Since May of this year, Joseph House has been celebrating five years of accompanying men as they leave prison and reenter society. It’s been ten years since the first musings of Joseph House began with two friends, brainstorming solutions for men soon to be released from prison facing homelessness. Since then, Joseph House has moved from concept to reality, and continues to grow with our third and final expansion soon on the way. We now have a home that houses five men at a time, scores of men both in and out of prison who have been reached by our mission, and countless that have been inspired to hope.
In both name and vision we model Joseph House after Joseph, son of Jacob, from the Old Testament. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. After serving many years in prison in Egypt, he was eventually released and restored to his family. Many incarcerated men relate to Joseph as someone with whom they have a shared experience. Joseph had hope. He was a dreamer and longed for reconciliation. Eventually his dreams came true.
We continue to evolve to reflect the foundation of what we have built on. Over the course of the year we have been making branding changes to our platforms to support the growth that we have done in person and on the ground. As we move away from our original colors of bright red and yellow, we turn to colors that remind us of Joseph. With tones of desert orange and golds we nod to his time in Egypt. With earthy green and deep water blue, we look to the life and renewal that comes with nature. Our new logo visualizes our mission of restoration and grounds it in community, our home, and most especially, our tranquil garden.
Our garden is a haven. Thoughtfully curated, it draws butterflies, birds, squirrels, and cultivates a serenity that goes hand in hand with freedom. For those who have been confined in the harsh and hard world of concrete and bars, and deprived of earth, Joseph House has actively sought to reunite men with nature. More than one resident, fresh from prison confinement, has arrived, gone straight to our serene backyard, and lay in the sun-lit grass.
If you haven’t yet visited Joseph House and seen our backyard oasis, we invite you to come to our open house in the next few weeks and be inspired and reminded of the beauty of accompaniment every time you see our new logo.
– By Dr. Sonya Cronin (Co-Founder of Joseph House)
