Goshen Valley Named AJC Top Workplace
Goshen Valley has been named a 2023 Top Workplace by the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC).
Goshen Valley is thrilled to announce that we have been recognized as an AJC Top Workplace for the third consecutive year in 2023! This honor is a testament to our commitment to creating a positive and empowering work environment for our team members.
The Top Workplace award is based on feedback collected from our staff through an anonymous survey conducted by Energage, a leading provider of employee engagement surveys. This survey measures several factors, including organizational culture, communication, career development opportunities, and work-life balance.
Goshen Valley CEO, Zach Blend, states, “Being recognized as an AJC Top Workplace for the third year in a row is a tremendous honor for our team at Goshen Valley. Our growth in serving children, youth, and families is thanks to the collective investment of our supporters, and so importantly, of our staff. As we continue to serve unique needs and expand our impact, we recognize the importance of providing a work environment that fosters growth, positivity, and excellence. This award is a direct reflection of that focus.”
At Goshen Valley, we believe that our employees are our greatest asset, and we strive to provide them with the support and resources they need to thrive both personally and professionally. Our team is made up of dedicated, compassionate individuals who are passionate about serving the children and families in our care. We foster a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and mutual respect, and we are committed to supporting each other every step of the way.
Not only is this announcement meaningful for Goshen employees, it also makes a major impact on the youth and families that we serve. The 120 kids in our care have had family come in and out of their lives previously, and Goshen wants to ensure the staff and foster parents that work with them are in it for the long haul.
The vulnerable families in need of mental health services coming to Goshen can know that their case worker and therapist will be better equipped to get them back on their feet. Prospective foster families who are considering making a life altering change to bring kids into their home know that they will have the training and support of a great team that will be by their side through the journey.
We are incredibly proud to have been recognized as an AJC Top Workplace for the past three years, and we are committed to continuing to provide our employees with the best possible work environment. Thank you to our amazing team for making this achievement possible!
Goshen Family Resource Center
Goshen Valley Announces the Goshen Family Resource Center
On Thursday, March 2nd 2023, Goshen Valley Foundation sponsored the March “Good Morning Cherokee” breakfast in partnership with SouthState Bank.
This event, put on by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, served as a platform for the official announcement of the Goshen Family Resource Center to our local community.
Goshen Valley’s Director of Development, Evan Ingram, stepped on stage first and spoke about Goshen’s three programs that serve children in foster care. He reminded everyone what it might feel like to be a child in school being called to the principal’s office, only to be told you wouldn’t be going home to your family that day. Evan spoke to Goshen Valley’s mission: bringing Peace and Purpose to youth in foster care.
With this mission in mind, he introduced Goshen’s CEO, Zach Blend, to speak about Goshen’s vision in bringing this same Peace and Purpose to families all over the region by targeting root cause issues at the Goshen Family Resource Center.
“A few years ago, we started to discuss the concept of prevention. Prevention with standard, prevention with class, prevention with that same sense of outcomes that you all have come to expect from Goshen. We started that discussion around root cause issues that are the reasons behind why kids end up in foster care,” Zach states.
He spoke to these root cause issues, such as incarceration, affordable housing, employment security, addiction, and mental and behavioral health. These are not only issues that cause families to fracture and kids to enter foster care, but they’re also common issues that families everywhere struggle with. At the Goshen Family Resource Center, home of Goshen Therapeutic Services, Goshen aims to provide services to address these root cause issues.
Goshen Therapeutic Services (GTS), founded in 2019, will call the Family Resource Center home. Since its inception, GTS has grown to serve 2,440 clients across more than 19 counties in 2022, and that number is set to expand even more in 2023. Due to this rapid expansion Goshen Therapeutic Services needed a new home…
Largely due to the receipt of ARPA funding, Goshen Valley was able to purchase and begin renovations on 230 Marietta Hwy. Canton, GA 30114 as a hub for therapeutic and family support services as the Goshen Family Resource Center.
Located in the heart of Canton, Georgia, this facility will be home to Goshen Therapeutic Services, where GTS will provide essential services to those in the community in need. Services are to include individual and family therapy, insurance based services, group counseling, psychiatry, family visitation, and a community navigator initiative to help those in need find the organizations and resources that can aid them.
