Giving Back: The Launch of Junkies C.A.R.E.

Meet Junkies CARE—our heartfelt initiative spotlighting organizations making real differences in communities everywhere. Standing for Community Awareness, Recognition, and Engagement, this monthly special celebrates the people and groups whose missions deserve your attention.

Our journey begins exactly where we did—at Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio, where Chrisy and Kerry first met as sophomores. Supporting the Donald E. Foley Senior Alumni Golf Classic feels like coming full circle, paying homage to the institution that sparked their friendship and eventually led to this podcast. The event raises critical funds for student tuition assistance, maintaining Ursuline's legacy of excellence in Catholic education.

The spotlight then shifts to Canine Companions, a national organization celebrating 50 extraordinary years of providing expertly trained service dogs—completely free of charge—to people with disabilities nationwide. This cause resonates deeply with Kerry, having raised 12 puppies for them over two decades. These remarkable dogs transform lives daily, helping recipients with mobility challenges, hearing impairments, PTSD, and countless other conditions. We're proud sponsors of their upcoming DogFest on September 21st at the North Central Training Center in New Albany, Ohio—a celebration of the incredible human-canine bond that changes lives.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing Junkies Care Initiative
• 1:15 Supporting Ursuline High School
• 4:15 Sponsoring Canine Companions
• 11:15 New Website Launch & Future Plans

Transcript

DJ Nick: 0:08

Welcome to Junkies Care, a special edition of the Dysfunction Junkies podcast, where your hosts showcase organizations and people doing great things. And now here's your hosts, Chrisy and Kerry.

Kerry: 0:22

Hello Junkies, happy August. I'm Keri and

Chrisy: 0:26

I'm Chrissy.

Kerry: 0:26

We are so excited. Today, august 1st, we are launching something new here at the podcast and it's called Junkies CARE, and CARE stands for Community Awareness, recognition and Engagement. So, basically, what we're going to be doing is, once a month, we are going to have this special edition where we're going to be giving some shout out and information about community organizations or groups or programs. That's important to us and we feel like it deserves a shout out to the rest of you and to the community, absolutely yes. So, to start, we are going to kind of go back to where it all began. Yes, we are Our alma mater. Yes, so to start, we are going to kind of go back to where it all began.

Chrisy: 1:07

Yes, we are Our alma mater.

Kerry: 1:08

Yes, we are going to be supporting our alma mater, whether they like it or not.

Kerry: 1:16

So those of you that have been listening know that Chrissy and I met in high school. We went to Ursuline High School in Youngstown, ohio, met there our sophomore year, and if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be here today doing what we're doing. No, we wouldn't. So Ursuline has a golf outing every year, and this year is the 44th annual Donald E Foley Senior Alumni Golf Classic Boy, that's a mouthful, it sure is, and this golf classic raises funds for the alumni office and for the school. So we just thought it was fitting that we would somehow get involved with that. So we are going to be a pin sponsor. In other words, one of the flags on one of the golf holes is going to have our dysfunction junkies name on there.

Chrisy: 1:58

Yes, so share the word, give a shout out. Hopefully everybody gets a hole in one there. I don't know.

Chrisy: 2:06

Oh, that would be so cool. So the event's going to be on Monday, august 18th, at the Youngstown Country Club beautiful golf course in the area and we might even make an appearance. So we're trying to juggle some scheduling things. But for the dinner that night we hope to be out there. But we are going to post a link to that outing on our Facebook page so that way maybe some of our other Ursuline alumnus that are tuning in, you know, if they didn't know about the event, they can participate, they can join, they can donate. But again, we just felt like that was a good way to start our junkies care initiative. Yes, chrissy, anything else you want to add about this event?

Kerry: 2:41

Well, yeah, in general, ursuline has a very strong and very enthusiastic alumni base. Yes, and everybody really believes in the school, what it represents, the history that it holds for so many people in the Youngstown area, and we're really proud of being alumni from the school, among others. I mean it's, they mean they're very happy and vocal, which is awesome. So, you know, totally supporting Catholic education, totally supporting the Youngstown area and what it offers, we're just really proud to be able to be a part of that.

Chrisy: 3:17

Absolutely. Before the episode aired we spoke to our friend from school that we've talked about before on the show, mr Youngstown.

Kerry: 3:25

I forgot to ask him if we could use his name. I know we won't.

Chrisy: 3:30

Until we have confirmation, until we have confirmation.

Kerry: 3:33

He seemed to be okay with the Mr Youngstown thing, because we're not the only people who call him that.

Chrisy: 3:37

Apparently, but I bet you, mr Youngstown will be at the event.

