3 Goshen Alumni Videos
Goshen New Beginnings exists to lead older foster youth into thriving independence. We offer support in education, employment, and life skills, all while allowing youth to slowly transition from family-modeled living to independent life. Over the past few months we celebrated three young men completing our Goshen New Beginnings program!
Zach is a junior at Georgia State University. He has overcome a great deal of trials in his life, and is pursuing a career as a sales manager. He is leaving Goshen with his own car, an emergency fund, a support family, and a stable job. When asked about what sticks out about Goshen, Zach said “I don’t know where I’d be without Goshen. When I think of Goshen, I think of family.” Click here to watch Zach share more of his story.
Sebastian has grown into a healthy young man in his 4 years since coming to Goshen. He entered foster care when his mother called DFCS to take him. Sebastian credits the mental health therapists at Goshen for a lot of his growth. Sebastian says that his therapist “helped me with forgiving my family and my personal issues.” Sebastian is excited at the chance to share his story with others, hoping that it inspires more people to become foster parents. Click here to watch Sebastian share more of his story.
Robert is currently at Basic Training for the United States Army, making him the 10th Goshen alumni to serve in the United States Military. He grew up moving around frequently, and says he had a hard time trusting people. Robert says that at Goshen he found stability, and he found a lot of great people that he can trust. “I think I’m leaving Goshen with a family, and it’s a big old family!” Click here to watch Robert share more of his story.
Thank you for making stories like their possible. These 3 young men, and the 115 youth in our care today, have much brighter futures because of Goshen's loyal donors and partners. Thank you all for being part of the Goshen Family!
2019 Graduations!
9 Goshen Graduates!
Only 50% of foster youth graduate high school*. Not at Goshen. This year our young men and women went 9 for 9! We are incredibly proud of the hard work that these 9 have put into their studies, and we are confident that because of your investment, they have brighter futures ahead of them.
Since you were part of their success, and will hopefully be part of their future with a graduation gift, we wanted to share the celebration!
Not pictured: "K" is still 17 and cannot have his image shared. He graduated from Cherokee High School and is on the path towards veterinary school.
These 9 amazing stories are only possible because people like you have decided to invest in our kids. You have given them a chance at lifelong thriving independence, and you have forever shaped their lives.
Would you consider investing further in their futures with a graduation gift to Goshen Valley? Your donation will equip these 9 for the transition into thriving independence.
Thank you for being part of the Goshen Story! We couldn't do it without you!
Give a Graduation Gift to Goshen
*50% graduation rate statistic from https://www.nfyi.org/issues/education/
Guns and Hoses 5k
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Mandela Washington Fellowship Returns to Goshen
Last year, we had the incredible honor of hosting the Mandela Washington Fellows at the Ranch. We had an amazing experience and were thrilled about these new relationships (click here to read more). This year was no different. Hosting the Mandela Washington Fellows (MWF) at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch brought forth laughter, learning and life-long lessons.
The MWF program was founded by President Obama in 2014. It is now run by the State Department. Each year 200 African leaders age 25-35 are invited to come study in American universities for six weeks. The experience culminates in a week long leadership summit in Washington D.C. Because Goshen Valley is ranked as Georgia’s top child welfare provider, MWF wanted to come back to the Ranch for a day of learning about child welfare practice, teambuilding, and experience sharing.
When the MWF group arrived, we knew it was going to be a day of joy. We started the day with an informal meeting. Our Founder, John Blend, and our CEO, Zach Blend, shared about our history and stories. We then moved into our Team Building activities led by senior consultant Mike Angstadt. There was singing, dancing, storytelling and prayer. The MWF group left Goshen Valley equipped with new tools for both leading teams and providing opportunities for youth in need in their home countries.
The session then led to a hayride tour of the Ranch, where the MWF group was able to have a true southern lunch provided by Four41 South BBQ in each of the homes. In the homes, the groups interacted with our house parents and youth. Both parties were asking questions about cultures, interests, education, and language. We saw a group of African Leaders ministering to our youth, and in return, the boys hanging on every word they said.
In a world that can be filled with debates, arguments and differences, children and adults of different cultures came together to share their similarities and to learn about each other’s lives.
The joy shown among the youth and the African leaders is precisely the type of character the world needs to see. The picturesque way the groups interacted was simply beautiful. The African leaders high-fived the youth after a great shot on the soccer field and offered them encouragement. The youth and leaders sang songs together and strummed on the guitar. These are the types of moments that are etched deep within the memory of all who saw.
We hope you catch a glimpse of the day in the video shot by Chandler Elder. We are incredibly thankful for all vendors involved, Georgia State University for choosing to partner with us, and especially to the 25 Mandela Fellows who shared the day with us.
Back 2 School Campaign
As Goshen Valley approaches caring for 90 youth, the cost of back to school season is rising. Will you help us make the 2017-2018 school year a great success for those we serve?
Our goal is to raise $9,000 worth of gift cards and monetary donations to help kick start the school year. Whether it’s book money for a young woman at Reinhardt, a gas card for a boy driving to high school, or a clothing gift card so a child gets to pick their own back to school outfit, your donation will help our youth start the year with confidence.