The mission behind the Goshen Family Resource Center is the same: providing peace and purpose to our community. This time, Goshen looks through the lens of prevention through root cause solutions.
Goshen looks to open the Family Resource Center in 2023 after the launch of a fundraising initiative in the coming months.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for additional information on how to be involved.
Goshen Valley Awarded Family Resource Center Funding
Goshen Valley is one of 6 organizations in the state of Georgia awarded a 3-year funding cohort through the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services to start a Family Resource Center in Cherokee County.
Joining with and following the standards of the Georgia Family Support Network in October of 2022, Goshen Valley will provide primary prevention services to families in our community.
This Family Resource Center will provide low-cost to free parenting classes, support groups, teen support groups, life skills, behavior management, coordinated community referrals and therapy. We are so excited to begin this journey in serving families in need before they reach the need for DFCS intervention. Goshen Valley will work hand-in-hand with the Cherokee County School District, other community non-profits, local churches, and civic organizations to identify families who would like to participate.
"We understand that foster care is too often the result of something terrible taking place in the life of a child. Now is the time for Goshen to play a more prominent role in keeping the circumstances from ever happening. Our leadership team guided by our Board of Directors is committed to extending its influence by providing a wide range of preventive services in the years to come. This work will be led by our Goshen Therapeutic Services division. The mobilization of our Family Resource Center and the support offered as a result will be at the heart of those efforts."- Zach Blend, CEO Goshen Valley Foundation
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
Brasfield & Gorrie at Goshen Valley
Brasfield & Gorrie at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch
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.
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.
With large acreage to care for including six homes and other facilities, the Facilities Director at Goshen Valley, Josh Williamson, has a long list of projects to work on. Over the past two weeks, his list got a lot smaller - thanks to Brasfield & Gorrie.
Over the past two weeks, Brasfield & Gorrie sent their summer internship group and multiple superintendents to oversee the completion of many needed projects at Goshen Valley. Brasfield & Gorrie donated all time and materials to complete the following projects:
- A Horse Barn
- Back Deck of the Administration building
- Re-leveling front porch of the Administration building
- Pond Renovation for recreational use
- Grading at Pond
- Hardscaping pathway to pond
- Laying riprap at pond
- Finishing the recreational Creekside Trail
- Re-building 3 bridges at the Creekside Chapel
- Grading field by baseball diamond
- Grading the road to the top fishing lake
- Spreading gravel over creekside trail and chapel
- Building staircase behind the James House to make the top level accessible
- Fixing horse fences
- Clearing brush
- Donating leftover materials worth over $5,000
Maintenance Director at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, Josh Williamson, knows best how this will impact not only The Ranch, but also the boys in foster care who call Goshen home.
“In total it would take me over a year with the budget, staff, and equipment I have access to, to do what Brasfield & Gorrie has done in two weeks. The impact Brasfield & Gorrie has had on our facilities here at the Ranch will be felt for years to come by our staff and, more importantly, the boys we serve. In addition, opportunities for teaching our young men were created by having Brasfield on site as they demonstrated excellence in quality and safety, as well as demonstrating a healthy working environment. Opportunities like this do not have a price tag.” - Josh Williamson, Director of Facilities at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch.
As a community, we want to thank Brasfield & Gorrie for going above and beyond to be servant leaders and to be an integral partner for Goshen Valley. The foster youth in care at Goshen are better for it, and our community is stronger even still.
Goshen Leadership Academy Founding Class of 2022
Congratulations to our graduates of the first ever Goshen Leadership Academy.
Goshen Leadership Academy was founded to provide emerging leaders at Goshen Valley with an all-encompassing view of what it takes to be a leader. We covered topics from finance to strategic planning all within the framework of Mission, Margin, Morale, and Compliance.
Goshen Valley CEO, Zach Blend, says, “With Goshen's growth over the past decade, including the opening of three new agencies, our footprint has expanded significantly. I felt it was important that we find ways for our emerging leaders to stay connected to one another and to each other's mission. The creation of Goshen Academy established such a platform for consistent collaboration across agencies. We're thrilled with the positive feedback that we have received from those that were chosen to participate and look forward to extending the opportunity to another class of participants sometime in the future."
