Joel's Place: Live and Unplugged: The Joel's Place Staff

Friday, December 5, 2014

The Joel's Place Staff


From Left: Arlys, Sarah, Jacque, Tami, (Kneeling: Spencer and Jay), Leah, James, Colton, Johhny, Mark, and Kelli

These amazing people that you see up here are the staff members at Joel's Place. We are actually never in the same place at the same time so it was a minor miracle to be able to gather us all for a picture at Ramp It Up. We all have different backgrounds and abilities and there are different things that have drawn us to working at Joel's Place...but I am proud to call each one of them Joel's Place staff because they work really, really hard to make our Youth Center an amazing place for every single teen who comes through our doors. The staff are a combination of quiet and loud, short and tall, athletic and...not, musical and...not, artistic and detail-oriented. But they are all devoted to their faith and seeing the lives of the kids at Joel's Place transformed for the better. I am honored to work with them all.

Joel's Place is not always the easiest place to work. There is a lot of drama that our members bring in with them. There are cash-flow crunches. There are things that break and take a while to get fixed. These are part of depending on charitable giving and volunteers. The pay is...better than minimum wage. Everyone is here because they believe in the mission and want to make the world a better place by investing in these kids. When problems arise the staff are good-natured and flexible, working to help solve the problem instead of becoming disgruntled and lashing out.

Over the next few months I would like to share some of the stories of our staff: where they came from, what brought them to Joel's Place and why they stay. I am fascinated by these people and think your life will be better if you get to know them.

Thank you for your support and encouragement. From all the staff here at Joel's Place:

Have a Joyful and Blessed Christmas Season!

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Giving

If you would like to become a financial partner with us and support the work of Joel's Place, here's how:

1.) To make an online donation:

2.)Mail us a check at P.O. Box 83584, Fairbanks, AK 99708

Or

3.)Call our front desk at 452-2621 with your credit card information. Our official hours are Mon- Fri, 12pm-6pm , but there is usually someone by the phones from 8am on.

And

4.) You can link your Fred Meyer Rewards card to Joel's Place at this link. Every purchase on your card increases the Fred Meyer Foundation's annual donations to our organization.

Thank you for your encouragement and support.

From the Staff

Leah Byam, Program Assistant

On Sunday after Church a group of us went to Subway to eat lunch. When we get in line it's very busy, so we wait patiently in line. As I'm waiting in line I see CS, a young man who has been coming to Joel's Place for a very long time. He's working behind the counter. He's assertive, polite, taking peoples orders, and going on to the next costumer giving them kindness and the same professional service. As I watch him from afar my eye's tear up. I know his past. I've walked with him on so many journeys. I love this kid so much, I am so so so proud of him. As I get closer he see's me and his face lights up. We were able to talk. He tells me that he just graduated with his high school degree, that he's still saving up, he will be going to Hawaii as planned in September to work. I was able to tell him, How proud I am of Him, and I meant it in every sense of the word.