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.
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.
An Essay by GNB Youth, Quintavious Jennings
Your past Does Not Determine Who You Are
All I could remember was seeing the sun slowly creeping through the clouds as the officers put the handcuffs on me and escorted me to the back of the police car. I did not understand it then but being arrested and charged with several accounts would save my life. Life is full of experiences that will teach you lessons that you can either learn from or overlook. I chose to learn from every experience after this defining moment in my life. After that night, walking through doors took on a new meaning in my life and there are 3 doors that have made the biggest impact in my life: the Courthouse, the Regional Youth Detention Center and Goshen New Beginnings.
The first door that I entered that made a big impact on my life was the door to the County Courthouse in November 2014. As a thirteen-year-old, African American young man, just the idea of facing a judge with such serious charges is terrifying. Yet, four months after being charged, I had to appear in court and meet face to face with a judge, as she would be the one to give me my official sentencing. I walked to the podium and looked up at her. She stopped, stared into my eyes and said,
“You are too young, and it is not too late for you to turn your life around, but you have to want it. I can’t want it more than you.”
She reduced my sentence and added a stipulation that with good behavior I could be released early to a program into the community. After that moment, I decided to change and break the cycle of my family going in and out of jail.
The second door that I had to walk through that had a major influence on my life was the Regional Youth Detention Center. From the moment I walked into the RYDC, I realized that I never wanted to come back to a place like that. I saw young men get into fights and get beat up. Everything at the RYDC reminded me of what I wanted to get away from; gangs, fights, criminal activity, and pain. After being at the RYDC for three years, I finished my sentencing and was given the chance to go to a program that would help me achieve my goals. I went to a few programs, but it was not until I went to Goshen that I felt a true sense of family and acceptance.
In July 2019, I entered through the third door that has helped shape me into the young man I am today, though I am still growing and evolving. Goshen New Beginnings is an independent living program that supports youth like me. I needed someone to believe in me and see past my story. I needed a group of people to believe in my dreams. I needed people that saw my pain but would help me work through the pain and not give up on me. I am so blessed to have found a community that has accepted me and is providing me with the tools I need to become better. I want to do better because I know that, typically people with my story end up back in jail or dead, and that will not be my ending.
Six years ago, the chapters to my story were ugly and sad, but today I can proudly say that my past will not determine who I am or where I am headed. I have spent countless nights praying and asking God to help me turn my life around and show me the correct path to take. God has surrounded me with people who care about me, but I have learned that I need to do the work - for my past not to determine my future. My thought process, goals, and decision- making need to change, because it all starts with me, and I am worth it. Life is full of doors, and I will continue to open doors to new opportunities, happiness, and a story full of change, grace and second chances.
A letter from our CEO...
In a follow up to his father's letter to you all, our CEO, Zach Blend, took some time to thank you and to give you an update on where we are and where we are going.
Would you consider an end of year gift to support the foster youth of Goshen Valley?
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Dear Friends,
As we look forward to the new year, I consider it an honor to update you on the progress being made within Goshen Valley. A wise man once said, “if it was easy, everyone would do it.” We have an amazing team on the front lines caring for children and families, but I would be remiss if I didn't also thank our donors and community partners who have made our work to date possible. All of you are the reason that Goshen has been able to not only survive, but grow and thrive through 20 years of changing seasons.
In 2019 we celebrated our 20 year of ministry to children. Much has changed since 1999, but what has stayed consistent is the unwavering support of those who know of our work. In recent years, I feel as if we have done an admirable job at putting resources to work the right way, whether it be in our ministries that are evolving such as Goshen Valley Boys Ranch or our ministries that are emerging such as Goshen Therapeutic Services. Some important highlights and outcomes for each of our programs in 2019 include:
Goshen Valley Boys Ranch: We have completed the construction of the Goshen Community Wellness Center that includes 12,000 square feet of classroom, staff training, clinic and gymnasium space. The significance of this facility cannot be understated. We have new found capacity to serve our boys and our staff in ways not previously capable.
Goshen New Beginnings: In May we congratulated 9 high school graduates, setting a mark locally and nationally. 7 of those young people are now enrolled in college.
Goshen Homes: We now serve nearly 40 children; all of whom are siblings that were at risk of experiencing separation absent the care of our foster families. We have families located in Cherokee, Cobb and Pickens County.
Goshen Therapeutic Services: We have a new opportunity to work both with birth families impacted by foster care, and also to preventatively help at-risk families be strengthened before losing their children. We were awarded the state contracts to provide these services in August, and we look forward to a wider launch in 2020.
We understand that now is not the time to rest on our laurels. Now is the time to seek ways to create better outcomes for our youth in residential care while starting to offer family-preservation services. I am confident that we are ready to do both with the high standard that Goshen has become known for, but we can only continue to do them with your help.
We are well positioned to truly shape both child welfare and community mental health in the state of Georgia in the years ahead, but we cannot do it without you. As you consider your end-of-year giving, I ask that you remember Goshen Valley. The well-being of our children and the future of local families hangs in the balance, and we hope you will answer the call as part of our Goshen Family.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,
Zach Blend
Chief Executive Officer Goshen Valley Foundation
A Letter from our Founder...
