2020 March
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
It could happen to any one of us…
We think we have it all under control. The “it” being our income, our activities, our bills, our health, our families everything that touches our lives.
We get up each morning with a purpose. It’s the same agenda for most days of the week. It’s routine. We expect “it” to be the same.
Then, unexpectedly, our “it” becomes completely different. We got up like any other day, but…
- found we were no longer needed at our job place, or…
- the person we were depending on is gone, or…
- the social security check did not arrive, or…
- any number of other things.
Our life falls apart, and unravels. We did not plan it, we did not expect it, but it happened.
Fear grips our heart and our mind races for any kind of answer. Questions, questions, questions… We try hard not to let the panic overtake us.
Maybe we can get another job fast? Maybe we can stay with a family member or friend? Maybe we can find a food pantry somewhere that will give out free food?
After a while, the deeper questions hit:
- Will we be able to keep our house or apartment?
- Will we be able to pay our bills?
- Will we be able to pay for gas to look for a job?
- Will we be able to get the medicine that’s vital to our health?
- Will we be able to eat?
Joy Junction knows first-hand how tragedies hit from out of nowhere.
We hear stories like this pretty much every day of the year.
For example, we have guests who have lost their jobs, then their house. They were regular people, from a regular family, working at regular jobs. They never expected to be homeless.
An additional example is the Johnson family (not their real name), which consists of dad, mom, and two boys. They shared that they tried staying with family members when they became homeless, but the situation became unsafe for them. They heard about Joy Junction and decided that was the best option for them.
“Joy Junction has become our home for the time being,“ Dad shared. “It’s a place of security and peace.” He doesn’t have to worry about his wife or kids being abused or taken advantage of.
Dad continued, “We were welcomed with open arms. They provided us with a bed, blankets, and food to eat. I thank God every day that we are together — safe, and healthy.”
The father of this family shared that he does not know what the future holds, nor why God placed them at Joy Junction. It certainly was not what he thought would happen to him or his family.
But, “I do know that we are here for a fresh and happy start in life,” he says.
Joy Junction is an answer to prayer for those who truly want and need a safe place to reside until they can get back on their feet again.
So, the next time you see:
- The empty stare from the down-trodden woman standing at the corner of an intersection, holding a sign, begging for any kind of help, or…
- The car parked every day in the same location at the back of a parking lot, packed full of every imaginable item a person could stuff into such a small space, or…
- The child appearing at school with the same wrinkled clothes day after day, starving…
Try to have compassion on them and see if there might be a way for you to help.
Ignoring them will not make the situation go away. Talking to them may present an idea on how you can be instrumental in helping to turn their lives around.
Maybe you know of someone who is hiring? Maybe you know the location of a food pantry? Maybe you can give them a ride to Joy Junction?
Will you take the next best step, for you, toward stopping homelessness?
Be a part of the solution…one life at a time.
