In the late 1990s, Sandy and Justin Ullom were working in youth ministry at a church in Oklahoma City when they began volunteering at a boys' ranch outside of the city. The more time they spent helping out, the more they saw the need. And the more they saw the need, the more they developed a vision to do similar work wherever life would take them.
After returning to Justin's hometown of Muncie, Indiana to live closer to family, they decided to begin a family of their own. Over time, that family grew and in 2010, with five sons of their own and a family-owned business, Sandy and Justin continued to feel a pull to recreate a place similar to the work they had experienced years before. They began working out the details of creating a home for at-risk boys in northern Delaware County, Indiana.
When Brad and Julie Benbow approached them with some available land and a desire to partner together to create this type of place, Sandy and Justin knew there was no turning back. With a board of directors and 501(c)3 status, Sandy and Justin founded the organization called Windswept Hills, Inc. This name was created as a tribute to the property which sits at the highest point in Delaware County and as a reminder of Ezekiel 37 where we read about the wind of God sweeping across the valley giving life back to a pile of dry bones. Their desire is that Windswept Hills be a place in the 21st century where God's spirit will give back life to children who have been robbed of it through unfortunate circumstances.
The initiative once specifically for boys is called Treefort, representing that safe and fun haven boys has continued to evolve. In the summer of 2020, Treefort will become an endowment in order to offer assistance to families who are supporting many more children whose lives are in crisis. There is no doubting the work of God as Treefort has grown from an idea to a nonprofit supporting healthy living environments for children in need.
Over time, Treefort has transitioned from being an organization that runs a home for boys in crisis to supporting healthy families who are caring for children in crisis in their own homes. We believe that our resources can be used to reach many more children and support many more families by serving children in this way. To find our more about how we are doing this, click here.
Will you help? Will you partner with Treefort to give children the healthy family foundation they need to grow into the young adults our society needs? Will you help these children avoid the path on which neglect and abuse are almost certain to place them? Click here to learn how to take part in this life-changing place.