Your investment into Goshen Valley has made a way for our young men and women to feel successful and important. Every gift will help us surround them with the peace and purpose needed to make the 2017-2018 school year the best they've ever had!
There are two ways you can give to the Back2School campaign:
1. To donate a gift card, please send them to our Canton office:
505 Brown Industrial Parkway
Suite 200
Canton, GA 30114
2. If you would like to send a special gift to help our youth with purchasing new clothes, a haircut, and fresh supplies, use the donation form below.
Eagle Scout Project- New Ranch Signage!
Last fall, the Barnfield family came to serve at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch through Woodstock City Church’s “Be Rich” campaign. They all were inspired by their day of service. Just as we always hope, they became interested in getting more involved.
A few months later, Connor Barnfield began planning his Eagle Scout project. He decided to help out Goshen Valley, and through discussions with Zach, he decided to create new signage for the Ranch. This has been a significant need for Goshen Valley over the past several years, but with limited manpower and funding, it had not yet happened.
We expected something along the lines of plywood signs with painted logos and directions. Connor decided to take this project to a far greater level of excellence. He researched the best materials to use and found a highly resistant polycarbonate structure that will last much longer than wood. He found a CNC Router to engrave our logos and writings with perfection. Connor and his family then took hours detailing and painting the engravings to look phenomenal on the white signs.
On Saturday, Connor brought his family and 14 additional volunteers to the Ranch. We worked for six hours installing seven signs all around the Ranch. Connor even came back on Sunday to touch up a few spots and install an improved border on the entrance sign.
This is not the first Eagle Scout project to take place on the Ranch, and with several other aspiring Eagle Scout’s in attendance serving Saturday we are excited to welcome more going forward!
Goshen Valley is incredibly thankful for the excellent signs made by Connor Barnfield for his Eagle Scout project. Thank you to Woodstock City Church, The Boy Scouts, all of the volunteers involved, Tony and Missy Barnfield, and most of all to Connor Barnfield for the excellent work. Goshen is better because of people like you.
Goshen Graduates- Defying the Odds
- The statistics show that only 50% of youth in foster care will receive a high school diploma.
- Only 10% of former foster youth will attend college.
Graduating high school is an accomplishment to be celebrated for any teenager, but especially for youth in foster care. We want to highlight the youth in our care that have achieved this great milestone while being away from their parents and family support. We are extremely proud of each of them and the next steps they are making! Each graduate is attending college and continuing to grow with peace and purpose.
Your investment into Goshen Valley has made a way for these young people to succeed. Every gift given was utilized to surround them with the safety of a home, love of a family and hope for the future. We hope you enjoy seeing the fruits of your support!
If you would like to participate in the $50 for 5 campaign you can give a special gift in honor of our graduates below:
Summer Needs: Comfort Kits and More
As summer approaches, Goshen Valley has a variety of ways that you can help our youth have an amazing summer break! We are highlighting “Comfort Kits” as a special current need, and we also have several other ways your small group, business, or family can partner with Goshen in this season.
Goshen Valley Boys Ranch is in need of six comfort kits. These kits are designed to help our boys feel at home during what can be a tough transition into foster care. Many of our boys have trouble sleeping, and we want to provide each house with a kit that can help. If your family or small group would like to put one together please let us know.
Suggested items:
Soft blankets
Sound machines
Lava lamps
Clock radios
Night lights
Essential Oils
Diffusers
Stuffed animals that shine stars on ceiling
Plush pillows
Weighted blankets
In addition to this special current need, below are additional ways that you can partner with Goshen over the summer to help our boys have an amazing summer break!
Summer needs:
Meals delivered to homes
Off campus rec trips for a house or the whole Ranch
Access to water activities (invite a house to your pool, take a house to the lake, etc)
Pressure wash a house
Paint a deck
Soccer goals
Kayaks
Paddles
Life jackets
Gift cards to use as event prizes
For more information, or to commit to one of the listed items, please email Evan Ingram: eingram@goshenvalley.org
Fishing Rodeo
We had an incredible time at the Fishing Rodeo on Saturday! First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Renesant Bank, and Allstar Financial Group led the charge on an incredible outing for our boys. “The event was great! The boys caught over 380 fish!” says Donald Rampley. "It was exciting to see some of these young men catch a fish for the first time."
The fishing rodeo took place in Rockmart, Georgia at a private lake owned by Allstar Financial Group. There were multiple stations where groups of our boys rotated throughout the day. Adult volunteers from FBCW guided our boys at each station, ensuring each one had a great time and caught as many fish as possible.
“Every boy at the Ranch caught a fish, the volunteers made sure of it,” says Scott Gaither, house parent supervisor at the Ranch. “The event is one of the highlights of the year! Last year was great, but this year was even better!”
One of our boys who had never been fishing before absolutely loved the experience. “It was the first time I ever went fishing, and I caught six fish!” He now has a new fishing pole and is excited to try again soon.
The fishing rodeo was an incredible day for our boys, and we are very grateful for everyone who played a role in making it happen!
