Can you recall times when you really needed to focus, but there were so many distractions, you simply couldn’t?
The baby is crying…
The older child is demanding attention…
The dishwasher needs to be emptied, and the sink is full of dirty dishes…
The washing machine is stuck on the rinse cycle for the third time this month…
The car needs gas before it’s time to head to appointments or run errands…
The lawn needs to be mowed, but the mower won’t start…
The pantry and freezer are needing to be filled up again…
…and that’s just a few of the issues on the home front.
What about at your workplace?
The unexpected construction on the streets caused you to be late…
The report that is due in an hour is not coming together very well…
The lunch you planned to bring is still sitting on the counter at home…
The rock in your shoe is bruising your foot, but you have no time to stop…
The coffee pot is broke, leaving you without the thing you desperately need…
The meeting planned for tomorrow has been moved up to today…
The computer stalls because the internet is having issues…
…and to top it all off, the phone won’t stop ringing!
You literally want to scream and have a temper tantrum.
But, you can’t.
You must push forward…so you push all the frustration down inside your mind and heart.
Can you imagine the high level of frustration a homeless person feels? It was never their plan to be without food, or a home, or a job. Life happens and, one by one, the emotional baggage piles up, adding to the already overflowing level of distractions.
Being homeless brings baggage to a person’s heart that outsiders may not be aware of. The stress of losing everything is a heavy load to carry. But, the load is compounded when routines, schedules, and traditions are completely changed, causing disorganization and anxiety.It affects everyone in that position – especially, those with children.
Most of the “stressors” carried by the homeless are unseen, tamped down inside a hurting heart.
They want to appear as “normal” as possible
To those watching, by acting like everything is okay. During one of the worst times of their life, it’s our mission to let them know that we really do care about them.
One way we do that is by providing a place for the children to play…to experience life as close as possible to “how it used to be.” We have recently remodeled a small building on campus to provide a safe and protected area for the children under school age to play and interact with others their age. As well, school-aged kids will have access to computers, with proper space for their school projects or other indoor activities. We also have a large asphalt area for bike riding and other outdoor activities for all guests to use.
Caring for our guests’ needs is very important to us.
Providing space for our families to interact with each other, and with people in their same situation, allows some kind of order to reenter their lives.
Having a more ordered environment helps the adults focus on turning their circumstances around by attending our life recovery program, or applying for employment, or seeking housing off campus.
Distractions can definitely be a problem when someone is trying to focus. However, by providing our homeless guests a safe place to live and three meals a day can seriously remove or lessen the stress, allowing some order to once again be restored.
With time and effort, that “order” has helped our guests get to the point where they can move forward as they find employment and housing outside the shelter.
Joy Junction serves anyone in Albuquerque who is homeless or hungry. This population includes adults and families with children. We offer help to everyone, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual preference, disability, status as a covered veteran, or any other legally protected status.
