Joni and Friends East St. Louis, IL/St. Louis, MO

For more than 40 years, Joni and Friends has committed to help meet the needs of the more than 1.3 billion people in the world who live with some form of disability. Joni and Friends has touched the lives of nearly 14 million individuals worldwide, providing compassion, loving care, dignity, and abundant life to individuals and families living with disability.  

To reach underserved families living with disabilities in an urban community, Joni and Friends East St. Louis/St. Louis seeks to change attitudes, build awareness, and grant access to the local church and disability service providers for the ethnically and economically challenged in city centers. The National Rehabilitation Information Center reported that people living with disability in urban centers feel more isolated than their rural counterparts, even though they are surrounded by more people (https://naric.com/). Joni and Friends has answered the call of God to serve in the greater E. St. Louis, IL, and St. Louis, MO, areas. Currently in the early stages, the plan to build a disability center to support families in the E. St. Louis and St. Louis communities is well underway.

Your generous gift would provide scholarships for low-income families to attend retreats and getaways that provide a place where families living with disability find rest, hope, and community:

•Family Retreats focus on families navigating the challenges of disability and values each person as an image-bearer of God who is worthy of dignity and respect. Family Retreats offer a rich, Christ-centered environment at that is safe and accepting for every member of the family.

•Warrior Getaways serve combat veterans and their families who live with the visible and invisible wounds of war. Warrior Getaways provide a safe environment for veterans to face their trauma and heal from experiences of war, saving marriages and families.

•Marriage Getaways are designed to serve couples navigating the disability of a spouse or child. Couples will experience rich community with others who understand the unique challenges they face, as well as respite and Christ-centered encouragement.