by Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. A Chinese restaurant in Carlsbad New Mexico refused service recently forr a homeless man because of the way he was dressed and his odor. He was also refused a take away meal. This whole scenario occurred when a citizen wanted to pay for his meal. I wanted to take … Read More
Son of Viciously Attacked Albuquerque Attorney Comforts Dying Friend and Finds Meaning in Helping Others
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. When veteran Joy Junction employee Harold Eansor passed into the arms of Jesus recently, it was his friend-and a fellow shelter employee-Linus Carver-who had helped him navigate as comfortably as possible his final days on earth. They became friends soon after Linus was hired at Joy Junction. Linus sad, “I … Read More
Joy Junction Founder Uncloaks Hidden Truths about the Homeless in New Book
Media Release from Jeremy Reynalds at Joy Junction info@joyjunction.org Joy Junction Founder Uncloaks Hidden Truths about the Homeless in New Book Enumclaw, WA—What does being homeless in America look like? Dr. Jeremy Reynalds knows. Immigrating to America with fifty dollars in his pocket in 1982, he ended up homeless on the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Four years later, … Read More
Welcome Home, Harold. Joy Junction Employee Enters Eternal Reward
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. Just a few days ago, long time Joy Junction employee and friend Harold Eansor passed into the welcoming arms of Jesus after a brief but courageous fight with inoperable cancer. While we will miss him, our loss is heaven’s gain. I thought you would enjoy reading his story which he … Read More
Valentine’s Day at Joy Junction
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I wondered if our Joy Junction guests had any special plans for the day. We asked them, “Will you be celebrating with your partner/significant other while you’re staying at Joy Junction? If so, what do you have in mind and how easy will … Read More
Going the Distance
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. It was the waning hours of the second day of the KOB TV Health Fair at EXPO NM’s Lujan Building and we were really enjoying the event. Something we attend most years, it had proved yet again another opportunity to share the homeless story, make new friends and reconnect … Read More
These Heartwarming New Year’s Resolutions Will Have You Holding Back the Tears
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. With Thanksgiving, Christmas and now even the new year behind us, are you still thinking about new year’s resolutions? You know, stuff like resolving to be a better person, changing jobs, quitting smoking, eating less and exercising more, or some other personal goal you hope to achieve in the upcoming … Read More
The “Season of Giving” is Over, but as Hunger and Homelessness Continue – Assistance Still Needed
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. For about two months out of each year, the telephone at Joy Junction, New Mexico’s largest emergency homeless shelter, practically rings off the hook with calls from happy sounding voices offering food, volunteer help and monetary gifts. Our online giving portal at www.joyjunction.org is also a hive of activity, with … Read More
Winter: The Enemy of Homeless People Nationwide.
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. Winter is hard on those who do have a house and a nice, safe and warm place we can call home. But how about for those who have nothing other than the streets? Can you imagine spending the nights outside, justclutching onto a pillow or blanket? I’d be miserable, … Read More
The Homeless Share Touching Thoughts about Christmas.
By Jeremy Reynalds P O Box 27693 Alb., NM 87125 It was chilly early evening in Albuquerque, and close to sunset – not a time to be out walking the streets of Albuquerque lugging heavy backpacks. However, that was exactly where my wife Elma and I saw three guys. Two put their luggage on the ground, while another gave his … Read More
Why Do They Send all Those Requests for Money?
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. It’s that time of year when your mailbox fills up quickly with holiday solicitations from charities-both local and national-all asking for your donation. I know, because Joy Junction contributes to your mailbox infusion. While we mail all of our regular donors monthly, during the holiday season we make an extra … Read More
Menu Items Have Changed and our Patience Is Getting Shorter. The Homeless Rate Auto Answer
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. Sometimes the word frustrating doesn’t even come close to describing it! You have a few minutes to make a phone call, and so you dial your company of choice and get immediately stuck in auto answer. Gritting your teeth because you know what you’re in store for), you determine to … Read More
Skeptical Homeless Speak Out about their Hopes from the New Mayor.
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. One compares politicians to addicts and says they lie, deceive and manipulate With Albuquerque’s mayoral runoff on the home run and the partisan jabs going back and forth, we asked a few shelter guests whether they thought the new administration would make any difference in services provided by the city … Read More
What’s So Special About 1440?
