JOY in the News

Project Night-Light founder speaking at JOY event

By Karen Herzog, Bismarck Tribune | March 2, 2012 


Pebbles Thompson of Fargo, founder of Project Night-Light, an outreach project to help abused children, will be the speaker March 24 at the JOY Breakfast in Bismarck.

Thompson will talk to the women about overcoming the past, looking forward to the future and living life with purpose.

The JOY breakfast draws from 650 to 675 women, said JOY (Jesus, Others, You) founder Fran Dwelle of Bismarck. This year's breakfast runs from 9 to 11:30 a.m. March 24 at the Ramkota Hotel, 800 S. Third St., Bismarck.

Thompson, a mother of four and an Assemblies of God minister, said Project Night-Light was created in 2008 to give practical help to children undergoing medical exams and forensic investigations after suffering from physical or sexual abuse or neglect.

By providing important items children need when they are examined for physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect by their local advocacy center or hospital, Thompson said, she and her team hope to bring comfort to children.

Thompson said that the project provides children with a "Bag of Hope." Each bag contains a fleece tie blanket, pajamas, socks and underwear, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste, fruit snacks, a water bottle, flashlight, the book "You Are Special" by Max Lucado, and a tote bag to hold the items. Teen girls also receive deodorant and a personal journal. Read more.

'Fearless' at JOY Breakfast

By Macy Egeland and Karen Herzog, Bismarck Tribune | October 17, 2009 

The challenge of living with courage in hard times without giving in to fear and anxiety is the subject explored by the speaker at the next JOY Breakfast on Oct. 24 at the Ramkota Inn in Bismarck.

Brenda Whitman of Bismarck will talk about strategies to help one live a courageous life and how to reshape life in times where fear is prevalent - about parenting, economics, health and a host of other things.  Read more.

Making room for JOY

By Karen Herzog, Bismarck Tribune | February 27, 2009

When the planners got together to choose a theme for the sixth JOY women's breakfast, they pondered the comment cards left by participants at the previous breakfast: What is on women's minds? What are their concerns? What do they need in their lives?

The answer for this session, appropriately enough for an organization called JOY (Jesus, Others, You), was "joy."  Read more.

Spreading the Joy

By Karen Herzog, Bismarck Tribune | October 10, 2007

Joy is growing.

Since March 2006, JOY's four fellowship and inspirational gatherings has nearly doubled in attendance, organizers say.

More than 500 women representing 60 churches attended the most recent event in March, the largest number so far, said Fran Dwelle, of Bismarck, founder of JOY and one of the coordinators of the twice-yearly breakfast gatherings. Women who indicated no particular church home made up the largest group attending, Dwelle said.  Read more.

Joy to the World

By Karen Herzog, Bismarck Tribune | October 25, 2006

Women's lives have become so busy that many have really lost connection with people, said Kamie Beeson, of Bismarck.

One of the biggest benefits of last March's first JOY women's gathering in Bismarck was that sense of connection and belonging, Beeson said.

Last spring's gathering was the offshoot of a women's event originally organized by Fran Dwelle while living in Europe.  Read more.