2024 October #1
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Sometimes, the hard knocks of life really do pull the rug right out from under us. One moment we are on top of the mountain and all is going well, then, the next moment, we feel like we’ve been thrown down to the depths of the valley.
The job that was thought to be a secure one, is now gone.
The income that was supposed to be depended on for years to come, is now in the past.
The home that was filled with comfort and laughter, is now empty.
Our focus may be moved from thinking positive thoughts to thinking all is “doom and gloom.” Hope for a beautiful future may be tarnished by the facts that slap us in the face. It’s a hard place to be in.
Our trust in the people and circumstances around us feels shattered. Everything has changed.
One of our guests, Harold (not his real name), experienced such a situation.
Here’s his story:
I felt alone in the world…
I felt deserted by everyone and I was angry about it.
When life caused us [wife] to become homeless, I did not take it well. It was everyone else’s fault, in my mind.
I was carrying the burden of the world on my shoulders, and had no one to help me. I needed some income and a place for my wife and I to live. Since I had neither, I blew up at everyone who tried to talk to me about it. They had no idea how I was feeling.
But, when I heard about a place [Joy Junction] that took in families until they could get their lives turned around, I actually listened. I was desperate at that point.
We came to the shelter and I joined the program. I knew I needed to do my part to get a job and get us back into a place of our own. It was my responsibility to take care of her as a husband should. So, I worked hard to understand the material.
It has taken a long while, but eventually, God worked in my heart and is teaching me to slow down. I can take my time, feel His peace, and let HIM carry my burdens. I have found that I don’t get mad as quickly as I used to.
What a relief that is! I no longer feel I have to take on all the heavy stuff this world throws at us. God is teaching me how to have a good relationship with Him, and how to depend on Him. I am becoming a better husband. I am becoming a better man!
We are so thankful that there is a place like this – a place that will help us, instead of looking the other way and ignoring us.
Insecure living circumstances develop from all types of scenarios. It could be an increase in the monthly rent payments, or a death of the bread-winner in the family, or a divorce that results in extreme emotional baggage and causes an inability to find employment.
Those are some pretty hard knocks to overcome, and they usually hit at unexpected times. Then, everything (payments for rent, vehicles, insurance, utilities, medication, doctor appointments, groceries, etc.) piles up. When it rains, it pours…right?
To top all that off, there are usually long waiting lists for affordable housing opportunities…and job openings seem to require a great deal of patience to get to the actual work day. Time seems to move extremely slow (nothing is happening), and extremely fast (too many days have gone by with no help), all at the same time.
Fear sets in, sometimes, and anxiety fills the hearts and minds of those involved.
Then, if employment is finally found, it still takes time to save up enough money for the downpayments and utility fees for a place to live. It can be very frustrating. Again…time is a huge factor for any kind of peace to enter the scenario.
The fact is, many people who would love to be able to live in their own place simply cannot afford to do so. Therefore, much to their embarrassment and humiliation, they become homeless.
What do those who are without a home do while they wait for things to turn around? Some may couch-surf with family or friends, some may live in their vehicle, some may try living on the streets, and some may contact a shelter to stay in until they can get back on their feet.
We hope those who have found themselves in this situation will choose to contact us. Joy Junction was founded so homeless families and individuals would have a place to stay while they figure out how to get their lives turned back around.
As long as we have room, we will welcome them in with open arms. (We house up to 350 people a night.) We will feed and shelter them for as long as they need help.
During the holiday seasons, the hurt of homelessness goes especially deep. In order for those in that position to be able to spend the holiday with others and enjoy a “family gathering,” we will be offering a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, with all the trimmings, along with pie and coffee for our annual holiday feast event.
We intend for our event to help homeless people feel hope for a future that allows them to be successful in completing their dreams. A job can be found, a place to live can be located, and a new life to move forward is attainable.
