Newsletter: June 2023
Dear Friends of Joseph House:
Nine years after starting the Joseph House, our founder thought it needed a change in focus.
The year was 1974 and Sr. Mary Elizabeth had just begun forming our community, the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary, in Baltimore. She thought it was time to provide conferences and days of retreat for “street people, people on welfare, [and] people who never have the opportunity to consider the things that make life real.” Maybe this would be a way to really help those who are overwhelmed by the struggle to survive.
In an act of faith, however, she let God decide and she obeyed. She let Him choose what needed to be done. What mattered was to be God’s instrument.
The answer came after she and her first sister in community relocated to the Eastern Shore. They found people in dire need of the basic necessities such as food, decent housing, and even clean drinking water. The cries for help could not be ignored. Sr. Mary Elizabeth had next to nothing herself, but that never stopped her from doing what she could. She always liked to act quickly and get things moving. God looked with favor on her determination, and within a few short years the Joseph House Crisis Center was opened, a place truly prepared by Providence.
The Crisis Center is a two-part operation. We depend on you to provide donations, and for our part, we and our volunteers give personal attention to those asking for assistance. Both parts are essential in order to provide immediate and direct services to underserved and marginalized populations. The full spectrum of an often wounded humanity finds kindness and respect at the Joseph House: the sick and disabled, the homeless, the unemployed, the hungry, the elderly, working families, migrants and anyone who feels lost and alone and needs to see a friendly face.
Beyond the labels are individuals. Your support has helped the following people and many more:
Marcy, 68, is disabled and legally blind. She was living with a friend who decided that Marcy needed to leave (we’re not sure why). Marcy felt confident she could manage on her own and started to contact landlords for a place to live. They all turned her down. She found out she had unpaid bills from her previous landlord from ten years ago, and no one would rent to her until she cleared those debts. The statement of her account had a long list of what she owed: late fees and bills for trash removal and the extermination of roaches. The total came to $860, which is more than her monthly disability check.
Marcy approached the Crisis Center for assistance and we were able to make a contribution of $560. This allowed her to move into an apartment, and although it has a relatively inexpensive rent, it will cost her 79% of her check month after month.
Sergio, 56, is another disabled person trying to live on a meager monthly check. His heat and hot water were cut off weeks ago because of unpaid bills. The Joseph House contributed $300 to the amount that he owed.
Dwayne and Brianna have both been dealing with health problems that impacted their ability to pay their rent. The possibility of becoming homeless was about to make their difficulties much worse. Dwayne, 43, was injured on the job and required surgery. The Workmen’s Comp he received was not enough to cover their basic bills. Brianna, 32, has a medical condition that causes her to lose consciousness unexpectedly. Doctors have yet to offer a diagnosis. She is also a former addict (10 months sober) and recently found out she is pregnant.
Although Brianna cannot work, Dwayne is back on the job. There was no chance, however, that he would be able to pay all of the past-due rent before the scheduled eviction. So we sent $350 to their landlord.
Anita, 39, has an infant child. Her work hours are such that daycare options are not feasible. She must hire a babysitter, and that takes one third of her paycheck (which hovers at the poverty level). The father of her baby has deserted them both. Anita has applied for SNAP benefits (food stamps), and this will help with her budget. Without this extra help, her income will never cover her basic expenses. To keep Anita and her baby from becoming homeless, we paid $350 toward her rent.
Martin, 53, was living with his father who had Alzheimer’s disease. He cared for him until his father passed away. Martin is now alone in the little house where his family lived for decades. He does concrete work for a living, but his hours go up and down depending on the weather and the time of year. He was out work for a stretch of time and was denied Unemployment. Martin came to the Crisis Center when the water in his home was about to be cut off. We sent in a payment of $353.
Lorraine, 67, has been through a lot of heartache. She knocked on the door of the Crisis Center after we had closed. Thank God our volunteers were there to let her in. The water in her home was scheduled to be shut off the next day. That brought Lorraine to the Joseph House, but she also needed to talk about the long and sad story of her life. A volunteer sat with her for about an hour. Their conversation drifted to how hardships can make us more reliant on God and bring us into a closer relationship with Him. Lorraine is a former school teacher and now cleans motel rooms to help her get by. The Joseph House was able to pay her water and trash bills ($243 and $100) and gave her a voucher for 12 gallons of gasoline.
Everyone we meet has a story to tell. We can’t solve all of their problems, but we can be present to each person and offer reasons to have hope. Thank you for your support of our ministry. The good work of the Joseph House goes on because of your faithfulness.
Sr. Mary Elizabeth once told us something that seemed puzzling at first. The devil, she said, will tempt us to do what is good—but you see, though it may be good in itself, it’s not what God wants us to do. Maybe it’s just not the right time. If we’re not careful, our gifts and talents get misdirected.
Sister trusted God to keep her on the right track. He alone sees the big picture. You have our promise that we do our absolute best to be faithful to her example.
Peace and blessings to you.
Your Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary
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“Whenever a man accepts responsibility for the life of another, in some way he becomes a father to that person. . . . Being a father entails introducing children to life and reality. Not holding them back, being overprotective or possessive, but rather making them capable of deciding for themselves, enjoying freedom and exploring new possibilities. Perhaps for this reason, Saint Joseph is traditionally called a “most chaste” father. That title is not simply a sign of affection, but the summation of an attitude that is the opposite of possessiveness. Chastity is freedom from possessiveness in every sphere of one’s life. Only when love is chaste, is it truly love.” – Pope Francis, Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart)
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