CHESAPEAKE, Va. — After 25 years of prayer and persistence, Joy Ministries has a new home.
Back in March, News 3 told you about this new outreach center that would help hundreds of at-risk youth, single moms, and families in need. On Sunday the building was dedicated.
Danette Crawford, of Joy Ministries, says there is real power in prayer.
When we last spoke to her her team was working to raise money for this new space in Chesapeake that would serve as their new youth and community outreach center, but it came with a hefty price tag.
"At the time we still needed $350,000 to go to closing and we needed to have all the funding in by Good Friday, March 29th and we did it," said Crawford.
Now the door is open to a new opportunity. The new space will host six different programs for at-risk youth, single moms and families in need.
"Our programs include our educational programs for at-risk youth, our mentoring programs, our feeding and distribution center, our programs for single moms our different seasonal events all of it will be hosted out of this building," said Crawford.
Previously the ministries had to rent out spaces to host Hampton Roads families for their events., but not anymore.
Children will now be transported to the new center.
"In some of our neighborhoods, the crime rates are at the highest so we need to bus those children here for our educational and mentoring programs," said Crawford.
Danette believes these programs can go a long way for many of these kids.
"If you teach a child to read it's a ticket out of poverty education and mentoring programs are so important for at-risk youth because it is a downward spiral if they don't have the education and the mentoring that they need," said Crawford.
The center is equipped with a dining room, ballroom, small kitchen, and outdoor space.
"We'll be able to add new programs we will be added to expand old programs and we will be able to reach more people and make it for the general public at large," said Crawford.
For more information about the programs offered by Joy Ministries, click the link here.
