If you’ve driven around Columbia the last couple of weeks, you have likely seen new signs encouraging donations for J.O.Y. Ministries.
“We got those up (Wednesday),” said Vice President Hannah Peck. “J.O.Y. is totally donation-run, and all of our operations come from the kindness of others.”
The donation drive heralded by these signs is part of a yearly Christmas campaign. In years’ past, the goal was to raise a set amount of money, but this year, things are different.
“We actually went with a different approach, because long-term giving is really important,” Peck stated. “We are looking for 25 people to commit in the New Year to making a monthly donation.”
Having a regular, reliable income can make all the difference for a charity organization. Budgeting and planning become much easier when you know how much you have to work with.
To help encourage new monthly donors, an anonymous individual has committed to give J.O.Y. $2,000 per pledge, up to a total of $50,000. There is no minimum monthly pledge to ensure the $2,000 donation.
But what is this money going towards?
“For those not familiar with what J.O.Y. Ministries is, we… disperse food, resources, sometimes we are just connecting people with community resources, advocating for people, helping them navigate the minutiae of things that some of us may take for granted, like, ‘You need a driver’s license,’ or, ‘you need to get a copy of your social security card.’ Assisting in that way,” said Peck. “As we’ve grown, we also have two shelters.”
The two shelters are a men’s home called Cally’s House and a women’s and children’s shelter called Ruth’s House. This year, they were able to house 24 people in Cally’s House and 72 in Ruth’s House. These shelters stay in demand; there is currently a waitlist for both houses.
But keeping their shelters full is not J.O.Y. Ministry’s only accomplishment this year. In 2024, J.O.Y. Ministries was able to distribute 1,834 food boxes and 1,419 senior food bags. They also provided 110 Thanksgiving boxes and 110 Christmas boxes.
But their biggest achievement so far has been opening their new Crisis Resource Center this April. The center, in addition to being a food pantry and donated clothing, has become what Peck describes as a “base of operations” for the organization, allowing a sense of permanence and stability to an endeavor that began out of a car trunk and now is able to keep thousands fed.
As another sign of their progress, J.O.Y. Ministries used to be entirely reliant on volunteers for their mission, but as they have continued to expand, they now have three employees.
But this growth is only possible, Peck says, because of everyone working to keep J.O.Y. available for those who need it.
“Our community supports us so well. We are so blessed in that regard,” Peck said. “Any time I speak with the newspaper or the radio or anything, I like to reiterate that truly could not do this ministry without the support of the community. It is remarkable and unexpected and exciting and hopeful and overwhelming at times how much we have been able to accomplish because of the community… (For donations), pray on it, think on it, and if people feel a tug on that heart to make that monthly commitment… we would love (that).”
For more information on donating or volunteering for J.O.Y. Ministries, go to joy-ministries.org/ or call 270-384-1808.
By Kenley Godby
kenley@adairvoice.com