Kerry: 3:40

I'm sure I don't know there will be. At the event, I'm sure I don't know there must be about 10 of those Mr Youngstowns, because I don't know how he does everything he does.

Chrisy: 3:48

I know he's a great guy. That's going to be our first Junkies Care Shout out is going to be to the Ursuline High School where we matriculated from, and the fact that they're having this golf outing in Dysfunction Junkies is going to be one of the pin sponsors okay, wait a minute.

Kerry: 4:02

Go back for a minute, what'd? I say what was that word? Dysfunction, junk no oh sponsorship, what was that word? You said much. What matric? Oh, the word of the day is matriculating. Matriculating, that's carrie's best, it's not. It's not a swear word, but it caught my attention right away. What's matriculated from, am I supposed? To know that word.

Chrisy: 4:32

You are a product of that environment. You matriculated from Ursuline High School.

Kerry: 4:36

Oh well, okay, I feel cheated. Nobody's ever told me this.

Chrisy: 4:41

Oh, do I need to look up the definition, the true definition? Dj Nick, look up the true definition of matriculating.

Kerry: 4:47

He probably just knows it.

Chrisy: 4:49

Maybe I've been using it wrong all these years.

Kerry: 4:51

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe we better get confirmation we didn't say something bad.

Chrisy: 4:55

Being that last episode we were messing up. You know what's a disorder, what's a disease, whatever.

Kerry: 5:00

Matriculate sounds like something two people are engaging in. Maybe Matriculate sounds like something two people are engaging in. Maybe we shouldn't talk about. I matriculated with you back in the day. What, dj Nick?

DJ Nick: 5:11

It actually says to matriculate is to be enrolled at a college or university. Oh, but I know that I've used the word matriculate in general just to you're going through a process or going through something, right, you're advancing, you're matriculating.

Chrisy: 5:28

Right, right. My Ursuline education paid off well.

DJ Nick: 5:32

Because then you matriculated. You matriculated on to college.

Chrisy: 5:34

I matriculated on to college. Matriculated on to college.

DJ Nick: 5:36

I matriculated all over the place and it's not a dirty word like you think it is well, I don't know between that and barn swallows.

Chrisy: 5:45

I don't know what's clean or dirty I don't even know what episode that was on. You'd have to listen back to find out that one. So all right, well, we move. We are going to matriculate on yes please do.

Kerry: 5:59

Sorry for that segue, I just wanted to. It caught my attention. If you think I'm sitting here and not doing anything or not listening to my partner, I, the wonderful lady Sue, that wasn't able to answer our question earlier.

Chrisy: 6:16

But yes, all funds raised to support the general operating budget and to help offset student tuition.

Kerry: 6:22

That's wonderful.

Chrisy: 6:23

That is also part of what we're raising funds for.

Kerry: 6:25

Yes, thank you, sue, and a shout out to Carolyn over in the alumni office too, because she's been very kind to us as well. So thank you.

Chrisy: 6:32

Alumni office ursula in high school yes, absolutely all right, but now this one I mean ursula, I love you, but this one, this next one's a big one for me and and me too.

Chrisy: 6:43

I love this organization, you do uh, our big sponsorship for the next two months, for august and september, is going to be with canine companionsions. So Canine Companions I've mentioned before. They're a service dog provider and it's an organization that I've puppy raised for. So Canine Companions was founded in 1975. It's a nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained dogs free of charge, and that is a big thing that these dogs are free of charge. As a national organization, canine Companions is a leader in the service dog industry and has placed service dogs with recipients in 50 states and in communities all around the country. So Canine Companions is celebrating their 50th year this year, so this is a big year.

Kerry: 7:32

Yeah.

Chrisy: 7:33

And one of their major fundraisers is an event called Dog Fest. It's a high energy, dynamic event for dog lovers and canine companion supporters. It's a community event. It celebrates the human canine bond and the incredible joy dogs bring to our lives every day. It's a great time to engage new friends, volunteers, supporters and donors, while raising money and awareness for the mission of the organization. Supporters and donors while raising money and awareness for the mission of the organization. So the Dog Fest is going to be at the North Central region here in Ohio, and that's in New Albany. It's going to be on Sunday, september 21, from one to four.

Chrisy: 8:06

This facility that is at is the North Central Training Center was brand new. It was built in let me look at my notes 2020. So it's only five years old. It's phenomenal. They have training centers that are state-of-the-art, boarding kennels. They have dorms for the recipients to stay in for the two weeks while they're receiving their dogs. It's just a beautiful, beautiful campus. So it is definitely worth.

