The Journey Home and services to the homeless featured on “The Insider”

Since 2006, The Journey Home has been a vital resource for the unhoused in Murfreesboro. Amid rising homelessness nationwide, Journey Home Executive Director Scott Foster and Development Director Lis Couser discuss the services the non-profit agency provides in growing Murfreesboro and plans for a new, larger building on Old Salem Rd., opening its doors around Labor Day 2025.

Listen to "The Insider" with host Mike Browning at https://cityofmurfreesborotn.podbean.com/ . The City's official podcast is also available for viewing on YouTube at

https://youtu.be/ZyCaVocC7XY beginning Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.

"There are no quick fixes," said The Journey Home Executive Director Scott Foster . "People don't get to the point where they're experiencing housing instability and homelessness quickly, it happens over time. Similarly, the change to move from where they are into a new direction is a journey."

"This time of the year as we celebrate the holiday season, we are reminded about the community coming together to take care of community," said Foster. "There are things we take for granted and sometimes the holidays are tough times for folks who are in crisis and struggling. I want to encourage people to support their community and nonprofit agencies, whatever their passion is, support them. There are many ways to do this-supporting the nonprofit directly or support through your church, school, or civic club."

This edition of Insider features:

• Scott Foster shares his personal calling with the story of how The Journey Home got started. His personal experience began as far back as 1982 with compassion for those who were struggling in life. It led in 2006 to the establishment of the volunteer ministry outreach to the homeless by five local churches
• The Journey Home provides primarily Basic Needs Services at its current location, 308 West Castle St.-meals seven days a week, clothing, and personal care items, showering and laundry facilities as well as housing, counseling and coaching
• The Journey Home serves more than 2,300-2,400 unique individuals and families annually impacted by its services and the majority are from the area but a growing number of the unhoused are from outside the community
• The Journey Home celebrated the groundbreaking for a new building at 1207 Old Salem Rd.in October. Foster explains how the new facility with 20,000 square feet will allow the expansion of safe space housing, counseling, health, and mental health services, and coaching services
• The Journey Home operates in about 30 homes or apartments as permanent housing for individuals with disabilities and long-term transitional housing
• Lis Couser credits the community for its support and love for The Journey Home through generous funding evident in the groundbreaking for the new $6.5 million Murfreesboro building under construction at its new location on Old Salem Rd, approximately a block from the new Murfreesboro Transit facility also under construction
• Understanding the differences among those experiencing homelessness depends on how individuals and their needs are classified. When families and children are included, Foster says about 5,000 experienced homelessness in Rutherford County during the past year. Chronically homeless are those who have been unhoused for long or multiple periods of time and typically suffer from a disabling medical condition, mental illness, addiction or trauma
• Foster offers advice on how members of the community can find a level of comfort in greeting and acknowledging homeless individuals who are visibly experiencing challenges or struggling. He encourages us to treat them like you would any other person with kindness and humanizing: "You might be the one person that day who spoke to them and offered a kind word." That can be encouraging
• Foster stresses that a small minority of the unhoused choose not to accept services from The Journey Home and other charities but instead elect to live outdoors and live as "disengaged." Some, Foster said, don't believe they can manage the responsibilities of modern-day living. Others become caught in a cycle and need more than housing to maintain stability
• Couser points out that there is a significant correlation between family trauma impacting children in their developmental years and homelessness. Not giving up on them is crucial.
• The Journey Home partners with local law enforcement to respond to the mental health needs affecting a significant part of the homeless population. The Journey Home partners with mental health co-responders and the Murfreesboro Police Department in responding to mental health crises with the emphasis on care above incarceration
• Approximately 1,000 volunteers annually help The Journey Home to serve the needs of the unhoused. Couser says even more volunteers will be needed in the new facility as a 24-hour facility from the front office to the market and café. Murfreesboro residents can visit The Journey Home website www.LoveGodServePeople.org to register as a volunteer. Simply go to "Give Help" to sign up

'When you can get clean and put on some clean clothes, and present yourself well, it helps you present yourself as a worthy person," said Foster. "When we think of the hierarchy of needs everyone has, most of that bottom row of basic needs from Psych 101 in college, happens at home. For folks that don't have that in place, they lack a sense of belonging and difficulty in maintaining basic needs."

This latest edition of"The Insider" isavailable via Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcast and Amazon Music/Audible, iHeartRadio, Player FM and Samsung devices. Access podcasts on the City of Murfreesboro's website under Communications. Videos and Podcasts are located on the tab to the left https://cityofmurfreesborotn.podbean.com/ then click the latest episode or listen to previous podcasts.

"The Insider," hosted by Mike Browning, originates from City Hall and is produced by award-winning producer Michael Nevills. Murfreesboro CityTV can be found on Comcast Channel 3 and 1094, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, YouTube, Facebook and the City website www.murfreesborotn.gov/citytv .

About The Journey Home

Founded in 2006, The Journey Home is a Christian ministry that serves the homeless and disadvantaged of Rutherford County. The agency does this through housing coordination and meeting basic needs with day-to-day resources like meals and food staples, laundry and shower facilities, restrooms and hygiene products, clothing, communication resources (mail service, public phones, computer and internet access), and case management services including coaching and referrals through our outreach center. The agency works to build relationships that encourage hope and strategies for moving in a new direction, reintegrating into mainstream community life through housing programs and service coordination, including healthcare and mental health, addiction recovery, employment, parenting, household management, faith-building, and relational wellness to meet people at their point of need. The best solutions require all of us in the community to Love God and Serve People. To learn more about becoming involved, contact Lisbeth Couser, [email protected], or call 865-278-8757.

For City News online, visit www.Murfreesborotn.gov .

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