Jim Andrews business is more than income; it’s a stewardship in helping others.
 
When Andrews left his position as a military police officer in the U.S. Navy, he said he “bounced around” at different jobs until he discovered his professional calling.
 
Now Andrews operates a junk removal and hauling business.
 
“It’s entrepreneurial, and I like the adventure of the business,” Andrews said.
 
A part of the of JDog family, a military owned and operated services company, Andrews understands how difficult it can be to clean house.
 
“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” Andrews said.
 
And for those who are moving, fall victim to hard times or even extreme cases like those suffering from compulsive hoarding disorder, a professional helping hand can make all the difference.
 
“Giving people back a space on their property or in their homes, helping them move by cleaning out,” are rewarding experiences, according to Andrews.
 
What’s more, Andrews is committed to keeping as much out of landfills as possible. His mission is to donate or find a way to offer repurposed items to those in the community, especially veterans who have fallen on hard times or who need a helping hand to integrate back into civilian life.
 
“Jim and his crew were professional, prompt, dedicated, and hardworking. Just what you come to expect from military veterans,” said Quakertown client Shannon Transue.
 
Transue hired Andrews to help when her present house sold. She said JDog cleared an outdoor hot tub and removed a storage shed and a fence as part of home sale contingency clauses before the new buyers would seal the deal.
 
“The best part is they were able to donate all of the items to local non-profit organizations and provide us with a receipt of donation,” Transue said.
 
From removing a single couch to clean-sweeping a home trove spanning generations of accumulated belongings, JDog customizes services for a great client fit. Andrews prides himself on quoting flexible projects, as well as bringing in other pros if the work isn’t right for his business.
 
“I am building relationships with others, so if I can’t do your job or an aspect of it, I can help you find someone,” Andrews said.
 
At Transue’s Quakertown property JDog removed a hot tub, outdoor storage shed, fencing and clean-swept a decade’s worth of holiday decorations stowed in the attic.
 
“JDog was able to come in and clean out the spaces for us on the deadline. They constantly went the extra mile throughout this process and in the end saved the day helping close a very stressful chapter of our life,” Transue said.
 
Andrews works as well with Realtors as he does with home sellers and has developed valuable relationships across both sides of the settlement table.
 
“As a Realtor, many times we encounter situations where a seller has left contents in a home and the buyer has their own stuff so it needs to be removed within hours of closing,” said Lisa Wright. Write is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach The Lisa Wright Team in Bethlehem.
 
For many veterans finding that daily “mission forward” purpose in a civilian world isn’t always easy, something to which Andrews can relate.
 
“In the military, every day you wake up with a purpose,” Andrews explained of the mindset he’d developed over eight years of service, deployment to the Middle East as well as being stationed domestically.
 
Andrews said he discovered JDog and became an operator in March. JDog was founded about three years ago by Philadelphia area Jerry Flanagan and now operates about 150 locations across the U.S.
 
When Andrews went shopping for a chamber to join, he chose UBCC. “I just walked in (to the office), and I don’t know if you guys are special among Chambers but the help and services I’ve received have been fantastic. I want to do everything I can to be involved,” Andrews said.
 
Andrews serves the Upper Bucks County region and the Greater Lehigh Valley. For information, visit www.jdog.com or contact him at 267-898-4555.

​New Vitae Wellness and Recovery embraces people for who they are and helping to create pathways for successful behavior change and a better way to live.
 
Offering clients a fresh start New Vitae Wellness and Recovery lives its mission to serve the most vulnerable members of the community by providing ways to navigate a frightening world through behavioral change.
 
Founder Anne Mills chose the name which means “new life” in Greek during the early 1990s when New Vitae began offering partial hospitalization services.
 
An innovative menu of care and treatment options helps patients because it’s flexible and engages them in their own care. These factors are hallmarks of New Vitae’s treatment plans, according to Judith O. Yanacek, New Vitae president and CEO.
 
“We look for a holistic approach and we see people do really well. It is rewarding to see people get well and to become who they can be,” Yanacek said.
 
From yoga and mindfulness training to Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation treatments, behavior and psychological/and medicine based treatment plans, staff approach patient care as a partnership, often a game changer for those struggling to put their lives back together.
 
Mike suffered with stubborn depression, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and had cycled through three doctors and endured five years of failed treatments including electroconvulsive therapy – typically a last resort- without any improvement in day to day living.
 
Then Mike found New Vitae.
 
“Through my support group I heard about Brainsway Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.  Through treatment and the caring support of my wife and staff at New Vitae Wellness and Recovery, I got my life back.  Now I can do the things I like to do, including travel," Mike said.
 
Michelle credits her care team with helping her learn how to manage her life and become successful. The former resident said “the staff treats me with respect, and they are caring and compassionate. I've grown emotionally, and (I) am more mature,” Michelle said.
 
Ready and able Michelle is looking for her own apartment, moving, and taking on the next milestone in her life many young adults take for granted: independent living.
 
Yanacek said her team “helps people to gain safety,” an essential element in recovering from a mental or emotional crisis, abuse, drug addiction or for those with intellectual challenges or who struggle with traumatic brain injuries.
 
Based in Limeport, Lehigh County, New Vitae operates an office and treatment facility at 16 S. Main Street, and a residential program at Quakertown House located at 219 E. Broad Street.
 
The 16 S. Main Street location offers clinical support for groups and individuals, nutritional advising services, nursing and partial hospitalization day programs.
 
Quakertown House is a residential program offering supervised, semi-independent living arrangements and care.
 
A licensed personal care facility for up to 65 residents, it was renamed about two years ago, Quakertown House provides medication administration, meals, appointment transportation and daily living structure along with opportunities for residents to make friends and build healthy relationships.
 
“Knowing many of the staff members through our frequent visits, we can be sure that our daughter has well planned activities in the house daily and visits to locations elsewhere – the big event of the year being the week at Cape May, New Jersey,” said Peter, a parent of a residential care program.
 
Peter also values the facility’s in-town location, where his daughter can walk to stores, restaurants or for relaxation or exercise.
 
Slated to open this summer, a supervised 24/7 site for those who suffer from brain injury is planned in Limeport. In Emmaus services are offered for those suffering from opioid addiction, including medication assistant treatment plans.
Behavioral health has “been my life career. I’ve worked with people with disabilities. We’ve been told something magical happens, and when (patients receive) chances, a chance at life that they haven’t had before, it’s very rewarding,” Yanacek said.

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