B y J a m i e S e a r s R a w l i n g s • P h o t o s b y A m b e r T a y l o r JOYANN JONES WAS A TEENAGER the first time she heard about Paducah Cooperative Ministry (PCM). “We were homeless,” Joyann recalls. “My mom has a lot of health problems and the stress of not having anywhere to go was really taking a toll on her health.” The pair landed at Paducah Cooperative Ministry Women’s and Children’s Shelter where Joyann stayed until she was eighteen. But, the support from PCM didn’t stop then. It could have. Joyann was an adult. It might have for other organizations. But, not for PCM. Through PCM, Joyann took part in a class called Common Sense, where she learned how to write checks and make a household budget. “We talked about mental health and we talked about the future,” she says. “We talked about preparing for college and applying for grants and student aid.” “They taught me quite a bit about those type of things that helped prepare me to go into the adult world on my own.” “PCM has taught me so much about how to become an adult,” she says. “The people here helped raise me, helped encourage me.” “It’s just a blessing to have a building full of mentors and Since its founding by thirteen local congregations in 1973, Paducah Cooperative Ministry (PCM) has been a steadfast force for good in our community. Built on a foundation of interfaith collaboration, PCM unites its supporters under a shared mission; to address the basic needs of neighbors experiencing homelessness and hunger. sweet people who genuinely care, not just about me, but about the whole community.” And many years later, when Joyann found herself back in a bad situation, now with a child of her own, she knew just where to turn. “Recently, I needed to seek shelter and find a place to stay, and once I found the place, I was needing help financially with my deposit, and PCM helped me with that as well,” she says. For PCM, support isn’t something that ends. “When people are homeless at any point in their lives, we recognize that as a barrier to success throughout,” says Lacy Boling, executive director. “That’s why we are always here with support for them.” Having a lifeline in PCM, for Joyann, means the world is safe and, perhaps even a bit more secure. Security isn’t something she’s had a lot of in life. “One thing that life taught me is that sometimes when you really need somebody or you’re going through something, it just feels like you don’t have anywhere to turn,” she says. “Knowing that I can always go to PCM and some way, somehow, they’re going to help me in any way that they can, it is truly a blessing and it’s very humbling. “They mean the world to me, and they mean the world to the community.” New Path Creating a INTHEVUE.COM | AUGUST 2025 53 The Ministry That Never Lets Go