With the end of the year approaching and our need for giving growing with the holidays, our founder, John Blend, sent a letter to our donors. We wanted to share it with you, our Goshen Family.
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Friends,
I was raised a Lutheran. Sunday School, acolyte, Boy Scout, Little League, Luther League, on to a Lutheran college. My dad took the same train every day, my mom was at home. I was in the inaugural Baby Boomer batch.
In 1966, the summer of my sophomore year in college, I studied Latin American literature at the National University of Mexico, in Mexico City, DF. When not in class, I worked in a jewelry factory near the University. Over the summer, I volunteered at a Catholic orphanage in the suburbs of Mexico City. The orphans were “thalidomide babies”, born with no arms. I brought broken jewelry from the factory to the orphanage and the kids were paid to restring the broken necklaces with their feet and toes. When I came back to the States that fall, I would try to send the Mother Superior $20 when I could.
Thus came the seeds of Goshen Valley.
Twenty years ago, having spent the years prior riding horses and teaching my daughter to drive our old Jeep, God woke the seeds brought from the hills of Mexico City, and led the Blends to welcoming hurting kids and servant families to Goshen Valley. We established the Goshen Valley Foundation in 1998, and gifted Goshen Valley back to Christ.
Over these past 2 decades, the Goshen Family has listened, learned, and executed. A dear preacher friend observed some years ago that he preferred if Goshen would pray, not plan, as the story has already been written. There’s wisdom there.
So, what is in store for Goshen? If the past is the prelude, we will continue to serve. Our community will continue to sacrifice at our side and on our behalf. We will hope that our Father is pleased with the sanctuary He has given us.
In a coming note, Zach will share more about where Goshen is heading in the future. For now, I want to thank you for your role in the past 20 years of Goshen. We believe God has made the world a more welcoming place for the youth who have called Goshen Valley home, and for that, we thank you.
With love and much gratitude,
John Blend
Goshen hosts 7th annual Cherokee Child Welfare Luncheon presented by Northside Hospital Cherokee
Goshen hosts the 7th annual Cherokee Child Welfare Luncheon presented by Northside Hospital Cherokee.
On Thursday Sept 19, over 275 community leaders in child welfare came together for the 7th annual Cherokee Child Welfare Luncheon, presented by Northside Hospital-Cherokee. This year’s event was headlined by Tom Rawlings, state director of DFCS, and we were also joined by Miss Georgia 2019 Victoria Hill.
Ike Reighard of Must Ministries opened the day with a prayer and an update on Must’s recent State of Hope grant. They were awarded these funds in an effort to service families preventatively, with the aim of fewer youth entering in to foster care.
Victoria Hill, Miss Georgia 2019, shared her passion for assisting girls in foster care, and told those in attendance how she plans to use her platform this year to help foster youth. Victoria then sang “A Horse with Wings,” a song she says could have been written from the perspective of a child in foster care. Victoria will be competing in the Miss America pageant on December 19th.
Zach Blend, CEO of Goshen Valley, then shared an update on Goshen Valley. He shared that Goshen has launched our fourth agency; Goshen Therapeutic Services. This agency is designed to strengthen and restore families through licensed, comprehensive therapeutic services. The aim of this program is to provide services both to families who have already lost their children to foster care, and also strengthen those at risk of losing their children. Zach also gave an update on the Goshen Community Wellness Center, set to open in November on site at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, and shared the story of the 9 high school graduates from Goshen Valley in May 2019.
Brooke Ford, Director of Cherokee County DFCS, provided an update on our local DFCS office. Brooke shared that their after hours team is fully staffed, they have hired 18 new case managers this year, and that employee retention is an important focus for their team. Brooke also shared a video of their employees sharing stories of why they choose to live, work, and play in Cherokee County.
Tom Rawlings, State Director of the Division of Family and Children Services, shared about his work and priorities as the head of DFCS. He said his main goal in office is to improve the support of the frontline workers. He wants frontline DFCS workers to be seen as heroes in the same light as nurses, firefighters, teachers, and other professions are in the eyes of the community. He stated that this change will reduce turnover and improve safety and outcomes for the youth served by DFCS.
This year, 2 Goshen Spirit Awards were given to community leaders who have gone above and beyond to serve the vulnerable children of our community. The first was given to Deidre Hollands, former leader of Cherokee County CASA. Deidre served for 19 years and founded CASA in Cherokee County. She led the campaign to build the Children’s Haven visitation center across from Cherokee High School that serves to reunite and restore families. The second award went to Ronnie Reece who this year retired from a full career working security in the Cherokee County Court. Ronnie is a much-beloved member of our community who is highly deserving of this award.
The program concluded with all in attendance reciting Our Cherokee Commitment, a pledge recited at the event each year. Goshen Valley would like to thank all who attended and made this event such a success. More pictures from the event can be found on Goshen Valley’s Facebook page.
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/