On Tuesday evening, April 26, 2022, 375 guests gathered in support of The Joy House, a regional Christian ministry based in Jasper, GA. The ministry's mission is to provide Christ-centered restorative care to teens, families, and individuals through their Teen Residential Program and Community Counseling Center. Executive Director and Pickens native Steve Lowe testified to the "transforming power of Christ" and the many transformations the ministry has undergone since its opening in July 2001.

The Community Counseling Center launched in 2012 as a unique Christ-centered and ability-to-pay resource for struggling individuals and families. Abby Elam, who has been working with The Joy House Counseling Center since 2014, was recently promoted to Director. Elam shared how "the Lord is having a ripple effect through the ministry of The Joy House." In 2021 the center served 204 clients, with 41% residing in Pickens County and 23% in Cherokee County. Over the past year, the center welcomed two new staff members, Kathryn Bracher and Heather McGinty, who serve alongside counselor Bill Wattenbarger. The center is also seeking another male counselor to join the team. Elam highlighted that there is a common misconception about the center. Often people mistakenly assume the center only serves teens or families of teens. She wanted it to be clear that the public knows that "any age and any issue is free to walk through the door" of the center to seek help where they will find not only a counselor but a friend. A Counseling Center client gave a live testimony at the banquet for the first time. Jessica, who was originally a client of the late and beloved Garry Barber, shared how her experience in counseling at The Joy House has "changed [her] life" and that she loves the perspective that both Barber and Elam have brought to her life situations through counseling.

The ministry's campus itself has transformed significantly over the past year as their many years of raising funds for their third residential home have begun to bear fruit. The third teen residential home on the property is actively under construction with hopes of becoming an additional home for teen girls. The ministry continues to seek support in this endeavor, as inflation significantly impacts the building process, particularly looking for donors of materials such as metal roofing, flooring, sheetrock, insulation, countertops, and decking.

On stage, father and daughter, Dave and Rose, shared about their family's journey through The Joy House Teen Residential Program. 18-year-old Rose testified that "The Joy House has helped [her] tremendously" from what she described as a season of "unraveling" as a freshman in high school. Her father added that the ministry has taught them how to "communicate and move forward without inflicting damage on one another." Rose praised her houseparents, counselor, and The Joy House Academy staff for "not giving up" on her and making her "feel like a person, not just a patient." 

At the end of the evening, Lowe challenged the community to pursue "strengthening marriages and families" as he feels that the deterioration of marriage and families brings many of The Joy House clients to the ministry seeking help.

A recording of the Annual Banquet is available to be viewed online at The Joy House YouTube page. You may also visit the ministry's website, thejoyhouse.org, where you can learn more about this local 501(c)(3).

The Joy House's multi-faceted ministries are all based on the "ability to pay" of their clients, which means most of their funding comes from the community's generosity. The event raised over $100,000 in gifts and pledges, the most successful banquet yet. You can invest in this ministry online at thejoyhouse.org or by texting "GIVE" to 770.692.3722.