“I felt alone in the world…”

2024 October #1  By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Sometimes, the hard knocks of life really do pull the rug right out from under us. One moment we are on top of the mountain and all is going well, then, the next moment, we feel like we’ve been thrown down to the depths of the valley. The job that … Read More

“I was in an abusive relationship…”

2024 September #2By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Over the years, we have found that some of our guests became homeless because they were escaping an abusive situation. They needed protection and provision, both.   Unfortunately, it has become apparent that abuse is present in all types of family units.  It doesn’t matter if they are married. It doesn’t … Read More

I had strayed far from who I used to be.

2024 September #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) As you look around the city, do you wonder about the background stories of those you see trying to survive on the street? The hopelessness that is shone on some of their faces is heartbreaking. It appears that their expression says, “there’s no dream of a future for me to look … Read More

I had no idea where to go…

2024 AugustBy a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Some days are just crazy. Everything seems to go wrong. The day starts off good. We wake up, have our coffee, tea, or juice, and breathe deep…feeling like life is as it should be. Everything is going smoothly. Then, after arriving at work, it is announced that the company is downsizing and … Read More

I couldn’t find housing…

I could not find housing

2024 July #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) No one needs to be reminded that it’s hot outside.  The heat is felt by every person, one way or another. But, it’s felt even more by those who have to remain out in it because they’ve fallen on hard times and have no housing to protect them. There are many … Read More

Being a drug addict can destroy your life…

Being a drug addict can destroy your life

2024 June #2By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Living in someone else’s home, with their family, is always a tricky situation.  Being grateful is a given, but being frustrated with the situation and afraid of the unknown is also part of the equation. How long will the current circumstance last? Will the family unexpectedly choose to end their generosity? … Read More

Our hearts hurt for those without a home…

Our hearts hurt for those without a home

2024 June #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Summertime. It’s a season when the cold weather has been gone for a while and many of us are enjoying our time outside. Most of this season brings plenty of sunshine throughout the day. Feeling that warm sun in the morning energizes us and prepares our mind for a good, productive … Read More

I had nowhere, but the streets, to go…

2024 May #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) It’s nice to feel the warmth of the sun, after the passing of cold weather, now that we are in the spring season. Our winter seasons are not as cold as many other states, but we still have our share of “below freezing” nights. When our temperature gets that low, many … Read More

Sometimes, life just throws you a curve ball…

Sometimes life just throws a curve ball

2024 April #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Springtime is a beautiful time of year. It’s when all the green begins to show up again in the vegetation around us. It’s also when we get to watch the colors pop up around the city as new growth reveals itself.  It’s a time of rejuvenation and renewal. It puts a … Read More

In desperation, I asked God to step in…

I asked God to step in and lead me

2024 March #2By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) We have a holiday coming up. This one represents new life, so it appropriately fits what we try to encourage our guests to reach for every day of the year. Easter is widely known in our culture as the holiday that reminds us that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life on … Read More

Being homeless is scary…

Being Homeless is Scary

2024 March #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Even though we have some nice, sun-filled days from time to time, it’s still winter. The nights are cold outside…and we see the evidence of many people around our city trying to sleep and stay warm along the streets, down the alleyways, and between buildings.  Some of them have just fallen … Read More

It’s been a long road…

It's been a long road

2024 February #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) When we start something new, it’s usually at that point that we make changes. That’s why it’s called “new.” It’s different from before.  The beginning of a new year is a good time to think about the kind of changes that might benefit the direction of the coming days. Being stagnant … Read More

I had lost focus on what matters in life

I had lost focus on what matters in life

2024 January #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) At the beginning of every new year, most of us tend to stop and take stock in what all we did during the year before, and what we plan to do differently, or better, in the year ahead. Some years have been very hard, and we are SO looking forward … Read More

You are an important part of our mission.

