Share the Joy #4

When I heard what the team were doing in cycling from Adelaide to Melbourne I was kind of jealous.

1. It sounded like fun!
2. It would push the boundaries mentally and physically
3. It was a way of pulling together a wide group of people to give hope and joy to those who find themselves in tough situations, often through no fault of their own

I knew the ride was not going to be feasible for me - I simply wouldn't be able to do that (this year at least). But then I had the idea of doing a handicapped race to the end.

I can run. I can run a half marathon at approximately 12-13km per hour. So I have decided to help raise funds to unlock as many cyclists as possible. I will gather people to sponsor me, which adds to the overall tally, and depending on how much we collaboratively raise towards the overall goal will determine how far I run...

• $250 and I'll run 10km (an easy distance for me)
• $350 and I'll run 15km (also a comfortable distance)
• $450 and I'll run 21.1km (a distance I can run comfortably at an easy pace)
• $500 and I'll run 25km (a distance I've run mane 3 or 4 times before)
• And if we make $600 I'll run 30km - a distance I have never run!

I will start when the guys are approximately double the distance away from the finish line, which should result in a close finish between runners and cyclists! You are welcome to join me in the JoyRun by donating!

Let's restore hope and joy to those in our community together!

Donate here

- Hannah Easton

#joyride2015

Share the Joy #3

"Life is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep your balance you must keep moving!"

When I got asked to be apart of this Joy Ride my immediate answer was YES! I think mostly because I had no idea what I was actually saying 'yes' to, just sounded like fun!  Such a great group of people and a great cause.  Am I a cyclist? No.  Have I ever ridden a proper rode bike? No.  Did I nearly fall off the first time I rode one? Yes! ha!  So I got me a second hand bike, put on my make-shift lycra try hard cyclist outfit and took off for my first ride.  Now you need to understand that where I live the hills are plentiful... only problem.. I didn't know how on earth you change gears properly on this new bike of mine so I rode to a friends house and the whole way there I didn't change gears once, cause i couldn't figure out how.  My kind friend explained it to me, it was clear as mud! ;)  

I have now been on a few rides.  I'm the cool cat that has to look down at her gears every time she has to change cause I can't remember which gear I am in.  

My first big ride (26km - hey I'm new to this) involved ALOT of hills but I have to say I conquered them (being able to change gears really helps).  I reached the top of the last big hill and I knew I had a long down hill ahead of me (Praise Jesus) and right there in the moment of perfect anticipation I changed my gear to a more appropriate down hill gear (lets be honest, i don't even know what that means, but I flicked a switch and changed a gear) AND my chain fell off... MY CHAIN FELL OFF... now I don't swear but I think in that moment a certain word may have slipped from my lips, my heart stopped beating for a second and then started beating super fast.. you see I was out in the middle of not really anywhere (I mean it was beautiful but a cow isn't much help in my moment of absolute turmoil) and I've never had to fix a fallen chain before.  Never fear, I had my mobile phone so I just called ... JUST KIDDING! I got off my bike like a pro and put it back on, all the while pretending I knew what I was doing, I think it was really just a fluke that I fixed it so easily and quickly and with that i was back on my bike to roll down a very big hill, a little hesitant to change gears again. 

I went for a (52km) ride recently down on Beach Road (which was so beautiful) and I saw a lot of professional looking cyclists ride past me and I imagine in my head that I look just like them, I imagine they can't even tell that I am a beginner because I look so suave out there on the bike, when really  I'm wearing running pants with a t-shirt, I have my runners on cause I haven't conquered cleets yet (I mean I don't even know if thats how you spell it), people feel the need to tell me their horror stories of cleets and falling over.. I laugh.. cause its funny but it won't be when it happens to me (stay tuned for my post about using cleets for the first time - happening later this week) and I'm standing on the grass covered in grease cause my chain fell off again and yes my butt was a little sore after that ride.. you see I don't have those AWESOME padded lycra shorts yet (I mean who doesn't want padded lycra shorts, I know I do!).

