Our Vision

JOY International is a global ministry committed to children who are victims of human trafficking for the child sex trade industry.

Our Mission

JOY International is working to prevent the trafficking of children forced into the sex trade industry while providing those who are rescued a renewed hope and joy for living; through Safe Havens that offer physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual restoration.

History of JOY International

The story of JOY International began with Dr. Jeff Brodsky.
As a boy, Jeff grew up in a Jewish home in Brooklyn, New York. In his teen years he lost his brother to cancer that caused him to turn away from his Jewish faith into an atheist. He became so disillusioned with life that he turned to drugs and rebellion all through his teens and into his marriage.

Then In 1976, through a series of miraculous circumstances, Jeff came to an understanding that God was real and truly loved Him. He then came to see that Jesus (Yeshua) was the promised Messiah and Jeff’s life changed dramatically as he dedicate the rest of his life to serving God.

3 years later Jeff found himself traveling around the world as an ambassador for the disaster/relief organization, Food for the Hungry dressed as his beloved character Snuggles, The Love Clown. It was during this time that he had the privilege of being invited by Mother Theresa to share his special and unique gift of joy at The Home for Children and Home for the Destitute and Dying in Calcutta, India. Jeff saw first-hand her care for the poor, which had a major impact on his life.

During his visits to hospitals, orphanages and children’s homes around the globe, he became overwhelmed with the needs of children. In 1981, he launched a ministry called Joy International with the idea of establishing Children’s Homes in places in the world where he found hurting little ones.

During those early years, JOY International was able to help establish ministries and homes for children, as well as working with established ministries in India • China • Russia • Bangladesh • Pakistan • Mexico • Uganda • Kenya • Venezuela • Fiji. New projects are currently being developed for Cambodia, Thailand and Nepal.

In more recent years, Jeff’s eyes were opened to a burgeoning evil against children. An evil that is an abusive exploitation of the world’s most innocent and vulnerable. This atrocity has radically refocused his heart and the vision of Joy International. It is an atrocity that has quickly become a 32 Billion-Dollar industry. Child Sex Slaves. Those words don’t even belong together, and yet, it is happening around the world.

Jeff says: “In all my years of travel throughout the world and seeing the desperate needs of children; this is without question THE worst atrocity being perpetrated against children in our society today. There are thousands of children’s organizations doing great work in meeting the needs of children in all areas, but I found just a handful devoted to helping children who are forced into the child sex trade.”

Those words don’t even belong together, and yet, it is happening around the world.

Today, Joy International is a global ministry committed to children who are victims of human trafficking for the child sex trade industry.

JOY International is working to prevent the trafficking of children forced into the sex trade industry while providing those who are rescued a renewed hope and joy for living; through Safe Havens, that offer physical emotional, psychological and spiritual restoration. We will both build and support homes specifically for these children who are rescued.

These children have distinctive and unique needs. Many of them have HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases. Some are addicted to drugs; they lack trust and have severe emotional problems.

Yet, while the problems may seem overwhelming, there is hope through Christ with many stories of redemption. There is a wonderful opportunity for a new start, a new life. Together, we can offer these children the gift of love.

With your help we can truly turn Hopelessness into Joy!

STAFF

Dr. Jeff Brodsky - Founder President / CEO

Dr. Jeff Brodsky is a Messianic Jew who has many years of experience in missions and also has an extensive background in business. He is the author of the International best seller, Stepping Into Adulthood, and is a popular speaker having spoken in nearly 50 nations around the world. His topics range from Parenting and Success in Sales to Adoption and Hope for Children in the Sex Slave Industry, which is his greatest motivation.

 

Harold Velasquez - Chief Operating Officer

Harold Velasquez is a focused leader with a futurist perspective that drives him with a desire to impact the lost with the message of Christ. Harold has a background as a writer, speaker, musician, composer, recording artist and pastor. As a former Vice President of Promise Keepers, he oversaw their conference program production and design, weekly television and radio programs as well as their marketing and fundraising programs. He also served as a television Station Manager for over 5 years directing in video production and syndication.

