Cherokee County Luncheon
We were able to have an amazing luncheon with some of Cherokee County leaders and influencers where we shared a bit of our story and ate some delicious food. Here is the press release for the event. We hope you are able to see our passion for what we do at The Joy House and share in our vision for the future.
Cherokee County residents may find it surprising that a Christian non-profit organization based out of Pickens County, GA is having such an impact on its southern neighbor, but it turns out The Joy House is doing just that. In an effort to better inform local Cherokee County influencers about the ministry’s reach, Steve Lowe, Executive Director of The Joy House, hosted a luncheon on January 21, 2022 at Local on North in Canton.
Approximately twenty attendees gathered over a delicious meal to hear about the services The Joy House provides through its Teen Residential Program and Community Counseling Centers. Steve Lowe began the presentation sharing a brief history of the 20-year ministry he cofounded. From its humble beginnings to a now multi-million-dollar property in Jasper, GA, the focus of the ministry remains the constant, to “restore lives and families.” Lowe encouraged local influencers to press on in their efforts to strengthen families and marriages and shared how The Joy House can help in situations where these institutions are breaking down. Looking at data from 2016-2020, Cherokee County residents made up 22% of the teens in need of the ministry’s residential program, the number one source of residents of the 19 counties the ministry served during that period. In 2020, Cherokee County residents also made up 30% of the Community Counseling Center clients.
Eli, a senior in high school and an alumnus of The Joy House Teen Residential Program bravely shared his testimony of how The Joy House impacted his life for the better. He inspired luncheon attendees to be confident that their investment in the ministry was “an investment in changed lives” such as his own. He spoke of his life as once being consumed with poor life choices to now being hopeful with exciting plans for the future.
Abby Elam, the newly appointed Director of The Counseling Center, shared how the center comes alongside their clients as friends and strives to “normalize what is normal” such as people struggling with identity issues. Jeff Miller, a business owner attending the luncheon, gave an impromptu testimony of how partnering with The Joy House to provide counseling services to his employees has been a “Godsend” and helped him to retain employees.
You can learn more about The Joy House on their website at www.thejoyhouse.org. Their multifaceted ministries are all based on the “ability to pay” of their clients, which means the majority of their funding comes from the generosity of the community. You can invest in this ministry online at thejoyhouse.org or by contacting Steve Lowe for additional opportunities at steve@thejoyhouse.org.