Your Impact

The mission of the Joseph House is to promote social justice and stable family life through direct assistance to the poor, whatever their needs may be.

With care and compassion, we minister to people in crisis situations—the hungry, the homeless, the homebound, and families in distress.

To show you the impact your support makes, here is a summary of the assistance we provided during 2024.

The Joseph House Crisis Center

• 2,146 checks and payments were issued for vital needs — a 27% increase from 2023. Our assistance was frequently used to prevent evictions and secure rental housing, to pay for emergency motel stays, to stop utility cut-offs, and to purchase prescriptions and health care services. We help with anything necessary as long as the need can be demonstrated.
  
• 5,138 bags of groceries were distributed from our Food Pantry. An average of 401 households, representing about 929 individuals, received food each month.
  
• 7,107 meals were served in our Soup Kitchen. After being closed during the pandemic and then on a reduced schedule for a while, our Soup Kitchen is back to its regular hours.
  
• 6,703 sign-ins were recorded at our Hospitality Room for the Homeless. We provided food, laundry services, showers, emergency clothing, toiletries and personal care products for men and women experiencing homelessness.
  
• 266 new winter coats were given to children.
  
• More than 15,000 pounds of food were collected at our Thanksgiving Food Drive.
  
• 646 gift bags for children were given out at Christmas. Each bag had two large gifts, multiple smaller gifts, a book to read, an activity book or game, and clothing items for cold weather, such as a hat, gloves, scarf, and socks.

Your support helped people like the following at the Crisis Center:

Donna, age 58, made a 40 mile trek to see us because her electric bill was overdue, and having no means to pay it, her power was going to be cut off. Donna has multiple health problems, which is also true for many of our clients. She has had a heart attack and a stroke and has an inoperable tumor. A fracture in her back will require surgery in order to heal properly. Chronic pain and mobility issues make even simple tasks a challenge. Donna’s fixed income no longer covers the essentials like housing, utilities, and food. Fortunately, we were able to help her with $500 toward her electric bill.

Herbert, 71, sought help paying his old electric bill in full so he would be able to move into a subsidized apartment building for seniors. Herbert is a veteran and is confined to a wheelchair because his body tremors are uncontrollable. They also impact his ability to speak. His new apartment will bring relief to some of his daily struggles in getting around. The Joseph House assisted Herbert with $519 toward his bill.

Doris, 67, is a widow who was on the verge of becoming homeless. She lost everything after her husband died, including her will to live. She tried to make it on her own and moved into an apartment, but she experienced an emotional breakdown and withdrew from life. A counselor is now helping Doris, and she started a new part-time job that will pay enough to get by. To stop an eviction notice from putting Doris on the street, the Joseph House paid $500 toward the back rent.

A Message of Gratitude

We received this note from someone we helped almost 20 years ago. She never forgot it, and she wanted to let us know she has been able to pay it forward. How beautiful!

Always remember that every act of charity and kindness is never finished; it’s like when a pebble is dropped in a pond, the ripples goes on and on. We never know how many people will end up being touched.

The Joseph House Workshop

Your support also keeps the Joseph House Workshop in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Workshop is a residential program for men who were homeless. It provides a safe and healthy environment to give them the time and assistance they need to get job training, address personal growth and health issues, and begin steady employment. The Workshop can accommodate up to eight men at a time.

The Workshop is next door to the Crisis Center on Boundary Street in Salisbury.

Three men are currently in the program. Two are in Phase 1, which is classroom-based. These two residents were homeless because of substance abuse. In addition to their classes at the Workshop, they are participating in 12-Step meetings and other recovery programs.

The other resident is in Phase 2, which involves being employed. He recently passed the test to receive his driver’s license, and with the savings from his job at the hospital, purchased a car and is now driving himself to work.

Here’s another success story: a former resident who graduated near the end of 2024 has re-started his construction company, purchased a van, and is living in his own apartment. Our program gets results!

The Workshop is now in its 20th year. As part of its ongoing maintenance program, in 2024 a new well was dug for the facility and a water filtration system installed.

We hope you have a better understanding of how important your support is and how it makes a differences to so many people in need.

In all that we do at the Joseph House, we take to heart what our founder, Sr. Mary Elizabeth Gintling, told us:

“When someone needs help, it’s not just the material aid, but the love that goes with it that gives healing and self-worth and a renewed hope for tomorrow.”