2025 January
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Have you ever needed a shoulder to lean on? Life can throw unexpected events at us, and sometimes we need a little extra help to get through them. Some people feel alone and have no family or close friends to call upon to be that strong shoulder of support for them.
Sadness, anxiety, and a feeling of helplessness can cause a person to dread even getting up in the morning. That is not a fun place to be. Doubts and questions may begin to fill a person’s mind.
Will I ever sleep through the night again?
Will I ever feel like getting up and getting out again?
Will I ever be able to focus on what’s right in front of me again?
These questions, and many others, are possible signs of a cry for help.
When experiencing anxiety or depression or hopelessness, the mental and emotional senses can really take a turn toward the negative. When the mind cannot focus on the here and now, and emotions become erratic, life can become highly distressful.
Sometimes, that causes a person to lose their income, their housing, and everything else that is connected to having a job. Oftentimes, they become homeless. Then, what? When there are no family members or friends to turn to, and a shelter is not their choice for help, the streets are usually where the person winds up.
How many scary nights of feeling alone and vulnerable does it take to get to the point of choosing to reach out for help?
How many days of yearning for even one piece of bread does it take to get to the point of choosing to reach out for help?
How many days and nights of enduring extreme weather conditions (hot or cold) does it take to get to the point of choosing to reach out for help?
When some people are placed in the position of hitting rock bottom like that, and have nowhere else to look for help, they may have finally gotten to the point where their hearts and minds are open to some kind of change.
One of our guests, Peter (not his real name), found himself in that very position.
Living in a park for months is not fun, but I thought it was my only option. I was going through a very hard time in my life, so I just ignored the stares from people who visited the park – because I had nowhere else to go.
Looking back, I can see that God had His hand on me. I believe, now, that God places us where we need to be and He needed me to be in that park at that specific time for a reason.
One day, someone told me about Joy Junction and I asked them for a ride here. Right away, I joined the program. At that time, I was willing to try whatever I could to get out of the cold weather.
I think I had to get desperate…
before I could allow myself to go to a shelter for help.
I faced trying to stay alive in the cold, or going to a shelter. I am so thankful that it was Joy Junction who took me in when I got to that point.
The program has really taught me a lot – like how to show respect, love, kindness, compassion, and patience to others. Knowing they [other guests] are in the same position as me has helped me understand that I am not the only one in this situation. I don’t have to feel ashamed.
I know in my heart that God placed me here. I have a higher level of confidence now. I am proud of myself for getting through the program and I plan to use what I have learned to move forward in a positive way.
For the homeless people who come to us for a “turn around” opportunity, we can be an advocate for them. Our staff can assist in securing the necessary resources to successfully reintegrate a person back into mainstream society. We are able to help them write resumes, search for employment, and apply for housing and food stamps, as well as social security benefits.
Our program offers a new start by teaching life skills, good decision-making methods, and how to overcome addictions and/or destructive behaviors.
Peter had the choice to come to us for help, or not. He now has the choice to use what he has been taught, or go back to the way he had been living before…which wound up causing him to become homeless. Those of our guests who truly want positive changes in their lives are able to use the “tools” presented to them, throughout the curriculum, to move forward.
Our hope is that, when people come to us out of desperation, we can be the support system they did not have in their lives before they became homeless.
Life can be hard. We want to be the shoulder our guests can lean on as they work to turn their lives around.
