Joy Junction

Joy Junction was one of New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelters, located in Albuquerque, where for decades it provided food, shelter, and services to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Founded in 1986 by Jeremy Reynalds, the faith-based organization grew into a major presence in the Albuquerque homeless services landscape.

At its height, Joy Junction operated a large campus on the city's south side, offering emergency shelter beds, meals, clothing, and basic necessities to hundreds of people, with a particular emphasis on serving families with children, a population for whom shelter options can be scarce. The organization provided life recovery programs intended to help residents address addiction, find employment, and transition toward stability.

A signature program was the Lifeline of Hope mobile food unit, which delivered meals and supplies directly to people living on the streets and in encampments across Albuquerque, extending the shelter's reach beyond its campus. Joy Junction emphasized meeting immediate physical needs while offering spiritual support and longer-term recovery programming consistent with its Christian mission.

The shelter operated almost entirely on private donations rather than government funding, relying on individuals, congregations, and businesses to sustain its operations. This independence shaped its model and its outreach to the broader community for support.

Joy Junction served the Albuquerque area for more than three decades, becoming a recognized resource for families and individuals in crisis. Its history reflects the persistent challenge of family homelessness in New Mexico and the role that faith-based shelters have played in responding to it, providing emergency care and recovery support to thousands of people over the years.