awareness, fund the struggle for a healthy world and celebrate the beauty and goodness of life.  It is an organization of people I call my family and whom I have shared my life’s most inspiring moments..  They came into my life when I needed them the most.  I was going through chemo and sitting alone one night and decided that no matter how long I had left on this earth I was going to take advantage of every opportunity to give praise and thanks for the wonders of this world and to help and inspire others that are going through the same challenge. 

JOI took me to top of many ADK mountains, on numerous trails around NY, me to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and through the Pyrenees to Machu Picchu.  This group has given me the courage and support to explore my own journeys of inspiration to walk the Camino de Santiago, back to Africa twice to build houses for porters and to Rehema Home in Bukura, Kenya.  I am looking forward to The West Highland Way where I remember JOI who taught me:

 It is not how high you get or how far you go, but the difference you make along the way.