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Do you remember one of our recent blogs, “Open eyes lead to new windows for family in need?” This story involves similar ways God has been working through our conference. 

Journey Community Center is a missional faith community planted in 2011 by the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Being on the roadside of Patrick Henry Hwy, there are countless opportunities for this faith community to be a light of Jesus in Amelia, Va. Journey Community Center has been an Advance Special Partner with the Virginia Conference ever since. To read more about Journey Community Center, read the recent blog post about RJ’s visit. Journey Faith Community is a blessing to the community

In the post, Rev. Betesy Davis shared her vision of transforming the adjacent motel into a transition home for the community. However, when we met, it was only a vision she believed God would fulfill. After the encounter with Mr. Russ Crotell, a Ramsey Memorial United Methodist Church member, we got to see how God was inviting us into that vision. 

Journey Community Center is now preparing to house people by providing transitional housing for the temporarily homeless. The vision is to provide a clean, safe place to rest with a roof over the head of anyone in need, an address to make a new start, ways to earn the rent, and assistance to work towards an exit strategy. There is a critical housing shortage and no homeless shelters between Richmond and Lynchburg. Located midway in Amelia, Journey owns a fifties-style strip motel on Route 360.  The completed project will include some fully accessible rooms, some single units, and others with the capability to become family units. Needed renovations include firewalls, new heat/ac, updates in plumbing and electrical, fresh flooring, and mattresses. 

During the fall of 2022, Russ started to work with Betsey to visit and support the project. They established a goal to finish five rooms out of eighteen potential new rooms by the fall of 2023. The first step involved Ramsey Memorial United Methodist Church’s mission team helping with the demolition. And in January 2023, Ramsey’s team demolished 5 rooms, preparing them for renovation. 

For Journey to meet their goal, we would like your help considering joining in this vision. You may send teams to help with the renovation, and you may pledge to furnish the rooms, or your church may also sponsor a room. We are happy to announce that the Annual Conference Center is sponsoring a room with the recent memorial funds collected for Late Carol Dommisee and Bishop Sharma D. Lewis’ ministry. The Annual Conference Center staff are also planning a work day at Journey in March 2023.

 

Sponsoring a room

Your church/ organization, or a cluster of churches, may sponsor a room for $5,000. The estimated cost per room will be around $5,000 – 7,000. With your support, the room will be named after the sponsor’s choice. Your church may send teams to renovate and further furnish the room. Contact [email protected] for more information. 

Not every contribution needs to be at a sponsor level. If you would like to contribute to this project, please send a check to Serving Ministries (P.O. Box 5606 Glen Allen, VA – Check order to VAUMC/ memo Journey Community #5009) or use this online giving page.

To get involved in other ways, contact [email protected] or directly connect with Journey Community Center. JCC Director and Restaurant Manager  Betsey Davis [email protected].

More importantly, we ask you to keep Journey Community Center in your prayers, so they can continue to bring the light of Jesus to this world!

Go to the page and select Journey Community #5009. 

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