Newsletter: December 2019

Dear Friends of Joseph House:

We’re all familiar with Christmas carols but some of our favorite songs of the season are Advent hymns.

They tend to get drowned out because Christmas music starts playing on the radio at Thanksgiving and stops on Christmas Day. This doesn’t make a lot of sense unless Christmas is just about shopping—but of course the birth of Christ means something else.

Anyway, a favorite hymn for Advent is one you might know, “People, Look East.” It has a lilting, French melody.

People, look east, the time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

We like the part about getting your house ready as you are able. It’s a busy time of year and we can only do so much. But there’s an inner preparation that needs to be done, a “house” to set in order, and that kind of work deserves our extra effort.

Christmas today often means getting stressed out, but it’s worth it to slow down and prepare ourselves to welcome our infant Savior. The Child of Bethlehem, a baby, is so gentle—and to hold a baby we must be gentle, too. Tenderness and care are needed.

As we make our lives more hospitable to receive Christ, as we make room for Him in our hearts, we must ask ourselves the question: should we not do the same for our neighbors who are poor and vulnerable? Is Christ, who was born in a stable for lack of room elsewhere, not also present with them?

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” will be playing on repeat at the shopping malls, but it’s not wonderful for everyone. Some folks wish for better days. They wish for basic things like shelter, heat, and food. They wish their children didn’t have to suffer. They wish they didn’t feel alone.

The Joseph House is here for them. Your support, prayers, and donations are essential to who we are and what we do. We share with you the belief that the true joy of the season is found in giving. And we all have something to give, no matter how humble, for the good of another.

The simplest things can bring someone to tears: for Tracy, it was a box of diapers. She needed them for the youngest of her four children. Feeling scared and worn out, Tracy told us that she has a restraining order against her husband. He has physically abused her and their children. We had already paid her overdue water bill of $236. When she asked for the diapers we said of course, and her tears showed just how heavy this young mother’s heart was.

Spencer also needed a basic necessity. He is 56 and disabled because of a back injury. A lack of heat brought him to the Joseph House, and so we paid his gas bill ($100). Then we found out that he didn’t have a bed, and despite recent back surgery, he was sleeping on the floor. We quickly got him a mattress and box spring.

Lucinda, age 80, was on the verge of losing everything. The city had declared her residence uninhabitable and was ready to condemn it because the electricity was turned off. Her house is very humble, but it is her home and precious to her. Lucinda’s trouble began when her son, who had access to her bank account, stole money from her. He left her with nothing to pay her bills. We called the utility company, and digging deep in our pockets because so much was at stake, promised to send in $400. That was enough to get the power back on.

And now here is an update from the Joseph House Workshop, our residential program for homeless men:

We currently have three residents in the program, one in Phase 1, one in Phase 2.5, and one in Phase 3.0. The focus in Phase 1 is on job readiness where a resident learns life skills. Phase 2.5 is a level where the resident has added freedoms and responsibilities both personally and employment-wise. Phase 3.0 is for residents who are ready to leave the Workshop in the near future; they have an even broader range of benefits.

Our Phase 1 resident is currently working on a one-to-one basis with several volunteer teachers learning computer skills, relapse prevention, spiritual practices, and employment readiness. Our Phase 2.5 resident is currently working at Peninsula Regional Medical Center and is about to obtain a vehicle. Our Phase 3.0 resident has full-time employment, a vehicle, and is seeking housing at this time.

One of our greatest successes in 2019 involved a 26-year-old male who suffered from schizophrenia which had never before been identified or treated. On proper medication this individual became a fully-functioning member of society with a full-time job, his own vehicle, and his own place to live. He has revisited the Workshop on various occasions to update us on his ongoing success. This is an example where a resident who trusted in the program had a success that enabled him to be very proud of his accomplishments.

For the residents, one of the most important and favorite parts of the program is the morning prayer and meditation time. It gets the day off to a great start.

We are looking forward to having a new Phase 1 resident enter the program soon.

Christmas is the glorious crown of the year. It’s the “day of grand memories,” Washington Irving wrote.”Gift-bearing, heart-touching, joy-bringing Christmas.” We hope your heart is filled with peace this holiday season and that many moments of joy brighten your days. Thank you for making your love for the less fortunate so visible.

May God’s blessing rest upon you and your loved ones this Christmas and throughout the New Year!

Your Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary

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During this holy season, we offer you the gift of prayer. Please send us your prayer requests so we can lift them up to the Lord: Contact Form.

Do you feel drawn to helping those in need? By supporting the Joseph House, you give assistance to the homeless, the hungry, and families in distress. Learn about the different ways you can lend a hand: Donate.

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