Chrissie Joyner has seen hundreds of faces pass through the doors of Some Other Place (SOP) in her 32 years of service. She knows stories of people’s lives that most of us can’t imagine. Some stories have happy endings but many others are not so fortunate. She is very passionate about her work at SOP. She has a heart full of kindness that breaks for those caught in the vicious cycle of poverty. She celebrates with those who fight their way out.
Chrissie’s calling for mission work began when she worked at First Methodist. She realized missions was what she really wanted to do. So began her personal pursuit of helping the less fortunate.
From interviewing clients, to sorting clothes, to organizing supplies and volunteers, her days are overflowing with the various tasks that need to be completed. This is the busiest season for SOP and twelve- hour days are pretty normal. The day before Thanksgiving, over 200 people were there to pick up food for their Thanksgiving meal. Wednesday morning brought another 150 who needed food to prepare for their families.
The Christmas season will bring many more opportunities to help the less fortunate. Hundreds of toys have been collected and many still need to be wrapped. Eight hundred stockings will be made and filled for elderly residents of local nursing homes. Food and Christmas gifts will be distributed. There is never a shortage of things to do at SOP. Volunteers are always needed and appreciated. It is very inspiring to see what SOP does and to understand the vast amount of good they do for our community. If you have never been there, stop by sometime and lend a hand. If you are lucky, maybe Chrissie will be cooking up some white chicken chili and you can share a meal and hear a story.
By Michelle Holland