Meet Marla Truitt

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marla Truitt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marla below.

Marla, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My dad

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I has dedicated my life to being a loving wife, mother, and advocate for individuals with special needs. I have been married to my husband, Joe, for 37 years, and together we have raised three wonderful children—Seth, Spencer, and Alisha. Alisha joined our family through adoption at the age of two and a half, and Spencer is now married to Cambree.
I have always taken pride in my role as a mother and wife, focusing much of my life on raising my children. When our eldest son, Seth, who has Down syndrome, transitioned into adulthood, I recognized a gap in opportunities for individuals like him to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. With my entrepreneurial spirit and visionary mindset, I founded Joy House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals with special needs find purpose, independence, and joy in their daily lives.
In addition to her work with Joy House, I played a key role in sharing our family’s journey through the documentary “Joy Redefined.” This project highlights the beauty and challenges of raising a child with special needs while emphasizing the power of love, faith, and community.
Through my innovative thinking and passion for making a difference, I continues to create spaces where individuals with special needs can thrive. My dedication to serving others and her ability to turn vision into reality have made a lasting impact on countless lives.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Follow your dreams and start now—don’t wait until you have all the answers, or you’ll never begin. I had no idea how to start or run a business, but my passion and vision drove me forward. That’s how I built a valuable nonprofit for my community and created more opportunities for my son with a disability.”
1. Start now
2. Learn along the way
3. Don’t be afraid to fail and make mistakes.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

We are a non-profit dedicated to creating opportunities for special needs adults all around the world. Now, we’re establishing a Joy House in the Arabian Gulf—a space where they can thrive, find purpose, and experience true belonging.

Every step we take is made possible through generous donations and the power of prayer. We invite you to partner with us—whether financially or through prayer—as we build a future full of hope and opportunity.

Join us in making a lasting impact

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