Tag Archives: Jeremy Reynalds

Reactions To Walking In Downtown Albuquerque

The mayor of a beautiful American city filled with wonderful people-but part of a state often thought to be in a different country, had a serious but undiagnosed problem. It was known to many residents, but the mayor seemed blissfully unaware for months of what was going on. Violence and robberies dominated the local newscasts daily. Sometimes, homeless people wandered the streets, some aimlessly talking to themselves and sometimes angrily punching the air.

The crime and other mayoral inaction were causing businesses both bigger and small to consider leaving the city or see their cash flow diminish to dangerously low positions. Mayor R.J. Berry was forced to make some small moves, when the situation continued to deteriorate.

Winter 2016- via CBS news. Click to read more.

However, a little known urban legend said that the mayor had become inwardly obsessed with what he felt he had really accomplished for the city. In private communications with upper level staff, friends and family, it’s said the mayor had even begun referring to his city as Wonderland.

Those who knew better were both flabbergasted and horrified when a local chamber of commerce presented the mayor with a public safety award. They worried that it seemed to further help him edge closer to becoming a legend in his own mind.

We wanted to know what a few of our Joy Junction homeless shelter guests felt about safety in Albuquerque. Their reactions were a mixed bag.

We asked them about walking in downtown “Wonderland” (also known as Albuquerque), if they felt safe, and whether they had answers for our burgeoning crime situation.

One person was quite blunt, saying “Crime in downtown Albuquerque is getting more dangerous and violent everyday. No, I do not feel safe (there). If I have to go downtown, I leave as soon as I am finished with business. I do not have any answers to our increasing crime issues.”

One man said what many of us know, that crime is “really high” in downtown.

“Walking throughout the areas I have been in, I always feel a sudden sensation come over me and I am instantly on guard. I have seen here a different side of addiction that I have not been exposed to.”

He added, “We were moved to the point we sent our teenage daughters to finish school in another state.”

One woman said that in her opinion, crime in Albuquerque has risen dramatically, especially in the area known as the International Zone (formerly the War Zone).

“Downtown is beginning to be the same way. I don’t know what can possibly be done; maybe more police officers. I have two grandchildren, and I do have concern that they are kept safe even at school. I pray here at Joy Junction that we are kept safe and that no one ever comes and does harm to people here.’

Another woman said she thinks “Albuquerque is focused on extremes like bad, bigger and bolder than the norm.”

She continued, “I do feel safe mostly because I walk safe, stay alert to people surroundings and sound. I adapt to strange or abnormal situations, and react or change my path or seek a different route. I have never really encountered a dangerous situation on the sidewalks. Only a few drunks at the bus stops, and the panhandling for cigarettes and change are maddening and relentless though.”

Her parting shot was, “I have no answers. If I did I would run for city council.”

One woman said she feels that crime in Albuquerque has definitely risen since she moved here in the fall of 2014.

She continued, “Car thefts seem to be happening a lot. There is a lack of respect for law enforcement, and criminals have no fear of consequences … I feel a little apprehensive. Even just going through Downtown in a vehicle is somewhat unnerving.”

She was right. Albuquerque is number one per capita for car thieves in the nation.

She was shocked when her family told her, “‘Do not ever walk especially by yourself anywhere downtown because you can be attacked and the crime is extremely high.’ It is very sad that crime was the first thing I was told (about) when moving here.”

Her solution was to “Put God back in America.

She added, “We need to get on our knees and pray. We as a country are reaping what we have sown, and we will be judged for all our actions and as Christians we know that the end is coming and God’s judgment is coming.”

So what do I think of Berry’s plan? Well, I don’t share the local newspaper’s enthusiasm. Too little and way too late. An enhanced police presence and independent security are good, but what about those who for whatever reason don’t want, or aren’t in a state of mind, to receive help?

