Joni and Friends announces first domestic Joni’s House in East St. Louis
May 16 2024 - 7:45PM
Caring for a loved one with a disability can be a full-time job,
and family caregivers require a break from the daily grind. But if
you live in East St. Louis, where the nearest disability services
lie well outside the city limits, getting time to breathe can feel
impossible.
Respite has been identified as a top need for families living
with disability in East St. Louis, and the international disability
ministry Joni and Friends is here to help fill that
need.
On June 14, Joni and Friends will break ground on Joni’s House,
a disability center for respite care in East St.
Louis.
Joni’s House will serve East St. Louis through day programs for
adults with disabilities, and after-school programs for school-age
children with disabilities. Both programs will operate with the aim
of providing practical help and Gospel hope to families from the
community.
Lansdowne UP, one of the largest private landowners in East St.
Louis, donated land in the Lansdowne area along the Mississippi
River on which to build the Joni’s House disability center, with
the St. Louis Arch in full view. This is a significant gift to the
more than 3,000 local residents living with disability. In fact,
the residents of East St. Louis report rates of disability two
times the national average.
There are already Joni’s House programs throughout the globe,
providing faith-based care to families with disabilities in
low-resource countries.
Joni’s House East St. Louis will be the first Joni’s House in
the U.S., and as Joni and Friends has laid the groundwork for this
endeavor, many have asked “Why East St. Louis?”
The leadership of Joni and Friends felt called fulfill the
mandate of Luke 14 to “Go out quickly…and bring in the poor, the
crippled, the blind and the lame…so that my house will be
full.” (Luke 14:21, 23)
Local faith and civic leaders explored the idea with Joni and
Friends identifying the local needs—and the great potential—for the
community and Joni’s House programming was developed
accordingly.
CeCe McCoo, who is spearheading the effort for Joni and Friends,
said the City of Champions is ready for a faith-based respite
program.
“There are generally two responses at the mention of respite
care. Either I hear a sigh of relief or hand clapping exuberance,”
CeCe said. “Without a doubt, everyone we have spoken with is eager
to see Joni’s House be planted in East St. Louis.”
Joni’s House will be part of a hub of revitalization in East St.
Louis. Once built, Joni’s House will lie within two miles of the
Illinois State Highway Patrol, the Jackie Joyner Kersee Boys &
Girls Club, and the newly renovated Lansdowne Center.
The groundbreaking will be held June 14 at 11 a.m. at 1120
Exchange Avenue, East St. Louis, Illinois.
For more information, visit
https://joniandfriends.org/jonis-house-usa/.
About Joni and Friends
For more than 45 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope
of the Gospel and practical care to people living with disability
across the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels
for the World, Family Retreats, and disability ministry training.
Joni and Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through
radio programs and podcasts. To find out more, please visit
www.joniandfriends.org.
- A hub of revitilization
- Respite gives caregivers a break.
Amy Hurtado
Joni and Friends
818.575.1766
pr@joniandfriends.org