Lisa Joyner

Lisa Joyner has had a tremendous impact on serving the homeless in the Phoenix area for the past 10 years and has been a diligent volunteer with many of the area shelters and homeless outreach centers.

Lisa started a 501©3 corporation called Kitchen on the Street and is mobilizing people in her community to help go out to those who cannot make it to a shelter for a meal. The “bag of hope” is comprised of non-perishable foods and a beverage, some information on where to get help in the area, and most importantly some inspiration hand written by local elementary school students.

This is a grass-roots effort by a person who realizes that serving the needy is a very important calling in life, and has in many cases put herself second to help others. Lisa has put forth the effort to assemble a group of people who will be going out and putting food in the hands of those who in many cases would not have any, and offering inspiration and help for a segment of the homeless community that are often forgotten.

The future plans for Kitchen on the Street are to go to other cities and develop the same concept, introducing young students to a growing problem and allowing them to interact through a written format, giving a homeless person a reason to feel wanted and cared for, and at the same time, giving this national issue a platform in our schools.

Lisa has provided an on-going solution to a situation that seems to be getting worse; the people who are dropping off the “bags of hope” are volunteers who care about meeting with the homeless and proving that someone cares. By involving local students, the program inspires young people to put their thoughts on paper, and gives them an opportunity to fill a void in our community. Other items such as blankets, clothing and most importantly information is also available.