2021 June
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Do you recall the times when the ground was so thirsty it began to crack? In the New Mexico desert areas, especially in the locations that have clay in the soil, we can experience some pretty deep cracks.
On rare occasions, we may get enough moisture to cause the ground to act like a sponge, and we actually get some water run-off. It may even gather enough water to produce a flash flood…but usually, it’s just a puddle or two – until the sun beams down again and dries it out.
Most of us may notice the hard dirt chips that are the result of the puddles gone dry. It’s not very unusual in this part of the country. But, there are times when the ground goes through such an extreme dry spell, from being without water for long periods of time, that the soil breaks open with “spiderweb-type” cracks, going every which way.
The cracks have been known to cause structural issues in the foundations of buildings. It’s just one of those things that happens during the hot weather months in our territory.
Summer brings dry weather, for sure, in New Mexico. With all the desert terrain around our city, we can’t help but feel the heat permeating up from the surfaces surrounding us. At times, it feels like it is sucking the moisture out of our skin.
That’s when the thought of cooling off sounds very inviting. We dream about it. We can’t stop thinking about it. Some of us may even take action and cool off by going to a lake, a river, a swimming pool, or maybe just going outside and hooking up a sprinkler to a water hose.
It’s a fact of life. We desire our conveniences and want to relieve the dryness.
At Joy Junction, the weather (wet or dry) doesn’t change the homeless state of each individual who stays with us. We strive to care for their needs, rain or shine.
A dry season outside, however, resembles a “dry season” inside when the donation revenue stops.
During the summer season, many people are concentrating on how to get away from all the heat and dry air by planning ways to leave the area to cool off. Unfortunately, when the revenue goes toward other means, a “dry” revenue season is created for organizations like ours.
We depend on folks with generous hearts to help us stay afloat during the lean months of summer. It’s important to us to be able to continue nurturing those who come to us during one of the darkest times of their lives. We strive to enlighten them with programs centered on improving their decision-making processes, and we hope to empower them to feel the courage to step back into the workforce again.
We nurture all those who come to us equally. This population includes adults and families with children. We offer help to everyone, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual preference, disability, status as a covered veteran, or any other legally protected position.
We know many others are just as concerned as we are over their current state of uncertainty. Together, we can provide for their needs, their peace of mind, and their ability to move into the next stage of their journey.
We pray this summer is not a dry season for our shelter as we seek to meet the needs of each person who enters our campus.
If you’d like to donate toward our ministry of caring for the homeless and hungry of our city, you can contact us at 505-217-9586 to use a credit card, or send in a donation to:
Joy Junction
PO Box 20550
Albuquerque, NM 87154
Enjoy your summer!