 

Chantell Hinkle - Director of Operations

Chantell Hinkle is a process oriented thinker and organizational leader with a great knowledge of historical trends and how they effect the future. She has a background of on the road experience as a musician as well as in coordinating tour logistics. Chantell has extensive knowledge in program development, production and design from her years at Promise Keepers as Program Director. There she oversaw the live and recorded worship experiences, stage design, theme development, video production as well as the speaker and artist booking process.

 

Mary Jane Bender - Networking Director

Mary Jane Bender has a passion to connect people and enable them to accomplish their God-given goals. Her background includes church relations, overseas missions, event planning, logistical operations of speakers and musicians for large events as well as managing and directing volunteer teams. With a wide-range educational foundation and extensive domestic and international travel experience, she brings exceptional skill to the Joy International Team. Mary Jane is also a successful entrepreneur, an accomplished musician and recording artist.

 

Chris Wright - Media Director

Chris Wright, has been working as a producer/director for over 18 years. Educated at the acclaimed Brooks Institute of Photography, he received his degree studying all facets of media. His experience has developed his skills to the level of director and chief editor working for organizations like The Jewish Voice Broadcast. There, he was responsible for the design and building of a broadcast studio, production rooms and edit bays, and the research and application of all editing and computer graphic tools. He also directed and edited over 350 nationally broadcast programs, which aired on over a hundred stations and satellites across North America. In addition, Chris has taught DVD authorizing and other technical subjects such as Adobe After Effects at California Lutheran University. His work has allowed him the opportunity to circumscribe the globe, traveling to such exotic locations as Russia, Israel, South America, India and Ethiopia.

 

David Smith - IT Director

 

Ginger Green - Director of Planned Giving

Ginger Green, CFP, EA, ATA has been a practicing financial planner and tax advisor for over three decades. Her career has focused around integrating and simplifying all the complex issues individuals and families handle in their lives concerning finances. Ginger designs plans to maximize the potential impact of donations for the client and for the non-profit organization. She is highly skilled in all financial areas that impact individuals and families, especially creating virtues-based, purpose-driven plans which focus the client on their passion, fulfill their purpose and create confidence in their future. To forge a clients current advisors into teams that work together to produce exponential results for clients. She is a true visionary with a life dedicated to service for Christ.

 

Sue Condon - Director of Global Expansion

 

Patrick Olearnick -

 

Rachel Radtke - Information Director

How We Work

JOY International has cultivated strategic partnerships around the world with organizations and children’s homes.

Through these partnerships our goal is to build and/or support 21 homes for these children in the next 7 years. JOY International has established a Safe Haven Seal of Approval to become the standard for Children’s Homes around the world.

Where We Have Worked

Since 1981, JOY International has helped to establish or support orphanages and children's homes in India, Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Fiji and Venezuela.

We also aided in the design of a program where the Children’s Homes we established would be self-sufficient within 5-7 years where-by the children were taught such things as vegetable gardening and small animal husbandry skills. These skills could be life-saving for them in their respective villages.

JOY International developed the project “Children of JOY" to assist with International Adoptions by helping potential parents fulfill their desire to adopt orphaned children internationally. This included helping parents raise the sometimes costly but necessary funds for an international adoption.

JOY International sent teams and funds to build a children's home in Maracay, Venezuela to aid in the rescue of children found living in a garbage dump.

JOY International also helped establish a new work in the Fiji Islands, which has become an independent ministry for women called Homes of Hope, which is directed by former JOY International Fiji Directors Mark & Lynne Roche.

JOY International sent Dr. Brodsky to Beslan, Russia with Torchgrab Ministries Founder Dr. Bruce Porter to bring comfort and counsel to the victims in hospitals where terrorists murdered and wounded hundreds of innocent children.

Our Core Values

1.	JOY International is based on Judeo/Christian principles - True JOY = Jesus, Others, You; John 15:11. Psalm 127:3, Matthew 18:1-6
2.	Rescue of Children
3.	Restoration (physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual)
4.	Prevention through Education
5.	Integrity/Accountability
6.	Identify and Engage Volunteers
7.	Serve and Empower Indigenous Leaders
8.	Respect and Sensitivity Toward Others
9.	High value of strategic partnerships
10.	Love is the cornerstone of all we do