Joy Duke was suprised when she and her daughter stepped into the Harford Family House, a Jubilee Ministry of the Episcopal Church. Not only was the house providing basic shelter, but also, furniture and everything needed for daily living– from dishes to dressers. According to Joy, she was so overwhelmed, she “sat down on the floor and cried.”

Thanks to her own motivation and the resources of Harford Family House volunteers and donors, Joy was soon participating in counseling services and had moved into a local apartment. Since her stay at the House, she has learned how to drive, received a college degree, and started her career. According to the House, she is now a home owner.

The services of Harford Family House were instrumental in helping Joy find her calling, but she realizes how much her own initiative has propelled her forward. She says, “To me, it wasn’t like they were giving you everything. It was like they were pulling you up, helping you. You still had to work at it.” Ever thankful for HFH, she explains her new outlook on life: “I wanted to show my daughter that a woman, no matter what she’s been thfough, still has a spirit and, with God, you can do anything. Nothing’s impossible.”