2025 August
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Can you believe it? This fall marks 39 years for Joy Junction’s existence. We’ve been through some refurbishing changes over the years, so we may look a bit different, but we still have the same goal of “breaking the cycle of homelessness, one life at a time.”
Throughout the years, we have learned from our guests that homelessness is rarely chosen. It usually hits unexpectedly, and the reasons for that new station in life vary from losing a job or a spouse to making unwise decisions.
No matter why they have come to us, we want our guests to know they are still worthy of being given a chance to have a “do over” and start fresh.
Maria (not her real name), one of our guests, shares her story:
I was robbed. My uniform, wallet, cell phone, and ID card were stolen. As a result…to make a long story short…I lost my job. It doesn’t sound fair to me at all, but it still happened.
My extended family is not from this state, so I was on my own after I had to leave my apartment. I had no money to get another place.
I have known about Joy Junction for a while, so I decided to get a ride here [Joy Junction]. I didn’t know much about it, but it was better than being on the street.
I feel like I am in a rut.
A lot of bad things happened at once.…
I pray this place will help me turn things around so I can get a job.
My goal, of course, is to get a place of my own again. But, until I can get my life put back together, I am being taken care of with food and a bed – and I feel safe!
One day at a time. That’s what I am focusing on. But, someday, I plan to leave here.
When our late founder, Jeremy Reynalds, created the shelter, one of his main concerns was to make sure people felt “at home” and could stay until they felt they could rejoin the outside world, find employment, and get a home of their own.
Quite a few of our current staff members worked alongside Jeremy as he built the shelter into its ability to house up to 350 individuals a day/night. The staff knows his main purpose was to help – because he remembered well what it was like to be “without.”
To this day, we stand on his principles of seeing each person as someone who was created uniquely, so their needs may very well be different than the person next to them. However, Jeremy knew the main need they have is to be shown love. The love of God is the backbone of our decision-making process.
To get the “new beginning” for our guests started, we offer programs and have rules for what is acceptable and what is not. Our intention is to teach our guests how to keep from repeating their past experiences that caused their current life situation.
Each person who chooses to enter our campus is treated with respect and is given the opportunity to turn their life around. We can provide the materials, but it’s up to each individual to decide the level of effort they will put into the training.
Our goal is to equip each person with mind and heart “tools” so they will be able to make wise choices as they re-enter society.
Joy Junction is daily caring for people who have fallen on hard times, for one reason or another. We believe a homeless shelter should be a welcoming place where those who are struggling can go to for help. We strive to be that kind of place.
Transformation does take time, but we encourage our guests to stay positive and take the steps needed to reach their goal of being able to survive on their own again.
Many of them do just that, and we are happy to have been a part of their journey.
