Fall, 2019 | Volume 1, Issue 3

Regardless of where she slept, Rosa always

made sure her boys were taken care of.

freezer every day) was a tough one, but she was grateful for

the steady income and worked hard without complaining.”

Diligence and hard work paid off for Rosa. Every time she received

a paycheck she came in to meet with Jim, reviewing her budget and

making sure to stay on track. She kept her goals in front of her and

kept moving forward even though it was difficult.

Settled in a home of their own, the boys thrived. They did well in

school, and in building community. Rosa’s family was incredibly proud

of how well she and her sons had rebuilt their lives.

More than just requesting help, Rosa was willing to be helped.

She was teachable, and willing to work hard. She invested deeply in

her journey, and her investment paid off for herself and her family.

But none of this would have been possible without your support.

Your friendship and partnership with The Journey Home is what makes

stability and success possible for families like Rosa’s. ♦

Within a year, Rosa had achieved financial stability.

Your Support + Hard Work = Success! When Rosa was first connected with The Journey Home she had

been sleeping in her car, sending her two teenage boys and one

younger son to stay with friends and/or family each night. She stayed in

shelters when she could, but women’s shelters can only take boys up

to age 12 (no teens), and men’s shelters have a minimum age of 18.

It was domestic violence that drove them out of their home in the

first place. Violence against Rosa had gone on for too long and she

and her boys were determined to make a new life for themselves.

Rosa’s cousin offered them a place to stay short-term, and alt-

hough Rosa had a steady income from her job, working in cold storage

for a local food company, it took quite a bit longer than they anticipated

to find a place to live.

Rosa and her family were a good fit for the Rapid Re-

Housing program at The Journey Home. Jim, their Case Manag-

er, remarked, “Rosa was very grateful for the help she re-

ceived with getting into an apartment and working toward

stability. What stands out to me the most is that she showed

up for every appointment; she was always prepared, and she

was meticulous about tracking her finances and the details

needed for each step of the process. Her job (working in a

Thank you for continuing to care for

families like Rosa and her three boys.

Your generosity is making

a great impact in our community.

“Rosa...showed up for every appointment …

She was meticulous about her finances …

Her job was a tough one but she was grateful,

…and worked hard without complaining.”

Name & photo changed to protect privacy

From Scott’s desk:

Dear friends and partners in ministry,

With so many needs among the friends and fami-lies we serve, its easy to get overwhelmed, sometimes even discouraged. Food and clothing, transportation and childcare, jobs, health care, counseling, recovery, and most of all—housing and trustworthy folks to walk with on the journey toward assembling the pieces...every need connected to the other in a cycle of frustration for folks already near the edge.

Yet so many times, I get a fresh glimpse at God’s solution—COMMUNITY—you and your folks, me and mine, each contributing that which we’ve been blessed to give. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 is a good reminder that God counts on us when we’re in a good spot in this life “to do good, to be rich in good deeds, ready to give and willing to share.” Even better than just meeting our neighbor’s needs, it helps each of us build a Godly perspective on our blessings, a humble spirit and eternal treasure.

It’s been a wonderful quarter in many ways. Your support has allowed us to house several new folks while partnering with their existing church and agency support workers that continue to provide outstanding relation-ships and guidance. It’s such a cool experience to see the pieces come together—we provide this one, another group jumps in with that one.

A gentleman gets out of jail and has support getting on his feet and doesn’t wind up back in jail. A fami-ly gets some stability as the school year starts. The kids have a place to be, to study, to rest, to launch into the school year. One of our seniors gets much needed medical care and has a place to recover and friends for encourage-ment. This happens because you plug in with what you’ve been given—time, talent, treasure.

You might be thinking, “Wonder how I can get in on the good deeds?” Well, I’ve got great news! We’ve been blessed this quarter to have Joi Sherrill and Steve McDill step up to help you find the right spot volunteer-ing! We’ve got everything from errands to maintenance, and office work to spending time one-on-one with folks needing support. How about helping with home prep and move-ins when people are coming off the streets? Can you imagine a more impactful and sacred way to serve?

We’re excited about a couple of ladies’ small groups from new churches joining the team this month. Liz Kelly, our Development Director, is ready to meet with your small group and share opportunities. Everyone has something to give—no matter your age or qualifications—something for God to multiply and use for his people. You can even serve and learn more about what we do simply by opening your checkbook and having fun and fellowship with your friends at our new -- (continued next page)

Special Thanks! Your partnership with The Journey Home serves two purposes: Stabilization & Sustainability.

The Community Café & Outreach Center, with the meals and basic services provided each day, act as engagement tools—connecting individuals and families with stabilizing services and resources to help them achieve long-term sus-

tainability. Each day, the Café & Outreach Center together serve 110-125 people. The Journey Home’s housing pro-grams serve approximately 35 households each month. As the old saying goes, “many hands make light work!”

Your Community Garden Update Many of you have participated in the Journey Home’s Commu-nity Garden, planting, weeding, picking veggies, even helping sell and transport literally tons of produce. For a number of years the Commu-nity Garden provided employment opportunities for our clients, as well as an abundance of fresh produce for the Community Café and those we serve.

Due to a number of factors—including that we now have access to fresh produce from other sources—we are cleaning up and releasing the garden property back to its owner for their use. It was a wonderful blessing, and created a wealth of opportunities for the Journey Home. We are excited for the opportunities the Lord has placed before us in this season, and the way He continues to provide for all our needs, including produce. We are so

grateful to Mrs. Martha Jo Smith and her late husband, Charles, for the use of their property over the last decade.

It is impossible to adequately acknowledge the many groups and indi-viduals that made the garden a success—so we extend a humble thank you to each of you! ♦

/JourneyHomeMurfreesboro /JourneyHomeTN www.LoveGodServePeople.org

Coming Events!

Costumes & Cocktails: Friday, October 25th

7pm at The Walnut House

Pancake Breakfast: Saturday, November 16th

7-10am at Middle TN Christian School

For more information:

Email: JourneyHomeEvents@gmail.com Call: 615.236.6090

(Scott’s Letter, continued from page 2)

fundraising event, Costumes & Cocktails, this October. I hope to see you there! This event will benefit our supportive housing programs. It takes more than just housing, it takes support—people and relationships along the way—to achieve transformation.

Community takes all of us, blessed to be a blessing and gifted for good works! I’m blessed and grateful to be in community with you and look forward to serving with you again very soon…

Scott Foster, Executive Director

For the past three years, City Tile & Floor Covering has faithfully partnered with the Supportive Housing Program, providing free and discounted materials and labor to complete multiple flooring projects in our housing units, as part of their company community impact.

Thank you to Andrew (pictured at left with Geneva Poss, our Housing & Services Director), and the entire team, for graciously sharing your expertise and products!

615.809.2644

308 W Castle St PO Box 331025

Murfreesboro TN 37133 www.LoveGodServePeople.org

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

OUR MISSION: The Journey Home is a Christian ministry whose primary focus is to serve the homeless and disadvantaged of Rutherford County,

providing practical resources and relationships that encourage faith, economic stability, wholeness, and reintegration into community life.

Chair: Rev. Michael O ’Bannon Vice Chair : Roseann Barton Secretary : Courtney Cops Treasurer : Lynn Watson Exec. Dir.: Scott Foster

Dr. Gloria Bonner Rev. David Cates Alee Clark David Coggin

Chuck Phillips Geneva Poss Nancy Roark

Journey Home

Board of Directors

Greg Garr Jeff James Liz Kelly Alesia Normand