HIGH 5: West Jordan Woman Inspires Community
Apr 22, 2020, 8:12 AM | Updated: Sep 13, 2020, 10:40 am
NOTE: This KSL High 5 was shot just days before Utah’s social distancing order went into effect. We feel like now’s a great to time to share this story.
WEST JORDAN, Utah – Joye Handy is the definition of service.
The 91-year-old is as sharp as a tack – and quite the go-getter. Once a month she hosts a quilting party and then donates the quilts to the Latter-day Saints Humanitarian Center.
From quilting to baking, Joye has found countless ways to serve. But one particular expression of love stands out.
She’s fostered more than 85 children.
“Well, that’s what my husband claimed,” she said. “I didn’t count them. I only had them one or two at a time.”
Tucked away, Joye has books filled with baby photos. They’re babies she cared for as if they were her own, each with a unique story.
“There was a radio broadcast one morning about a baby in a paper bag found on a front lawn in California,” she said. “I immediately called my social worker and said, ‘Can I have that baby?’ And she said, ‘There will be hundreds of people wanting that baby.’ Well, about two hours later, I got a phone call and she said, ‘You got her. You got a little girl.'”
Joye has four children of her own, three of which are adopted.
Laura Handy said her mother is full of compassion.
“… My mom is 91 and she still quilts and she still does all these things,” Laura said. “She’s going to outlive us all. She’s going to outlive us all. She doesn’t stop.”
To thank Joye for everything she’s done and the way she’s inspired her community, KSL TV and America First Credit Union presented her with $500 for supplies as she continues to make and donate quilts.
Do you know someone doing good in our community? A friend or family member building up neighbors or a coworker giving selflessly? Click here to nominate them for a KSL High 5.
