Brasfield & Gorrie Ribbon Cutting at Goshen Valley
On August 10th, 2022 Goshen Valley Boys Ranch hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to recognize the official finalization of the projects completed by the Brasfield & Gorrie Atlanta team.
In June of 2022 Brasfield & Gorrie, the 2021 ENR Contractor of the Year, spent two weeks at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch to complete construction on several important improvements and maintenance at the Ranch.
After a month-long process which began with 13 nonprofit applicants, Brasfield & Gorrie selected Goshen Valley to be their partner for their 2021 and 2022 fall fundraisers. This event and partnership have historically raised around $250,000 per year from employee and trade contractor donations to support the chosen nonprofit’s mission.
Brasfield & Gorrie is an industry leader in the construction space, and in 2021, their Atlanta team chose Goshen Valley as their nonprofit partner of the year for 2021 and 2022.
They work on a wide range of project types, from aerospace, to healthcare, to sports and much more. More importantly than their projects, their “purpose is building exceptional people, trusting relationships, great projects, and strong communities.” Brasfield & Gorrie has gone above and beyond to fulfill that mission at Goshen Valley.
Goshen Valley serves over 110 foster youth and many families in the North Atlanta region across four programs. Goshen Valley Boys Ranch was the first program founded, located on 160+ acres in Waleska, GA. Home to 40 young men in foster care, The Ranch was founded to provide the safety of a home, love of a family, and hope for a future to the kids that call The Ranch home.
During the two weeks that Brasfield & Gorrie spent at The Ranch, they completed a host of projects totaling in over $200,000 that would have taken our staff years to complete. Check out the list of projects.
At the ribbon cutting, leaders from both organizations gathered, including the team from Brasfield & Gorrie that initiated and led the projects from start to finish: Keith Johnson, Tate McKee, Trey Sanders, Chris Britton, Dave Reed, Dave Hajjar, and Griffith Haigh.
During the program, attendees heard from one of Goshen Valley’s alumni, Zach Quiros, who came to the Ranch with his little brother in 2016. When thinking about the importance of this project, Zach said it best…
“I didn’t know it at the time, but God knew I was going to need a big family for the next chapter. And what Goshen does would not be possible if it wasn’t for the love from the community that Brasfield & Gorrie is a part of. So, I can’t thank you enough for everything y’all have done at The Ranch, because not too long ago, it was me and my brother at The Ranch.” - Zach Quiros, Goshen Valley Alumni.
The cutting of this ribbon at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch means so much more than just improved facilities, and Zach is a testament to that. Brasfield & Gorrie, we thank you for going above and beyond for your community and for doing it with excellence.
Goshen Valley and the Mandela Washington Fellowship
Goshen Valley and the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders – Alumni Enrichment Institute
In July and August 2022, Goshen Valley joined the participants of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders – Alumni Enrichment Institute (AEI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Three Goshen leaders were able to share their expertise with a group of 25 young African leaders from 19 countries, equipping them to take new skills and ideas back to their home countries.
The Alumni Enrichment Institutes are a follow-on opportunity of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).
YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance and enhance peace and security across Africa. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 5,100 Mandela Washington Fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals. The cohort of 25 Participants hosted by Georgia State were part of a larger group of 200 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni hosted at eight educational institutions across the United States. These institutions represent the diversity of U.S. higher education, including public and private schools, rural and urban campuses, and small and large student populations.
Executive leaders from the Goshen Valley Foundation participated in Professional Networking Opportunities as experts in non-profit organization and leadership. Zach Blend, Evan Ingram, and Rachel Blend were all in attendance and led educational discussions on topics such as nonprofit leadership and management, accreditation, compliance, marketing, and fundraising.
Goshen Valley CEO, Zach Blend, discussed the process of decision making by focusing on an organization’s key indicators. Zach has centered decision-making conversations with his leadership on the key indicators of mission, margin, morale and compliance (3MC) to help leaders weigh the impact and consequences of any significant organizational decisions.
“Across cultures, leadership hinges on sound decision making. Sharing the 3MC model with the class was my way of equipping them with a tool that they can take back to their home communities,” says Zach.
Evan Ingram, Director of Development at Goshen Valley, shared his insight on marketing and fundraising in the nonprofit world.
Evan says, “It was an incredible experience getting to share with this group. We spent time talking about marketing frameworks, donor-centered fundraising, and email marketing. We then spent time working through specific problems that are holding their initiatives back.”
Thanks to the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Goshen was able to assist initiatives in 19 African countries working on issues including suicide prevention, affordable housing, and food insecurity.
Rachel Blend, Director of Accreditation and Grants Management, led an organic discussion on topics such as organizational development, strategic planning, business planning, and PQI/data collection. This opened the floor for an excellent source of information and collaboration between the entire group of participants.
“It’s always a humbling experience to meet with such incredible leaders. Goshen is blessed, and we are grateful to be able to share our journey and bits of knowledge from along the way,” says Rachel.
Goshen Valley has partnered with Georgia State University’s Mandela Washington Fellowship Institute each year since their first trip to The Ranch in 2016. Through the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Goshen Valley has been able to take some part in the huge impact that the program is making across 49 countries in Africa.
“We offer many congratulations to the 2022 participants, and we hope that you will complete your two week Institute with information and inspiration to further enrich you, your communities, and your organizations back home.” - Zach Blend, CEO Goshen Valley Foundation
Empower Cherokee at Goshen Valley
Empower Cherokee Collects School Supplies for Goshen Homes siblings.
On Thursday, Jul 28, 2022, a group of adults from Empower Cherokee came to visit Goshen Valley’s office at The Mill on Etowah in Canton, Georgia.
They didn’t come empty handed either! Just in time for the start of school, they dropped off an abundance of school supplies for the foster children at Goshen Homes.
Empower Cherokee is another Canton, GA nonprofit, located off of Univeter Road.
Their mission is “to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live life as they define it through employment and social connections, and the support necessary for each person to achieve their hopes and dreams.” They serve those with intellectual and developmental disabilities with love and care through employment services, community access, and residential living.
The crew generously and enthusiastically came together to provide school supplies for the siblings in foster care being cared for at Goshen Homes.
At Goshen Homes, we believe siblings in foster care shouldn’t be separated.
That’s why we recruit, train, license, and support foster parents for siblings in foster care. Goshen Homes, established in 2016, has become our largest program, currently serving 55 foster youth.
We are so grateful for our friends and fellow community members at Empower Cherokee for the effort and kindness shown as they worked to gather the supplies and drop them off at our Canton office. Oftentimes, foster kids come to us without basic items, much less backpacks, pencils, calculators, and other necessary school supplies. Thanks to their efforts, the sibling groups at Goshen Homes and the foster parents caring for them were provided with ample supplies going into the start of the fall school year.
Thank you Empower Cherokee!