2023 December #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) It is our dearest hope that you have a Merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season! Every one of you are very special to us. Your compassionate heart spreads joy every time you choose to join us as we strive to help those who have fallen on hard times. We … Read More

I had destroyed my life…

Christmas season is the perfect time to begin anew

2023 December #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) There are times when some of our guests open up and share their story the moment they arrive. But, for the most part, it usually takes them a few days to feel comfortable enough to talk about why they have become homeless. For such a sensitive subject matter, it may … Read More

I have never known how to change my behavior or addictions…

Changing my behaviors

2023 November #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Your phone rings. You answer it to find that someone is asking for your help. You own a pickup, so when someone needs assistance with their move, naturally, you are one of the first people they call. You shop at the same store as your elderly neighbor, so when it’s … Read More

I thought life was good…

2023 November #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Where is your “happy place?” Do you have a familiar location you like to go to in order to feel a deep peace? Do you go somewhere quiet to escape life’s hectic demands? Is it your easy chair in your home, or a camping site by a beautiful river, or … Read More

I was relieved to be able to find help…

I was relieved to find help

2023 October #2By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) As a person goes through their teenage years and begins to plan out and dream about their ideas for their future as an adult, it’s hard for us to imagine that they would “dream” of becoming homeless. It’s most likely not anyone’s plan or goal to become someone who is homeless … Read More

I could not see a future for myself…

I could not see a future for myself until I went to Joy Junction

2023 October #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) When things are going smoothly in our lives, it’s easy to be thankful. During those times, we probably wear a smile on our face for no particular reason, and we may even nod greetings to strangers we pass in the grocery store. Life is good. But, when tragedy or trauma or … Read More

Joy Junction is thankful for you!

Thanksgiving Blessings

2023 September #2By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Have you noticed a slight change in the scenery around you? The foliage is beginning to take on a different look in some areas. As it does every year, it is getting ready to make some drastic changes. When we see pops of red, orange, and yellow color beginning to show … Read More

Our hearts are full of compassion for them.

2023 September #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Have you noticed that the summer months have flown by? The autumn season is fast approaching. During each season, whether it’s hot or cold, we consistently have families and individuals who have fallen on hard times enter our campus for help. Some have lost their jobs. Some have lost their mates. … Read More

It is important to keep families together

It's important to us to keep our family guests together as one unit

2023 August #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Have you ever been abruptly separated from someone you were close to? A child? A parent? A spouse? A friend? They were there, and then, suddenly, they were gone… Do you remember the fright you felt? That sharp pain of panic might have filled your heart so quickly, and in … Read More

All at one time, I lost my whole life…

All at one time I lost my whole life

2023 July #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Most people have experienced something deeply hurtful or painful in a relationship – within a family or friend circle, a job setting, or any other kind of circumstance. Sometimes, that type of traumatic event marks the brain and heart so deeply, it affects every other thing in their lives. It’s … Read More

I was on the streets trying to survive…

I was on the streets trying to survive

2023 June #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Have you ever experienced a really bad sunburn? The damaged skin is so very sensitive to anything that touches it; you feel uncomfortable no matter what position you are in. It’s hard to wear even the lightest clothes because the pressure of the fabric on the skin is painful. What … Read More

They turn to us for relief

They turn to us for help

2023 June #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Sometimes, being homeless does not mean a person is an addict or seen as unkept. Sometimes, homelessness simply means an individual or family no longer has a place to call their own. Because of unexpected circumstances, like suddenly losing a job or experiencing the pain of having a spouse walk … Read More

God Sees Every Single Human Being the Same…

God sees every single human being the same

2023 May #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) There are so many different paths for people to take in this world. Some paths bring surprisingly wonderful and unexpected results…while other paths direct a person toward shocking and devastating ends. Most of us do not plan for our lives to turn down “dark alley” pathways. From the first moment … Read More

Transforming from one way of living to another…

2023 April #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) As you were growing up, did you come from a family who knew that each person in your social group would most likely get a new dress or shirt and tie when Easter rolled around every year? Did you color or dye boiled eggs and participate in an Easter egg … Read More

Sometimes, spiraling out of control happens…

2023 April #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) The majority of us have some kind of “vice” or “shortcoming” that we have a hard time letting go of:   eating too much dessert, take-out, or junk food, staying up too late to finish a movie or a book on a work/school night,  shopping until the bags are too … Read More

It’s hard to be without shelter…

It's hard to be without shelter

2023 March #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Imagine a scenario where a person is dependent on someone else for everything they need in this life. It would most likely be fairly easy for that person’s heart to become increasingly attached to the one who is providing, day after day, as every need is being met. They have … Read More

Improvements are a Necessity

Improvements are a necessity

2023 February #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) For every piece of property and every human body, we (each of us) have the responsibility of making wise choices throughout the years to keep them in good working condition. When debris blows into our yard, we clean it up. When our bodies get dirty, we clean them up. Clearing … Read More