Another of the mayor’s efforts is to make downtown cleaner, with more street sweepers and trash pickup. Preventative maintenance would have been a whole lot more helpful. Really, it took a crisis to come up with this?

And then only Mayor Wonderful could have come up with this one. Having strong relationships with businesses downtown, to make sure they stay downtown. And we couldn’t have put this into place before now?

And the grant to the city from Bloomberg Philanthropies for $1.2 million USD. The by now infamous Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce award was given to Berry at least in part for using a portion of it for intelligent ways to solve crime. However, it looks like up until now the funds have been used to develop plans for Albuquerque’s Arts and Culture District.

Never fear, though. The city says plans for public safety initiatives funded by the grant are moving forward.

No one except apparently the mayor thinks his solutions to crime (or homelessness) are magical. This is not (Alice in) Wonderland. The stakes are much higher. For the Silo, Jeremy Reynalds- Joy Junction/HNS (Homeless News Service).

Featured image- Albuquerque Mayor R. J. Berry via PBS.
A portion of this article is satire, and as such is protected speech.

 

 

Supplemental- The other perspective. Downtown Albuquerque residents defend their neighborhood-

 

 

Joy Junction Apartment Complex In Albuquerque Fights Homelessness

It’s no secret that homelessness in Albuquerque is an ongoing crisis. The crisis continues, despite inaccurate promises by some groups to “end” homelessness.

Over the last few years, I’ve seen panhandling increase prolifically all over the city, while at Joy Junction, desperate families-often with children-call or visit us daily asking for a meal and a place to stay. Many we can help; others we have to deny services often due to a lack of space.

To help address this issue, I’m excited to announce the official May 15 groundbreaking for our 52-unit apartment complex, located in southwest Albuquerque. The project, which is expected to be completed by fall 2017, will have units with 250 square feet of living space and a personal bathroom.

Guided by our mission to offer the homeless a safe and tranquil environment to live, it is our hope that this new complex will make the situation somewhat better for those experiencing homelessness.

More than three years ago, the James Boyd case caused us all to reflect on what we as a community could have done better to prevent a man from seeking shelter on a mountainside.

Despite our collective sense of disappointment and sadness over what transpired, it did lead many local organizations, community leaders and ordinary citizens to come together for discussion about what needs to change to address an issue that can’t merely be wished away.

Recognizing that “it takes a village” not only to raise a child but also to lift an individual from their worst days, Joy Junction is stepping up our efforts. It’s taken a while to happen, but the time is finally here. Today, we continue to act on our commitment to assist our city’s homeless and hungry with the groundbreaking for what will soon become a beautiful and dignified apartment complex.

For 30 years, Joy Junction has grown to now serve more than 10,000 meals each month, not including the 6,000-plus meals served by our mobile feeding unit dubbed The Lifeline of Hope.

Our staff also drive a van through the streets of Albuquerque in the darkest hours of the night in search of anyone who might need assistance with food, water and when available, a blanket or sleeping bag.

We’ve made it our mission to not only provide basic needs like food and shelter, but also emotional and spiritual assistance so individuals can get back on their feet.

Over time, we have noticed a growing need for living spaces that go beyond mere subsistence. Living in dignity can more quickly help bring about a positive and permanent change in the ongoing difficult situations experienced by the homeless.

When the homeless come to Joy Junction, they are often looking for more than a dry bed and a warm meal; they’re looking for hope-hope that they will find a way out of their troubles and a path to a better future.

Completion of this new apartment complex will now provide 52 additional opportunities for the homeless to better work through the issues with which they are beset and as a result, return to mainstream community life as taxpaying citizens.

In other words, this new complex will help us better meet the needs of our city’s homeless. While still needing many more dollars, we are confident that the community generosity which got us this far will take us past the finish line.

We have come a long way, especially in the last few years. And yet despite that, there is so much more work to be done. We hope everyone will continue to rise to the challenge that lies ahead, and together, we can end homelessness and hunger, one life and one meal at a time. For the Silo, Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D.
Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. and HNS.

