Sojourners Care Network

What Sojourners Care Network does

Sojourners Care Network works with young people and families in Appalachian Ohio facing homelessness, poverty, gaps in schooling and mental health challenges. Brothers Marcus and Richard Games founded it in 1999. It is based in McArthur and serves seven counties: Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Meigs, Ross and Vinton.

Its programs cover everything from a crisis to living independently. Sojourners runs a network of more than a dozen foster homes and supports families providing kinship care. It also runs emergency shelters for runaway and homeless youth in Athens, Chillicothe, Gallipolis, McArthur and Wellston, backed by a 24/7 phone line. Its Bridges program helps young people leaving foster care pay for housing and living costs and gives them case management. YouthBuild of Southeast Ohio offers job-readiness training, academic help and work experience. In Athens, the Sojo Resiliency Center has been a drop-in space for young people ages 12 to 21 since October 2020, with Wi-Fi, showers, laundry, tutoring and life-skills sessions.

Sojourners is a mid-sized local nonprofit. It reported about $3.9 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 2025 and holds a Three-Star (81%) rating from Charity Navigator. Donors can give to its general work or to a specific program, such as Summer@Sojo, its summer enrichment program for young people in foster care.

Key facts

• Serves young people and families in 7 Appalachian Ohio counties: Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Meigs, Ross and Vinton (Sojourners homepage)
• Runs emergency youth shelters in 5 towns (Athens, Chillicothe, Gallipolis, McArthur and Wellston) and a network of more than a dozen foster homes (Programs page)
• Its Sojo Resiliency Center in Athens has been open to young people ages 12–21 since October 2020 (Resiliency Center page)
• Reported $3.86M in revenue and $4.13M in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 2025 (ProPublica / IRS Form 990)

Before you give

• No online donation form: the giving page asks donors to contact Kendall Lankford at gifts@sojournerscare.net or 740-596-1117.
• Accepts in-kind donations and gifts for specific programs, such as its Martin Luther King Day celebration or Summer@Sojo.