By: Chris Duhrkoop, Founder
People often ask how Share in the JOY began. It started small and with one simple idea. If you've read through our blog posts you've read bits and pieces and have a general idea, but basically I thought it would be special to hire Santa to visit a foster family for Christmas. Through a series of introductions and events, that one idea turned into our very first HoliJOY event in December 2022, when 34 kids at St. Jude’s Ranch got to experience the magic of the holidays in a way they’d never forget.
Before that first event was even completed, St. Jude’s asked if we could host the party again the following year, but this time for all 200 of the children they serve. That’s when I started to realized this was bigger than just a holiday celebration.
I took a few classes at the Clark County Public Library literally called "How to Start a Nonprofit" with the amazing community resource Sherry Wanker and by August of 2023 I had a business license and 501(c)(3) designation. Share in the JOY was born.
When starting a nonprofit, you have to be specific in what you do. While developing this vision, the mission grew. Having been in the foster system briefly when I was 13 and having lived on the streets of Portland for a short period during that time, I wanted to support children in foster care and homeless youth. But it became clear that the challenges kids face are deeply connected. My girlfriend at the time had lost her mom to domestic violence when she was a teenager, and as a result she and her brothers entered the foster system and at times faced housing insecurity. Understanding her heartbreak opened my eyes to how violence in the home is oftentimes related to other tragedies. For instance, children escaping violence often lose their homes overnight and sometimes end up in foster care. Families without housing face the kind of stress that could lead to violence.
At the end of the day, the kids are the ones who carry the weight of it all despite never asking to be in these traumatic situations they were born into.
So as I was writing out the mission statement, bylaws and articles of incorporation, I decided that Share in the JOY will support these children. The ones in foster care, the ones exposed to domestic violence and the ones who don't know where to call home.
As a dad, I wanted to show my own children what it means to lead with kindness and the importance of giving back. When I told them about the vision and mission for Share in the JOY I explained how it would be hard work to get things started and how I needed their support. I told them we would volunteer as a family to help the kids, and as I was finishing up it was my daughter who asked this simple question:
“But what about the animals?”
"Sweetheart, we are going to help people... the children…"
"But animals can be lost and homeless, and sometimes they are hurt by people… and we adopted Charlie!"
I was not going to win this one and her points were all valid. It was in that moment that Share in the JOY would be created to support the animals affected by these situations as well.
But she was right. Kids in foster care, kids escaping domestic violence, and kids without housing often have to say goodbye to the pets they love most. Those animals end up in shelters, and the children worry about them just as much as everything else. Their stories are tied together.
And so here we are, with our Four Pillars of JOY.
Share in the JOY serves children in foster care (including kinship and fictive kin placements), children exposed to domestic violence and living in shelters, children from families without stable housing, and the animals connected to their stories.
From a single Santa visit to life-changing programs and events, every step of the journey has been about one thing: supporting children who are in situations no child should ever be in and experiencing hardships no child should ever experience... all because they were born into a situation they didn't ask to be born into.
We work to remind them, and even the pets they love... They are brave. They are cared for. And they have a light inside of them that can shine bright. By teaching them the power of giving, we hope to inspire them to make a positive difference. Not just in their lives, but in the lives of others and the community they live in.
And the name? My aunt and I brainstormed what we should name that first event at St. Jude's Ranch as I sat in my truck in my driveway. Christmassy names... and after 30 or so minutes we came up with Share the Joy. Pretty perfect. Not only were we bringing friends who owned businesses together to make the event happen (hence the 'share')... my daughter's middle name is Joy. I used a stock picture of a circle of hands as the 'official' logo of that first event. My friend Ber made hand painted ornaments for the volunteers and friends who owned the businesses that supported the event.
When it came time to name the nonprofit, I decided to name it after our very first event. But I would capitalize JOY as a reminder of what I wanted to bring into the lives of these kids.
But of course Share the Joy dot com was taken.
So I added an 'in', and in doing so we invite community partners, nonprofit partners and volunteers to Share in the JOY of working together to make a difference. A blue circle brings the hands together. And it all makes sense.
I would change the name of the holiday event to HoliJOY for year 2, and we have kept JOY in everything we do. Even our mascot (we have a mascot) is named, well, JOY.
A picture of that first ornament is what you see at the top of this story. Thank you, Ber. And thank you to all of the amazing volunteers who have Shared in the JOY of making a positive difference in the lives of the children we serve.