Albuquerque’s Joy Junction Homeless Shelter Is Turning 30

Joy Junction is three decades old. It is hard to believe the shelter I founded is 30 this year, and that I’ve spent more than half my life at what has obviously now become a lifetime calling. Looking back, it seems just like a short time ago that I came up the driveway of our 52-acre property wanting to reach out to homeless families with food, shelter and the love of Jesus Christ.

We’re currently sheltering as many as 300 people nightly, and providing more than 16,000 meals each month from a fully licensed kitchen. Born in England, I emigrated to the U.S. in 1978 with $50.00 in my pocket and a one way ticket. I ended up homeless in mid 1981 and early 1982, and in that same year “landed” in Santa Fe. It was there where God brought some amazing people into my life, who encouraged me and helped me begin my first ministry. My calling to work with the homeless began to emerge. In 1986, I left Santa Fe, took a few months off and moved to Albuquerque. There I ended up starting Joy Junction, never envisioning the scope of what it would become.

The vision I had was for a refuge where the entire family unit could stay together at one of the most difficult times in their lives. I wanted to ensure that husbands and wives had the support of each other, and could provide more support for each other and their kids than they might otherwise be able to if split up. I had no idea what adventures, struggles and trials would lie ahead.

Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc.
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc.

The full story is told in my book “From Destitute to Ph.D.,” but here are some of the highlights. The shelter grew quickly in the following four years, but quite often, unmanaged and fast growth can be the downfall of an organization of any kind, whether a ministry or not. Our bills were exceeding our income and we nearly folded. Due to God’s grace we stayed afloat. During those first years, I also worked a part time job to put food on my own family’s table, taught a regular Bible study at the shelter and tried to get the word about what we were trying to do. In 1991, I felt it was time I went back to school. I tried a couple of summer classes at the University of New Mexico, and earned a bachelor’s degree with a focus on journalism in 1996 and a master’s degree in communication in 1998. Along the way I also enjoyed a number of internships at various media in Albuquerque, as well as hosting a couple of radio shows.

Looking back, I can see how all these media experiences helped me better promote Joy Junction and the plight of the homeless. I have a deep appreciation for our local media. It is sad that reporters are routinely vilified and criticized but rarely praised. In 1999, I was accepted to do a Ph.D. intercultural education at Biola University in Los Angeles. I graduated in 2006, and my doctoral dissertation dealt with the way the media portray America’s homeless culture. In ( about) 1999, I also met a fellow Brit by the name of Dan Wooding, the founder of a very unique news service dealing with the plight of persecuted Christians as well as aspects of popular culture. I have written for the ASSIST News Service ever since then, and have traveled to a number of countries internationally reporting for them.

In my post Ph.D. years, the shelter continued to grow in budget and services offered. In 2009, due to the generosity of a local businessman, we added a mobile feeding unit we dubbed the Lifeline of Hope. It operates seven days a week 365 days a year, providing food, water and toiletries to people who can afford either a meal or a place to stay-but not both In late 2006 I went through a divorce and was single for a number of years. In March 2015, I got married to my wife Elma. She is the love of my life, and shares the same passion as me for helping feed the hungry and house the homeless. Elma has quickly become an integral part of Joy Junction and is loved by guests and staff alike.

The future for Joy Junction is looking bright, with numerous renovations in 2015 occurring at our aging property. For the comfort of our guests we upgraded the air conditioning at our main building, replaced windows, and put in a new driveway to help make visiting our facility a much less “bumpy” experience. In addition, we have demolished an old and unused chapel on our property to prepare the way for much needed new construction. With the Lord as my guide and my wife at my side, I look forward to the next three decades helping the disenfranchised, marginalized, homeless and hungry. I hope you will consider joining us. For the Silo, Jeremy Reynalds and Joy Junction. (www.joyjunction.org)