2025 October #1
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Holidays can be a lot of fun with family and friends who gather to fellowship with each other while celebrating whatever the special occasion may be. When people are involved with their fun, they usually are not aware of others who have no one to celebrate with.
Sometimes, when a person is all alone, homeless, and feels like everything has been taken from them, the holiday celebrations witnessed by them are extremely hard to bear.
When there are no gatherings to join as a friend or family member, the emotional toll on a person’s mind and heart can be pretty deep, and sometimes, physically painful, because they feel cut off from the world.
Holidays are not the only times a person in a homeless situation may feel disconnected from the world, though. There are other “everyday” circumstances that can also bring about emotional strains. Homelessness removes many “normal” activities and causes a person to (out of necessity) focus only on themselves and their survival.
All thoughts become inward and affects how a person feels and acts. It’s not a laughing matter, that’s for sure. Focusing on the task at hand or making decisions may feel like a tremendously hard “unreachable” thing. It goes deep…and sometimes, takes months to overcome…if ever.
Falling into a depressed state of mind happens more times than most people imagine.
One of our guests, Kenneth (not his real name), experienced such a dark time.
Here’s his story:
I’m from a state up north. I was evicted from my apartment because I could not pay the rent anymore.
I lost everything I had…
That caused me to go into a deep depression… It wasn’t long before I wound up in the hospital. I was there for about six weeks. When I got out, I had no idea where to go or what to do.
I knew I wanted to move away from where I was, so I researched several states before settling on New Mexico. I looked up the largest city and researched the shelters. It was the only thing I could think to do.
I decided on Joy Junction because they would provide shelter and food – and safety – while I regained the energy and strength I lost during the time I was in the hospital. So, I made my way to Albuquerque and finally got here [Joy Junction].
The staff and programs are helping me get my life back in order. I had not only lost all my possessions; I had lost my faith and my passion. I have been encouraged not to give up.
Little by little, I’m gaining my independence again…and I’m so thankful!
There are many stories with similar situations from our guests. Life just did not turn out the way it had been planned. Unexpected events can put huge detours in any person’s path. When that causes someone to become homeless, we want them to know we are here and ready to help them.
Our ministry faithfully encourages, and provides for, those who have wound up in such a hard place. It’s not a circumstance anyone plans to be a part of. But, we work hard to make it as bearable as possible
Our goal, during the hard days, is to help our guests focus on the positive aspects of their situation. Many feel there is nothing positive about it…but we hope they will begin to see that they are protected from the outside elements, have food prepared for their nourishment, and have access to resources that can aid in their efforts to move forward.
As they are making choices on a daily basis, to further their efforts, we try to keep in mind that their hearts and minds may still be struggling with their homeless state of affairs.
To top that off, we really do understand that holidays are, sometimes, hard to get through when a person is displaced from their home and normal routine. We want to ease the pain of that, if at all possible.
One of the main ways we help during this time of year is by celebrating Thanksgiving, in a family fashion, with them. We set up tables for our guests and cook a meal of turkey, with all the trimmings, along with pie and coffee, for our guests to enjoy during our annual citywide holiday feast event.
This feast is available for anyone who is homeless, hungry, or does not have the means to cook a special meal.
We want each person who attends our feast to feel like part of a family unit as they enjoy a special meal. We want them to know they are important. We truly do have a heart to serve, and we hope the event reassures them that we care. It’s our desire to encourage each attendee, whether they are homeless or not.
If you would like to help us during this holiday season as we reach out to those who need our help, please send a donation to: Joy Junction, PO Box 20550, Albuquerque, NM 87154. To make a credit card donation, you can call 505-217-9586 or go online at joyjunction.org.
We are grateful for all our supporters who help make our mission possible.