Our 2022 Graduating Class:
Gabby Brumfield - Goshen Homes Program Director
Molly Phillips - Human Resources Assistant
Sarah Palmer - Goshen Therapeutic Services Clinical Supervisor
Giselle Francis - Goshen New Beginnings Program Director
Anthony Hall - Goshen New Beginnings Life Coach
Chuck Russell - Goshen New Beginnings
Courtney Argo - Goshen Therapeutic Services Program Manager
Kristy Pastush - Goshen Valley Boys Ranch Medical Coordinator
Megan Cortland - Goshen Valley Boys Ranch Program Director
Jamie Crews - Goshen Homes Case Management Supervisor
Caitlin Brunson - Marketing and Community Engagement Coordinator
Kathleen Bradley - Goshen Homes Home Licensing Supervisor
Goshen Valley Chief of Staff, Chris Thomas, who led the Leadership Academy initiative, says, “I am so proud of this group of emerging leaders. Over the past year they have learned not only how to be better leaders, but more importantly they have learned more about themselves and what they bring to the mission of Goshen Valley. Goshen’s ability to continue to grow and thrive is greatly enhanced by the talent of this group.”
Finally, as with all things Goshen, our key community partners were front and center in this effort. Goshen is appreciative of the community partners who took the time to share their experience and leadership experience with our class, including:
Dr. Debra Murdock - Chief Operating Officer, Cherokee County School District
Melissa Lindh - Global CFO, Universal Alloy Corporation
Kevin Williams - Chick-fil-A Operator
Rennie Curran - University of Georgia Football Alumni
Julie Carter - Cherokee County CASA
Brooke Ford - Cherokee County DFCS Director
Mark Roberts - President, Reinhardt University
Nathan Castleberry - Lead Pastor, Local Church Canton
Peter McGaffigan, Managing Director, Wells Fargo Private Bank/Goshen Board Chairman
Bryan Apinis - Director of Intersect Project, North Point Community Church
Jordyn Davis, Intersect Coordinator, Woodstock City Church
Meg Davidson, Community Relations Director, Woodstock City Church
Goshen is proud to have these emerging leaders on our team working for the foster youth in our care. Congratulations Goshen Leadership Academy!
Goshen Valley named a 2022 AJC Top Workplace
Goshen Valley has been named one of the AJC’s Top 20 Workplaces 2022!
The Goshen Valley Foundation has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For the 2022 rankings, 4,583 companies were nominated or asked to participate. Out of 87 small businesses, Goshen Valley is ranked number 16 among Top Workplaces in Atlanta.
We are grateful to the 81 full time employees at Goshen Valley who felt that we were deserving of this recognition. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.
I find that people are often surprised by the size of our organization. Over the past four years Goshen has grown by nearly 50% with today 80 or so full time employees. We are selective in the process of adding talent to our team and have been successful at keeping our turnover low in a season where there is almost an expected staff fluidity due to the economic state of things.
Not only is this announcement meaningful for Goshen employees, it also makes a major impact on the youth and families that we serve. The 115 kids in our care have had family come in and out of their lives previously, and Goshen wants to ensure the staff and foster parents that work with them are in it for the long haul. The vulnerable families in need of mental health services coming to Goshen can know that their case worker and therapist will be better equipped to get them back on their feet. Prospective foster families who are considering making a life altering change to bring kids into their home know that they will have the training and support of a great team that will be by their side through the journey.
This announcement means a great deal to the team at Goshen Valley, and we are excited for the ways that it will impact our youth and families as we work to create generational change in the lives of families and foster youth in Georgia.
Goshen Homes Celebrates 10 Reunifications
Goshen Homes: keeping siblings together and reuniting families.
Goshen Homes is designed for reunification.
We believe that the best place for a child is with their family, if their family can get healthy and stable. While adoptions do happen occasionally, our main priority is for kids to end up back in their family. We are thrilled to say that in July we celebrated 10 youth returning to their families!
*These names were were changed for privacy reasons.
