JRC’s history includes a life-transforming story of founder and president, Patricia Thompson. Pat’s childhood trauma of domestic abuse by an alcoholic father includes many of the same problems that women face today who are in abusive relationships and living in poverty. Her personal story turned very tragic when a domestic incident resulted in her mother’s murder. At the tragic loss of her mother, she felt like Humpty Dumpty who shattered into a hundred pieces with no one to put her back together again. By God’s grace and a spiritual journey of healing through a personal relationship with Christ, Pat emerged from that tragedy. With a dream in her heart to build a safe place for abandoned women and their children, she created the Joshua Resource Center in 2004.

Pat leads JRC with passion for empowering women to become self-sufficient and break the cycle of abuse and poverty.  She has completed three years of non-profit management training and technical assistance through the Knoxville Leadership Foundation’s Center for Communities project. Knoxville was one of only four cities to be provided a grant from the government to provide mentoring and technical assistance to faith-based organizations. Joshua Resource Center was one of twenty organizations selected and served through this unique opportunity.

Accepting women of all religious faiths, JRC’s New Beginnings Program served its first client in August 2004 and is now celebrating seven years of service and helping well over 300 women and their families!

JRC is a 501(c)(3) organization governed by a board of directors located in East TN. The board has over 20 years of non-profit management experience and combined with its advisory board, extensive business management experience.

Founder & President, Pat Thompson

 Secratary, Shawna Dilbeck