How do you want to serve?

My name is Josh Bell, and I am the Executive Director of the Harbor House Christian Men's Center. My path to Harbor House was unexpected but fulfilling.

I graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with degrees in Spanish and psychology, focusing on secondary education. I aspired to be a high school Spanish teacher long ago, but life had other plans. For the past 20 years, I have managed people in the finance industry across four different states.  Working with Wells Fargo for 10 years, I was able to learn about the mortgage industry.  I started as a processor and worked my way up into management.  I oversaw a team that completed the business functions of our site, and also a team that worked with loan officers to complete the mortgage process.  I learned about risk and what it means to truly value your customers.  I was then able to work within a brick-and-mortar bank for a while, where I worked closely with customers to help them fulfill their financial goals while training a teller staff that could assist with anything needed.  My next step within the company was working within the Default Mortgage space.  I managed teams that filed claims with the investors to recoup losses, gathered required government documents for backup, paid outstanding bills the bank owed due to default, and also led a team that was offshore.  The next 10 Years were spent with US Bank, where I managed various Default Operation groups, from claim filing, Loss Analysis, Property Preservation, and also offshore teams.  This experience has been crucial for me to become a better leader and has provided a firm understanding of losses and ways to avoid them. 

My career has taken me from Arkansas to Texas, to Wisconsin, and now to Kentucky.   Living in so many wonderful places has been a blessing. Now, I call Kentucky home, where I live with my loving wife and our two amazing sons. One of them graduated from the University of Louisville, while the other is set to complete their bachelor's degree from Murray State this fall.

My journey to Harbor House began five years ago when I attended a Catholic church with my wife. Having attended various denominations throughout my life—baptized Baptist, attending Presbyterian, Methodist, missionary Baptist, and Southern Baptist churches—I had never been to a Catholic Church service Since that’s where my family was going, I joined them. As I sat through the services, I realized that it was quite similar to all the other churches I had attended; it was nothing like what I had expected. As time passed, I decided I wanted to learn more about the church, so I participated in all the necessary classes. When it was time to join, the priest, Father Larry, asked me, "Now that you’ve joined the church, how do you want to serve?" As a Christian, I had never been asked that before. I asked, "Serve the church?" to which he replied, "No, how do you want to serve God in the community?" This was a serious question that required deep thought. I contemplated what I could do for my community.

From that point on, I began going to Harbor House and cooking for the residents once a month. I wanted to show them that people genuinely care about their well-being. My thought was that if I could create a meal they loved, it might take them back to a time when life was a little better. I continued this for a while and eventually felt the need to do more. I expressed my interest in joining the Board of Directors and served on the board for four years until I decided to make a career change.

I left the finance industry, realizing that my true calling was at Harbor House, where I could help men become better versions of themselves and achieve their goals. Although I don't have extensive experience in this field, I do possess life experience and management skills. Working at Harbor House over the past six months has been one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. Helping men reach the next level is an experience that is hard to describe. It is incredibly rewarding to help those who feel forgotten reclaim their self-worth and restore relationships. Harbor House is more than just a place to live and eat; it is a special community, and I am grateful to be a part of it.

Like many of you, I have faced unexpected turns in life that led me to discover my true calling. I would love to share more about our work at Harbor House and how you can make a difference.