Our Founders
Lynn and Jennie Owens
Lynn is a Tri-Cities native. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 1994 and studied at the University of Wisconsin before beginning his ministry to at-risk youth at Rawhide Boys Ranch in New London Wisconsin. After five years doing residential care, Lynn accepted the call to become the youth pastor at Appleton Alliance Church, where he lead one of the largest ministries to Jr. High Students in that state . It would be only four years however, before he felt the tug on his heart to return to residential care for some of the neediest children in the world…those without Parents.
Lynn met his wife Jennie during his tenure in Appleton. Jennie has worked with children of all ages for over 16 years. Her work experience includes teaching, leadership training, team development, event planning, volunteer recruitment and counseling. She has worked in multiple group home settings with abused and abandoned children. In addition to her MA in Education, Jennie has received extensive training in therapeutic parenting and Reactive Attachment Disorder.
Together they lived in & opened a new emergency shelter for boys in Florida. Their second resident was a six year old boy that had been in and out of shelters his entire life. One year later that boy and his 10 year old sister became Jennie & Lynn’s first children. Just 2 days after their adoption was finalized, they welcomed their third child into their home, a 10-year-old boy from Washington.
Combined, Jennie and Lynn have worked closely with over 100 children in foster & group care over the past 14 years. Their passion to help abused and neglected children prompted them to found Forever Homes. As adoptive parents to three older foster children, They continue to receive on-the-job training in helping children heal every day. Their vision is to make sure that every abused, abandoned and orphaned child in the world will have a permanent safe and loving home.
