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

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

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

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

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

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

Joy Junction: The Next 30 Years

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 was 30 years old last Aug., and that I’ve spent more than half my life at what has obviously now become a lifetime calling. Looking back, it seems just a short time ago that I … Read More

ABQ Homeless Looking for More Than a Dry Bed and a Warm Meal; New Mexico’s Largest Shelter to Open 52-Unit Apartment Complex

By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc.   It’s no secret that homelessness in Albuquerque is an ongoing crisis. The crisis continues, despite inaccurate promises by some groups to “end” homelessness. Over the last few years, I’ve seen panhandling increase prolifically all over the city, while at Joy Junction, desperate families-often with children-call or visit us daily … Read More

Missing but Not Always Missed

By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. A well known but controversial country song contains these lyrics, “He was a missing person who nobody missed at all.” That started me thinking about America’s missing homeless, and whether anyone misses them. The answer seemed pretty obvious on at least a couple of Facebook pages  that I checked out. … Read More

Joy Junction Constructing to Meet Growing Homeless Need in City; Completion of On-Site Apartment Complex Will Allow Donation-Only shelter to Lift Up More Homeless People in Dignity

By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO, Joy Junction Inc. With recent national attention on our city’s efforts to reduce homelessness and panhandling in the last couple of years, it’s curious why the total number of homeless individuals doesn’t go down. If anything, according to whom you ask and which statistics you believe, it keeps increasing. In addition, we’re still … Read More