So my journey begins, my journey to try something new.  If me going on a funny bike ride can help someone in the Hilltop Community it is worth it! 

Donate Here

- Alyce Serpell

Share the Joy #2

When I was initially approached by Dave with the Joy Ride idea I thought he had finally gone 'one step too far' in his pursuit of his dreams!  It's is a long way from Adelaide to Melbourne.  I am nearly 60 and only moderately fit.  I don't ride a pushbike often and the thought of such a long time riding was enough to make my backside ache…that thinking was completely generated by my humanity!

Then my spirituality got involved.

Sons, both natural and spiritual, have the joy of standing on a father's (or mother's) shoulders and multiplying the dream of their father (mother).  In 1990, the first year of Stairway Church, I pursued the dream of starting a benevolent organisation that would support the struggling, disadvantaged and marginalised in our community.  That organisation has operated for over 25 years and is now known as Hilltop.  A great deal of energy, sacrifice and effort was expended back in 1990 to get 'that organisation' going.  Now Dave, my natural son, is asking me to help him take it to the next level.

Equally over the last 25 years, I have remained passionate about walking humbly with my God to see our community and culture change.  I live for the benefit of others in pretty much everything I do, I am and am becoming.  The Joy Ride not only sees me serving the dream of my natural son, it also a very physical expression of doing what it takes to help others who are long-term unemployed find and maintain meaningful employment.

So, if you would like to play a part in unlocking me for this ride and give to a great cause, follow this link:

Donate Here

Thanks for 'unlocking me'.

- Peter McHugh

Share the Joy #1

Everyday we have the choice to live for the benefit of others. To lay down our lives for those around us.

Often we associate the above with self sacrifice. And often that is what's  required.

However, there is also a joy in living for the benefit of others.

There is no greater feeling than witnessing someone in a hopeless situation regain hope. 

Every so often we get the opportunity to do something a little crazy. To live for the benefit of many. To bring joy. To inspire hope. To advocate for the voiceless.

This year we are going on a Joy Ride.

In early August 9 brave people are cycling from Adelaide to Melbourne in 3 days. The purpose of this fundraiser is to support Hilltop Foundations Jobs for Life Program (JfL) which is a course that assists the long term unemployed find and maintain meaningful employment. 

Jobs for Life takes a fresh and holistic approach to assisting people battling with unemployment. 

“I feel like I have a much clearer way forward now - something which I lacked prior to embarking on the course (JfL).  I also have more hope than I started with - hope that I can maybe now start to achieve some of my objectives.”

— Graham, Graduand

Help us achieve our target and unlock Peter McHugh to join the team.

Donate Here.

Share the Joy.

Be In It For the Long Haul

I love justice.
Justice is cool.
Justice is glamorous.
Justice is heroic.
Pursuing justice makes me feel important.
Pursuing justice makes me feel good.
It makes me feel heroic.
I like talking about justice.
I like writing about justice.

And perhaps I'm not alone in these thoughts and confessions. In fact, I believe that most people love justice. Right? We all love justice ... until there's a cost. But here's the tension and truth:

There's always a cost to doing justice.

We need to be about the marathon and not about instant gratification.

We don't need one-hit wonders; we need steady and faithful engagement.

We need people who are faithful. People who are tenacious. People who don't give up. These people are few and far between. But they can truly change the world.

The critique is not something that is exclusive to any generation. This is for those people who are breathing and alive right now. I see this as a cultural problem that is larger than any generation.

Today, it's just so easy.
Easy to change.
Easy to quite.
Easy to abandon.
Easy to file for divorce online.
So easy to do whatever.

We can explain away everything with our rationalising and emotional justifying.

I'm not trying to say that emotions aren't important, but emotion shouldn't be our sole and exclusive guide in all situation. Emotions can guide us, they can also lead us astray. They can contradict my convictions.

Have you ever heard this kind of promise: "Three easy steps to achieving all you dreams!"? Anyone who suggests such ludicrous fallacies is simply lying to you.

There is a cost to pursuing your dreams, visions and convictions. There is a cost to pursuing justice.

- Eugene Cho