2024 October #2
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Have you ever thought about the fact that, sometimes, homeless people may feel they have been robbed of their lives?
Some may wonder how in the world they got to the place where homelessness was their reality.
In some cases, the people worked hard, but the income just could not provide all that was needed. They downsized and cut back on their spending, but still, they felt there was a noose around their neck as prices and payments on bills continued to increase.
That kind of stress can feel almost unbearable.
In that situation, something has to give! Food and medication will most likely be chosen over housing. After all, those are life-sustaining things.
So, through no fault of their own, they have been displaced from the space they used to call “home” and their idea of what life should be like has drastically changed.
The comfort of a home, all of a sudden, becomes something of the past. They are homeless.
On the other hand, there are times in life when the struggles become too much and a substance is introduced as “the way out” for some people. It’s not good. It’s not right. But, it happens.
Even people that others may think are the most “upstanding” make the mistake of choosing options that are not healthy for them when they are stressed out.
Life is full of mountains and valleys…and always will be. There’s just no way around that. Once the decision is made, to use some kind of substance to try to lessen the load on their mind or heart, it’s hard to break away from it. The more it is used, the more it becomes a habit.
Any habit is hard to break. But, substance abuse seems to be one of the hardest. It not only affects the person with the habit, it causes hardships, one way or another, for anyone in their family/friend circle.
The focus of their life is on the substance they feel they have to have to get through the day. One thing leads to another and, eventually, everything seems to be taken from them because poor choices were made.
Rachel, one of our guests, found that out the hard way.
Here’s her story:
We lost the apartment because I made some bad decisions and got arrested. I am a single mom and had nowhere to go – but I knew I needed to get my kids somewhere safe, so we came here.
I had just stopped using meth and
I knew I needed help to stay off of it.
The staff and others in the CIPP class are helping me stay sober. I have been amazed that the staff is treating me so well, after they learned about my past decisions.
They truly do care. They have encouraged me and my kids along the way and have offered advice and guidance – which I really needed.
We are so thankful for the housing and the great food. My kids are happy here. They love the playground and getting to attend the birthday parties for any kid who has a birthday in a certain month. They also enjoy the after school programs and the art, reading, and music sessions they get to participate in with the weekly volunteers.
I thank God for the Christ in Power Program and for being able to have a steady room in the Dream House. We are where we need to be for the time being.
Rachel is one of many women who now feel safe after feeling so lost…even though she and her kids are homeless.
Whether it’s because of substance abuse or simply not being able to spread an income far enough, it’s scary feeling alone and having no idea how to get through life in any other way than how they were doing it before.
Those in that situation struggle with the major changes they now face. Their lives are not what they had “seen” in their future when they envisioned the upcoming years. Their dreams have been squashed, or at the very least, put off for more years than they had expected.
We try to provide an environment that fills our guests with comfort and hope. We want them to know that our hearts hurt for them, and we truly want to help them.
We work hard to make sure our guests feel encouraged about the possibility of having a new way of living.
Our goal is to alert them to the fact that their lives are valuable and they can have a future filled with joy.
It may take time, but it is definitely do-able.