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. All the partisan political sniping, pious pontification and nastiness that’s still being unleashed over social media does nothing except take away time and valuable creativity from the 1440 minutes available daily that we have to make a difference in the lives of the needy. If we spend the discretionary portion … Read More
Being Homeless is Tough But You Can Help
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. There’s probably not a day that passes when you don’t see a homeless person, or a panhandler who is possibly homeless, in Albuquerque. Here’s a shocking statistic. In 2016 the estimated average life expectancy in the U.S. is 79 years old and a 2014 article pointed out that the normal … Read More
Half Full or Half Empty?
by Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. The sun’s shining and you feel great. The job interview you had yesterday for your dream job with a much needed pay increase seemed to go well – much better than you had ever thought – and you feel on top of the world. You decide to celebrate with a … Read More
True Love Starts with the Kiss of Hearts
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. What makes the “other heart” of Joy Junction beat with such a resounding passion for the needy? As the old song says by veteran Christian musicians Steve and Annie Chapman “True love starts with the kiss of hearts.” It continues to say, “Though a kiss may be the end result, … Read More
The Never Dull Life of a Mailbox Missionary
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. While we didn’t start off that way, many of us who stay working for non- profits very long turn into mailbox missionaries – which can be conveniently shortened to the letters MBM. But what, you may ask, is an MBM? Well, a MBM was once defined as someone who goes … Read More
Joy Junction at 31. Turning 60, Shelter Founder and CEO Has Spent More Than Half of His Life There
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. Joy Junction is three decades plus old. It is hard to believe the shelter I founded turned 31 this year, and turning 60, that I’ve spent almost half my life at what has obviously now become a lifetime calling. Looking back, it seems just like a short time ago that … Read More
Joy Junction Guests Speak out about Playboy Publisher Hugh Hefner’s Eternal Destiny
by Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. I (and Joy Junction) take the issue of eternal destiny very seriously. However, it has concerned me how quickly some believers/preachers are to consign people to hell. After Hugh Hefner’s recent passing, I was saddened to see on social media his immediate condemnation to hell by some. I guess from … Read More
Joy Junction Guests Talk about the Importance of Prayer. One Asks for the Wisdom of Solomon
by Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. An article I read points out, “Even a mere 30 seconds of prayer, acknowledging God and giving thanks for all the blessings in your life, can have a powerful effect on your body, mind, and spirit.” Do you agree? Well, there’s some science in the piece to back it up. … Read More
City Pulls Out of Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless. Says Possible “Encumbrance” Upon Next Administration
Media Release from Jeremy Reynalds at Joy Junction info@joyjunction.org City Pulls Out of Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless. Says Possible “Encumbrance” Upon Next Administration Joy Junction homeless shelter officials were shocked to hear that the Albuquerque city administration-headed by Mayor Richard Berry who has been nationally praised as a homeless advocate-would no longer partially sponsor its annual Thanksgiving Dinner for … Read More
Some Warm Comfort on a Soggy Day
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. Some Comfort on a Soggy Day It was the beginning of the regular monsoon time in Albuquerque on a recent Friday afternoon. Driving through a light rain in Albuquerque on a recent Friday afternoon, we spotted this tall, sad looking guy with a small sign, about to become very bedraggled, … Read More
Homeless Address Whether City Should Provide More Help for the Chronic Homeless, Substance Abusers Or Those Who Have Just Gotten Out of Jail. Some Surprising Answers
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. Tel: 505 400 7145 Tel: 505 400 7145 There are a number of people in our community dubbed by city of Albuquerque officials and others as “chronically homeless.” Chronic homelessness could be non technically defined as people making excessive use of emergency medical services, and being in and out of … Read More
Christmas in July at Joy Junction
by Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. Christmas is one of my favorite times around Joy Junction. We decorate our multi-purpose building to ring in the season and all the kids help. Like the wise men, generous friends from all over Albuquerque bring gifts to share with our guests. We even have a big Christmas dinner with … Read More
Homeless Share their Concerns about Safety in One of the Most Violent Cities in Nation
by Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. The mayor of a beautiful American city filled with wonderful people-but part of a state often thought to be in a different country, had a serious but undiagnosed problem. It was known to many residents, but the mayor seemed blissfully unaware for months of what was going on. Violence and … Read More
Award by Chamber of Commerce for Public Safety to Mayor R. J. Berry During Crime Outbreak Has Homeless Shelter Canceling Membership
For Immediate Release Contact: info@joyjunction.org ALBUQUERQUE, NM – With Albuquerque’s crime rate being the worst in the nation, shockingly, Mayor R. J. Berry has been given an award by the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce for his public safety work. Local media shared some of the community reaction, which was far from positive. Joy Junction Founder and CEO Dr. Jeremy Reynalds … Read More
Summer Heat Puts Excess Pressure on an Already Under Served Homeless Population
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. Look around Albuquerque and many other cities nationwide, and you will soon see people trying to beat the summer heat, at the pool, sitting under a shade tree or sipping a glass of iced tea close to the air conditioner. But where can a homeless person go to escape the … Read More
After Politician Makes Callous Comment, Homeless Shelter Guests Speak about Difficulties Experienced Getting Adequate Health Care
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. A congressman recently made the incredible comment that nobody dies due to a lack of access to health care. Think for a moment about your own situation. Where would you be without some sort of health care? The congressman’s statement was ignorant and callous, as well as being far from … Read More
Kicking the Homeless Can Down the Road or Working Toward a Solution?
By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction A homeless encampment in Downtown Albuquerque is drawing concern. Starting with tents, but now with just blankets on the sidewalk, it appears to be primarily individuals gathering after about 9 p.m. daily to “crash” for the night. A piece aired by KOB TV 4 on the issue drew this response from … Read More
