About Us

Sozo Youth Sanctuary Foundation was co-founded in 2005 by its directors, Frederick O. Bolton and Dr. Lisa Burns, long-time educators devoted to working with youth at risk. This foundation has grown from a shared vision of a holistic approach to healing childhood and adolescent trauma that is often overlooked as the source of severe dysfunction and failure to thrive in many young people.

Sozo Youth Sanctuary Foundation is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, and educational purposes under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. Our bylaws clearly state that we do not show discrimination in regard to race, religion, creed, or sexual identity.

Sozo Youth Sanctuary Foundation is not affiliated with Bethel Sozo International nor any of its practices, nor with any other organization utilizing the name Sozo. Sozo is a greek word, meaning to protect, to heal, to restore. This is the meaning we attribute to the word, which may be used by other parties differently.

A note from Frederick and Lisa:

Sozo has been for us a divinely inspired life mission and vision; simply, we are both spiritual people and feel it is what God has called us to do. Further, in the spirit of holistic healing, we are attentive to the spiritual traditions and needs of our clients as a part of their overall health and wellness; we are a religious nonprofit not affiliated with any denomination or religious entity.

We will do our best to provide spiritually seeking youth with the guidance and information they may need to find their own authentic spirituality. There is no aspect of spiritual evangelism or proselytism to our foundation.

We wish to openly show our gratitude for the many blessings we have received and the quiet miracles that play out every day in the life of Sozo, as this vision continues to manifest itself in the most amazing ways.