Angel speaks at a 2021 Journey Home fundraiser event at Puckett’s; photo by Frank Caperton

The Journey Home helps Rutherford County individuals and families who are facing homelessness find an affordable place to live. The Christian ministry provides resources and relationships that encourage faith, economic stability, wholeness and reintegration into community life.

Being homeless brings daily challenges that impact every aspect of a person’s life. The Journey Home team says that lasting change happens when we meet a person at their point of need, help them set goals, enhance their life skills, address their health and self-worth, and secure jobs and stable housing.

The Journey Home meets the most basic needs with day-to-day resources like meals and food staples, laundry and shower facilities, restrooms and hygiene products, clothing, mail service, phones, internet access, coaching services and referrals through its outreach center.

In 2020 The Journey Home served more than 1,200 people, with 240 of those individuals transitioning from homelessness into permanent housing.

A local woman, Angel, shared her experience with the organization at a Journey Home fundraiser event earlier in 2021.

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Growing up, I was raised in an alcoholic and drug-induced atmosphere. I was nurtured into an environment where crime and hate were encouraged. I felt shunned, or should I say degraded, and looked down upon all my life by the one person I wanted the most attention and approval from on this Earth—my mother.

She worked two to three jobs at a time to make sure that she supported us, but they were always bars. That fed her addiction. My father lived in a different state and that was where I would spend my summers. I did good in school up until high school. This is when I began smoking weed. I started skipping school. That eventually led to me being placed in state custody and ultimately put into an alternative school where my parole officer’s office was upstairs.

During this time, I also ended up in abusive relationships. If I wasn’t being abused, I would be the abuser.

I had my first daughter when I was 21. That’s when I started my addiction to pain medication; the doctors started prescribing them to me after giving birth. I stayed in my addiction and had my second daughter at 26. My second daughter was given Suboxone to detox after being born because of my addiction. I eventually ended up down and out and hopeless.

While experimenting with heavier drugs, I fell deep into human trafficking, selling drugs, but using more than I would sell. I ended up in a rough crowd—gangs taught me how to steal cars and run drugs across state lines, sleeping in cars and living from motel to motel. I again wound up down and out, just like I had always done. I ended up losing everything I owned.

I knew I needed help. I turned to my family and asked them to help me by caring for my children so that I could go to rehab and get help. They denied me and said they didn’t have the money or time to take care of my girls. My friend offered to take me to his parents’ house and said that it would be a safe place, so I went. They were Christians. They were like angels in my life. They helped me find a 30-day rehab and offered to keep my girls. I was so broken and confused and in the darkest part of my life. They took me to rehab in Alabama and dropped me off. I felt like there was hope.

Four days after I arrived, I received a call from the State of Tennessee telling me that there is a no-contact order in place with my daughters. They explained that leaving my daughters was ruled as neglect. The people I trusted the most—why would they do this? I didn’t understand. I was devastated. I was the rudest and worst while in rehab because I was worried about my kids. I completed treatment only to get out and come home with nowhere to go. The only people I knew who would come and get me were my drug dealers. So, I called them.

I became homeless and went deeper into human trafficking. I don’t remember much about this time. I stayed on drugs, using them to numb my pain. I would sleep outside, from motel to motel, from car to car. I would come to The Journey Home so I could eat and shower and have people to talk to. I had given up. I thought I would never see my girls again. I felt like I was grieving their death.

Seven months later, I was arrested and put in jail. There were six warrants in four counties. My sobriety was forced upon me, but I later learned that’s the only way it would work for me. I remember that something came over me as I was being booked into jail. I remember just looking up and saying, “Thank you God, this is where I’m supposed to be.”

A few months later, I was transported from Rutherford County Jail to Bedford County Jail, where I met a correctional officer named Star. She handed me a Bible and that’s where my faith began to grow and become stronger. I learned to pray again. When I was finally released, again, I found myself in the same predicament: nowhere to go.

This time though, I stayed clean and a month later was accepted into Doors of Hope. I learned about Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, life skills, intense therapy and programs, and learned how to be humble. They guided me through the process of getting my kids back and the legal steps I needed to take. I held a full-time job, paid my rent and more. That program saved my life. Eight months into the program, it was time to graduate, and once again, I didn’t know where I was going to go.

That’s when Doors of Hope set me up an appointment with The Journey Home. As a requirement of getting custody of my daughters, I needed a stable place to live—quickly. Six days later, The Journey Home came through for me. They had me a home and moved me in. That was hope! That was God!

They did more than that, though. They taught me how to budget. If I needed my oil changed in my car, they would help me. If I needed assistance with Christmas for my kids, they would help. They helped with clothing for me and my girls, food for us, and gas. They helped me get back on my feet.

This program was there for me at my worst. I look back and think about how they loved me. They let me take showers, they fed me and they loved me, despite the way I was conducting myself.

This is the only program like this in Rutherford County and I thank God for them.

I am currently four years clean; I have my own place as a single mother with my girls. I have a full-time job working at a treatment center helping others. I actively work a 12-step program. I am a sponsor, life coach and mentor.

I am working to enroll in school for social work and life management. To this day, The Journey Home stays in touch with me to make sure I’m okay and ask if I need anything. My dream has always been to do something like what they do. I want to also own a homeless shelter and sober living facility to help others in our community because the homeless rate is rising so fast.

I don’t know if I would even have custody of my daughters if they had not trusted me enough to be in their housing. They changed my life.

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Do you know someone who needs help finding housing? Contact the Journey Home at lovegodservepeople.org or 615-809-2644.

“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — Jesus (John 13:34)

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Additionally, The Journey Home is seeking staff members for the Coldest Nights program, an overnight emergency shelter program serving our community’s homeless adults. Coldest Nights operates two shelters, one for men and one for women, during the cold weather season when the forecasted low temperature is below freezing.

Participants are offered a meal, safe sleeping accommodations out of the elements and fellowship. Staff members are responsible for the general program operation, maintaining a safe and orderly environment for program participants and making sure the facilities are kept clean. The Journey Home needs to fill part-time, seasonal positions working overnight shifts as well as nightly shifts to assist with supper and check-in and morning cleaning shifts.

For more information or to submit an application or resume, contact sfoster@lovegodservepeople.org.