Angela loved her job as a certified nursing assistant, and she was good at it. But one day she noticed stiffness in her joints...which slowly grew to make every day and every movement horribly painful. Arthritis and brittle bones, the diagnosis came--Angela would never be able to hold down a full-time job again.
“Everything I needed...”
How on earth was she supposed to take care of her daughters? She applied for aid, but it was slow to come, and she couldn’t pay the rent. They were homeless.
Thank God, Angela learned about Joy House and gave us a call. For four months in 2007, while the family waited for financial aid, your support gave them a roof over their heads and three good meals a day. “Everything I needed was provided: hygiene products, clothes, meals, and even laundered clothes,” Angela remembers. “I did not have to worry because everything was provided. I could focus on my girls and myself.”
More than a Meal
The daily care was wonderful, Angela would tell you, but that was just the start. “Being at Joy House was an excellent experience. The staff really helped lift my spirits. When I first came to Joy House I was really depressed and had no one to talk to. There was always a staff member around willing to listen.
“I had never been a religious person, but while taking classes at Joy House I discovered that Christ loves me and is always there for me. I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior and know I am never alone.”
“You looked after me...”
Today, although she hasn’t been able to work in three years, Angela and her girls have affordable housing and financial aid. Anxious for her daughters to get off to a good start and learn to follow God, she’s enrolled them in CrossTrainers Academy, our Christian school for children in our community. The impact on their lives has been immense! “My girls are more focused and have a better relationship. CrossTrainers Academy has provided them with more education. Their teachers are wonderful. The girls have learned about loving each other just as Christ loves them.”
The years haven’t changed Angela’s appreciation for what she learned at Joy House. Her appreciation for the friends who made it possible is also just as strong! “Thank you for everything you have done. You let me know there are people out there willing to help a stranger. You can’t imagine what a relief it is, when you have to go to a shelter, to find all your needs met. That worry is taken right off your back.”
“I was a stranger and you invited me in...I was sick and you looked after me...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me,” Jesus said in Matthew 25. Thank you for “looking after” families like Angela’s!