Chrisy: 8:31

If you are anywhere in the Columbus I mean even Cleveland area it's about two hour drive from there in New Albany come out for the day. You can bring your well-trained, leashed dog as your pet to enjoy the event. They'll have all kinds of different games, they'll do demonstrations. It's just a great event. And we will have a table at the event because we are one of the sponsors. Our logo is going to be up on advertising for it. We're going to be there. But it's just an organization that is near and dear to my heart. Jim and I have been puppy raising for them for 20 years. We've raised 12 puppies, four canine companions, several of which did go on to become service dogs, and what these dogs do for the people is amazing. They help people with various disabilities, people with hearing impairments, mobility impairments, they have PTSD dogs for veterans, helping children with a variety of different diseases, and it's just it's. It's an amazing organization. So we are super proud to be a sponsor. We are a big dog sponsor. Yes, for the Canine Companions Dog Fest yes.

Kerry: 9:33

Chrissy, what do you want to add about them? Nothing, it's just very important. I mean, if you've ever seen how these dogs, with the training which you have some hand in, and just the freedom and some level of independence that these dogs provide their owners, it's amazing. I mean, just for the loved ones who have family members who have the canine companions, just that extra level of support and sort of the security of knowing that in Santa Rosa, california, oceanside, california, to learn more about them, to look up their facilities.

Chrisy: 10:39

But those graduations are open to the public and they are also live stream, so even if you don't live near, you can usually look at a live stream and watch it. It is amazing when you see the difference these dogs make, even from day one. It's just absolutely incredible, whether the dog's picking up a dropped item or helping a child, or alerting somebody who has a hearing disability to assisting a veteran with PTSD. It's just, it's incredible and it's why, as a puppy raiser, that I can do what I do. Because that's always the first question I get is how, as a puppy raiser, can you give these puppies up? And my answer to that is how could I not? Because when I see what, where this dog is going to go and how they're going to help somebody, how could I not give that puppy up so that it can help somebody? It's just really amazing.

Kerry: 11:29

So it's a huge level of pride.

Chrisy: 11:31

It is. It's like we are just a small step in a miracle in the making. So one of the things we're also doing is we would like to raise $500. In addition to our sponsorship and awareness that we're creating, we want to raise $500. So on our Facebook page we will be having a link where you can donate to Canine Companions, whether it's $1 or $5 or $100 or $500, whatever you want to give, and it'll go towards our Dysfunction Junkies team that we're going to have at DogFest.

Chrisy: 11:59

We are also excited to announce the launching of our new website. So Chrissy and I have been working with a wonderful marketing company out of California and they have redesigned our website. So our new website is going to be dysfunctionjunkiespodcastcom and this is going to be your one-stop shop for everything for dysfunction junkies, where you can see our latest episodes, where you can see events that we're going to be at or learn about organizations through our junkies care that we're sponsoring. We eventually are going to try to get merchandise, so that's still under construction on the website, but we're hoping to have something where you can purchase merchandise and we think we might dabble into blogging. Have you ever done any kind of blog or vlog or anything, chrissy?

Kerry: 12:45

I've heard about it a blog or?

Chrisy: 12:47

a vlog or anything? Chrissy, I've heard about it.

Kerry: 12:51

You're gonna learn. Generally, I'm thinking a blog. Is you talking about something you feel strongly about, correct? Yeah, well, that just ties.

Chrisy: 13:03

I think I just walk around and blog all day, yeah, so we're gonna add something like that in. But yeah, it's just going to be the one stop shop for us and on there we'll have links to the different organizations that we're going to feature in Junkies Care Again, starting off right now with the Ursuline Alumni Office and with Canine Companions, there will also be the link. If you would like to donate to support Canine Companions or if you're local and wanted to sign up for that golf outing, you can go there too. Absolutely yeah, so we have a lot coming up. We're so excited about this initiative. We're so excited to give back to the community. Chrissy, I know I've been kind of hogging the conversation anything.

Kerry: 13:36

I didn't touch. You have not been. I am in awe, as always. I am you're. You've researched these uh organizations and been on top of it and so you deserve a lot more credit than I, but I am totally on board. I agree We've picked a couple of really great organizations to start off this, I hope, a very long relationship with promoting things for organizations that are out there really trying to bring awareness and do good.

Chrisy: 14:06

Right. So this is going to be an episode that airs on the first of every month, so this is a special edition of Dysfunction Junkies called Dysfunction Junkies Care, and Junkies Care stands for the Community Awareness, recognition and Engagement. So be sure to check us out again, our new website, dysfunctionjunkiespodcastcom. We'll also be posting on our facebook page. We look forward to maybe meeting some of you now that we're going to be going public at some of these events, so we hope to see you soon. Yes, we do. All right, junkies. Thank you bye.