Empowering Families and Restoring Hope for People with Disabilities
In 2024, Joni and Friends Illinois served 145 families struggling with disability at Family Retreats, and 12 couples living with disability received spiritual refreshment and Christ-honoring help at our Marriage Getaway. Plus, we introduced the hope of Jesus to countless others through respite events and support groups. None of this would have been possible without you!
Also, with the help of our dedicated and amazing volunteers, we collected over 500 wheelchairs! Those wheelchairs have been sent to our partners in prison workshops, where inmates are restoring them to like new condition. Not only are those wheelchairs being prepped for our upcoming Wheels for the World™ distribution, but the inmates working on them are finding Christ as they serve! Every wheelchair carries the hope of the Gospel with it—whether it’s in a prison workshop or traveling overseas to bless a disabled child. Praise God!
Our theme verse for 2024 is, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples”
John 15:8
We can tell you—with one hundred percent certainty—our ministry year at Joni and Friends Illinois was saturated with “much fruit.” God is on the move, and so many families are being blessed in a deep and God-honoring way. Let us tell you about Shelia and her son, Buddy…
Shelia is a school bus driver while also being Buddy’s full-time caregiver. Though she loves both of those roles dearly, the rigors of daily life were taking their toll on Shelia’s mind and body. She explains that her spirit was weary and in need of refreshment, and that’s exactly what she found at Family Retreat!
“Family Retreat means the world to us. Every person we encounter there plays a part in touching our hearts in a big way.”
Shelia
Buddy has cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair for everyday mobility. He also has very tight muscle tone which creates challenges during certain physical activities. But not at Family Retreat! Our team rallied around Buddy and found a safe and fun way for him to enjoy the zipline—Buddy’s lifelong dream come true!
Shelia explains that the experience changed both of their lives. “At Family Retreat our needs were seen. We were treated so well. We fit right in!”
Shelia
As Shelia and Buddy drove home after that week of respite, Shelia cried so many tears of happiness and relief. “God knew we needed Family Retreat! Buddy is God’s child, and we are so blessed to have finally found a place that understands that.”
Shelia
What a blessing to help this family find hope through their hardship! Thank you for making this kind of healing possible. Your prayers and generosity are bringing the tangible love of Jesus to those who need it most.
Yet, there are still so many more families in desperate need. People living with disabilities are the world’s largest minority group—thirteen percent of the world’s population is struggling with disability. Thats 1.3 billion people! They need hope and they need to be seen, just like Buddy.
That’s why we will be sharing God’s love with even more disabled people and families! We’re planning four Family Retreats, a Marriage Getaway, two Wheels for the World trips to Chile, several respite events, and a Disability Ministry Resource Summit that will train and equip churches to love on people with disabilities with the dignity and respect they deserve all year round!
Would you let Jesus work through you today to reach these precious families with the power of God’s unfailing love?
We are depending upon the generosity of friends like you to help us reach even more people living with disability. Your gift will support all our Joni and Friends ministry, reaching vulnerable people who otherwise may never hear the Good News of Jesus!
We are continuing to remember our theme for the year, believing that God will bear much fruit through our response to him. Thank you for bringing the help and hope of Jesus to families struggling with disability locally and across the globe. God bless you and your family always!
Support Joni and Friends Illinois
Your gift to Joni and Friends will promote Christ-centered friendships and create spaces of true belonging for people living with disability. Learn more about Joni and Friends Illinois.
