Love in Action

Joey was one of the most loving people you’d ever meet. When we mention love, we’re not talking about emotions, but rather action. Love is action. God loved the world so much that He gave.

For years, we’ve said, “Joey doesn’t have a heart problem, Joey has an addiction problem.” Joey didn’t just love others, he loved God with all of his heart.

Losing Joey is over-whelming for us. The grief is overwhelming, and we want to make sure we deal properly with the grief. Our goal is to become better, not bitter. We hate drugs and we hate the impact that drugs have on our nation today, but hate is not the opposite of love, apathy is the opposite of love.

We love Joey with all of our hearts, and we are determined to turn our love into action. We fought alongside Joey in this addiction battle for 20 years. His fight is over; ours isn’t yet. We will continue to fight alongside those that are currently fighting. The Joey Handlon Memorial Scholarship Fund is an opportunity for everyone who wants to join us in the fight. There is hope, even in addiction. Join us in sharing that hope with as many people as possible.

— Jamison & Kathy Carrier

Remembering Joey

August 3, 1983—April 15, 2022

Some people have a harder time managing life than others, especially those who love deeply, who see and understand the enormity of the societal problems and want to be part of the solution, who share intimately in the suffering of those in need. We can see the type of person one is in their response to the hardest challenges in life, and it is through that lens we can clearly see the man whose legacy is celebrated in the Joey Handlon Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Joey Handlon approached life head-on. While his life may seem a paradox, it is representative of a life expended in service, and a void that will be experienced by many. Joey loved and embraced life to the full, yet at times chose less than healthy ways of dealing with it. He loved Jesus and his family more than life itself yet chose a substitute at times that ultimately proved fatal. Joey’s life was a battle, and his struggle blindsided him, caught him off-balance in brief moments of vulnerability.

Joey wanted to see people set free, delivered from the choke-hold Satan had on them; and he dedicated himself to that work with the same passion he exhibited in every facet of life. He knew intimately the fierceness of the fight, and he knew the joy of deliverance. He wanted others to experience the freedom he had found, and he spent himself offering it to others.

Quick to volunteer, Joey’s service in his short time on this earth could put one to shame. An incomplete list includes serving hurricane victims alongside Samaritan’s Purse, helping build a church in Haiti, ministering to the homeless on the streets of Oregon, and serving in various capacities at Adult and Teen Challenge, those struggling with addiction.

To some, Joey is remembered as an adventurer, a traveler, a gifted athlete, an outdoorsman. To his mother and sisters, he is remembered for his love for Jesus and for each of them, that manifested in the way he maintained close contact and nurtured his relationships. To the men in his life, he was a strong, fighting spirit of unwavering determination; not content with the world in its fallen condition. A week before his life was taken by overdose, Joey’s father passed away from cancer. True to his nature, Joey had helped in his father’s care. His life of love and service endeared him to so many people, and it is that spirit of service many recall when his name is mentioned.

Joey’s view of the most important thing in this earthly life is made clear when we look at what he considered the best day of his life. June 27, 2015. The day is noted in the front of his many Bibles—each well-worn from use: Gage accepted Jesus. Gage, Joey’s son. The joy of Joey’s life committing himself to the One Joey knew gives true joy and meaning to life.

Joey Handlon did not have a heart problem. He loved more deeply and freely than most, and he was loved by everyone who knew him. He had an addiction problem; and he wanted others to experience freedom through Jesus. In his death, as in his life, Joey’s passion for those battling life controlling issues will continue through the Joey Handlon Memorial Fund. His legacy of love, of caring deeply, and of passionate commitment will continue to impact the lives of men who find freedom at Adult and Teen Challenge Northern Indiana.