Help Us Make a Difference
JOY's mission is to provide vulnerable children safety, support, and stability while we strive to put an end to youth homelessness.
FOUNDER
JOY’s founder and CEO, Lonnie Wayne Walker, is a native of Red Hook Brooklyn NYC. extensive background in working with youth and young adults. For the past 30 years, Mr. Walker has worked with youth in various avenues. His service and dedication to youth have been one of the most exceptional works of Joy that could ever be given to one person.
Mr. Walker, who has been one step away from Homeless himself, truly understands the needs of the youth in and around the New York and Maryland area. His approach to working with today’s youth is to meet them where they are and deal with the immediate need.
In 2016, Mr. Walker saw a pressing need to address the growing homeless youth population in Baltimore City. With his extensive knowledge in youth services, no funding, and his unemployment check, JOY Baltimore was born. Since then, we have helped hundreds of homeless, displaced, runaway, LGBTQ youth, and families in the community find assistance and gain access to the vital services they needed.