While we love the pictures that come with an adoption celebration, we want to celebrate family reunifications just as much! There is no better example of Goshen Homes living out its mission than the above 4 families coming back together!
Not only were all of these sibling groups placed together during their time in care (another key component of Goshen Homes' mission), they are leaving foster care returning to healthy families!
Help Goshen Homes Cover the Gap!
Goshen Valley receives the majority of our funding from Georgia DFCS. We receive a certain amount for each day a child is in our care. Thanks to your generosity, Goshen is in a strong enough place financially to push for reunifications without hesitation. You have allowed us to always pursue the best possible outcome for each child regardless of the financial implication.
Your support today will ensure that Goshen stays in this place of strength, always knowing that we can put the needs of our kids first.
Donate to help restore families.
Thank you for making reunifications like these possible..
Our team is thankful for you, but I know there are 4 families who are even more grateful.
-Your Goshen Family
P.S: We have some amazing foster parents who stand in the gap to love these children during their time in foster care. We need more people who are interested in providing a loving home to sibling groups.
If you'd like to learn more about fostering, download our fostering guide at Goshenvalley.org/homes
Brasfield & Gorrie selects Goshen Valley as Nonprofit Partner of the Year
Brasfield & Gorrie selects Goshen Valley as Nonprofit Partner for their 2021-2022 Fall Fundraiser
After a month-long process which began with 13 nonprofit applicants, Brasfield & Gorrie has 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 to support the chosen nonprofit’s mission.
As of 2019, Goshen launched a new program to target root cause issues surrounding foster care, providing mental health and therapy services to families at risk of experiencing a foster care placement in the future. This funding will allow Goshen Valley to scale this program and serve far more vulnerable families. 
Zach Blend, CEO of Goshen Valley, says, “This is an exciting time in the life of Goshen Valley. As our direct care work with Georgia’s foster children enters its 23rd year, we are equally excited about the positive influence we can also have through serving at-risk families preventively. The support raised by Brasfield & Gorrie and their subcontractors will fund the progression of Goshen Therapeutic Services throughout the state’s northwest region. Our intention is to continue to serve foster children within our three operating agencies to the very best of our ability while being mindful of the root cause matters that create the need for such services. Easy access to therapy, family counseling and other support services is the first step in that process.”
This year Brasfield & Gorrie instituted a new process to select their nonprofit partner of the year. Thirteen non-profits were invited to complete an application, and five were selected to present to a leadership committee. The group was then narrowed down to three, and an employee vote determined the winner. Goshen Valley received 53% of the employee votes in this process.
“In addition to the financial support our employees and trade contractors will provide, we will participate in service days on Goshen’s Ranch campus. We love getting our hands dirty,” said Brent Perkins, director of personal development at Brasfield & Gorrie. Perkins led the selection committee.
“At Brasfield & Gorrie we believe in building strong communities. We love being a blessing to others. Goshen’s work with boys in the foster care system, the therapeutic services offered to families, and their increasing focus on root cause education for families all line up with our values. We are excited to be a partner with Goshen Valley!” - Brent Perkins
Zach Blend compared residential foster care to running a construction business, but one where you can only build on the site of a previous catastrophe. “We do great work in residential care, but we also want to focus on root-cause. We want to stabilize families before the building collapses. This funding will allow us to expand our work in ways that will keep families strong before a foster care placement occurs. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Brasfield & Gorrie, and we are confident that many families will be strengthened and rescued as a direct result of this partnership.”
About Brasfield & Gorrie
Founded in 1964, Brasfield & Gorrie is one of the nation’s largest privately held construction firms, providing general contracting, design-build, and construction management services for a wide variety of markets. We are skilled in construction best practices, including virtual design and construction, integrated project delivery, and Lean construction, but we are best known for our preconstruction and self-perform expertise and exceptional client service. Brasfield & Gorrie has 12 offices and more than 3,200 employees. Our 2020 revenues were $3.9 billion. Engineering News-Record ranks Brasfield & Gorrie 22nd among the nation’s “Top 400 Contractors” for 2020. Brasfield & Gorrie is ENR Southeast's 2021 Contractor of the Year.