When God Sends Joppa

Six-foot-three Will Winder had been sleeping in the front seat of his rusted-out hatchback for three months last winter. Then Joppa donor, Vicki Wallace, approached him at Gray’s Lake. “She asked me if I was homeless,” he says, “and if I was hungry. When I said yes, she gave me $40.”

The next day, Vicki’s husband, Bill, came back to check on Will and Bill gave him a Joppa business card. “Go see them,” Bill urged. “They’ll help.”

Will (47) had been in and out of prisons since age 15. He was free now, but cold, hungry and fighting off the urge to return to the familiar life of crime and drugs.

“Prison doesn’t teach life skills and with my prison record, history of drugs, no job history, I had no idea how to get a job. I was praying, but losing hope.”

A few days later, when his food ran out again, Will went to Joppa.“I figured there would be a lot of hoops to jump through, but I was down as far as you could go.” There were no hoops at Joppa, just love, acceptance and help.

Will says he’ll always believe God answered his prayers with Joppa. “From that very day, Joppa has been such a blessing to me,” Will smiles and shakes his head in amazement. “The one thing that Joppa did that was most helpful was not judge me. I was ashamed to be homeless, but they were willing to invest in me.”

A day at a time, a step at a time, Joppa volunteers helped Will find a hotel room, apply for jobs, fill out paperwork, think through choices.

“I learned that the past can’t dictate my future,” he says. “Joppa people make me want to be more open, more honest about who I am, what I want, what I fear.” Within a few months, Will was able to find an apartment in Ankeny.

“Jacki (a Joppa cofounder) had told the landlord about my background—no secrets, no lies—and that man said he believed in giving people second chances,” Will says, somewhat incredulous. “It’s MY name on the apartment lease. I’ve never ever in my life had MY name on a lease.”

Now Joppa is walking beside Will encouraging him to work and stay working, helping teach those life skills.

“My goal? Not to become homeless again—ever. I’m looking forward now to what God has in store for me. I know now, I’m employable and I will work to keep my apartment, and my new life. Ultimately, I’d like to work full-time in the ministry and let God use me to serve people.”

“I thank God for Joppa donors,” Will says, with a deep sigh. “That’s who made my transformation possible. However, my story isn’t unique. Please, keep supporting Joppa because there are more people like me out there. They need help. They need Joppa.” To support Joppa in helping Will and other people in dire situations, visit joppa.org and click”Donate Now.”

To support Joppa in helping Will and other people in dire situations, visit joppa.org/donate.