2024 August
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Some days are just crazy. Everything seems to go wrong.
The day starts off good. We wake up, have our coffee, tea, or juice, and breathe deep…feeling like life is as it should be. Everything is going smoothly.
Then, after arriving at work, it is announced that the company is downsizing and the majority of the staff no longer have a job. Within a blink of an eye, the income that has been expected for years is no longer there.
Or, that ache that has been felt for months has become unbearable and a doctor appointment is needed. The doctor takes tests and it is announced that a surgery is needed. A mental note of the insurance deductible and the amount of money in the savings account reveals that it won’t be enough. The surgery has to be done, though.
Or, the landlord attaches a letter to the outside of the apartment/house door stating the rent will be increased in a few weeks by $500. The tight budget that allows the bare minimum of groceries and activities to be purchased has become no budget at all. There simply is not enough money.
Unfortunately, many people are just one paycheck away from becoming homeless. They live paycheck to paycheck, so when that income is removed, homelessness becomes a scary reality.
Some have family or friends to bunk with until they can find another job, or recover from a medical situation, or find a place to live that works with their tight budget. But, there are many who do not have that option. Fear squeezes their chest as the terrifying thought of being homeless sets in.
Fear is a very powerful motivator to seek help, though. Difficult decisions are necessary when limited resources no longer cover the necessities of life.
Protecting and providing for people who have nowhere else to go has been our mission for over three decades. Joy Junction was founded with the sole purpose of getting people off the street and into a place of safety so they can regroup and figure out how to turn their lives around.
Temporary housing with us provides peace of mind and provisions that might otherwise not be available. For example, three meals a day are prepared and given to each person staying at the shelter. As well, if they happen to arrive on our doorstep without any daily necessities, they are provided with clothes and hygiene items. They are also given a place to lay their head at night without experiencing the fears found on the streets.
This year marks the 38th anniversary for Joy Junction, one of the largest family homeless shelters in New Mexico. From the very beginning, Founder Jeremy Reynalds had a specific plan in mind to lift up those who felt they were at the lowest point of their lives.
He had a heart for people who felt invisible to the general public. Being overlooked is demeaning and causes a person to feel unworthy…which can go deep into the heart of someone already suffering with self-esteem issues.
It always warmed Jeremy’s heart when he heard from a current or former guest about Joy Junction being able to provide in ways that helped them feel valued again. Being able to feel “seen” and loved and prepared to leave the campus with confidence is a major part of the curriculums in the programs we offer.
One of our guests, Alice (not her real name), is a prime example. Here’s her story:
Four years ago, I lost everything I had in a fire during the Covid Epidemic. There were no resources for me to get any help. So, I become homeless. I had to find people to stay with.
Last fall, I wound up in the ER with two broken ribs, a broken wrist, and a fractured leg. I knew that I could not return to the house I was staying in, or I would die.
When I got out of the hospital, I walked (the best I could) through the streets of the city crying out to God. I needed Him to guide my feet.
“I had no idea where to go…”
Eventually, I wound up at Joy Junction…crying, unsure of being here. Then, I heard singing and God’s Word being talked about in the room next door.
After that, I began to feel I had been divinely led here. I joined the Christ in Power Program, but soon after that, I found out that I had cancer. Over time, God healed me from that and I have my smile back.
There are Resident Resource Services here and I am utilizing them as much as possible. My goal is to be able to move out to my own place soon. Joy Junction saved my life and I know God brought me here.
We will continue to work with our guests, build courage in their hearts, and help them turn their habits toward a positive end for as long as the Lord allows us to keep our doors open.
Every day, we face the fact that we cannot provide all we do, for anyone at all, without financial assistance from caring individuals, churches, and businesses. We depend on those who have compassion for hurting people to support our mission.
Please consider partnering with us as we strive to break the cycle of homelessness, one life at a time.
