OUR STORY

Beyond90 was founded in 2017 by Barton and Lori Chelf.  After becoming volunteer partners with World Relief Jacksonville in 2014, they saw the essential need for sustained ongoing support needed by many refugees at the completion of their 90 days of government funding.    Despite their successful professional careers, Barton and Lori’s hearts were touched by the plight of the refugees and after feeling helpless to provide the necessary support while managing a full-time career, Lori quit her job to help refugees full-time.  In the fall of 2015, Barton and Lori sold their condo on the St. Johns River and moved into a low end apartment complex to live among the refugee community.  This move enabled them to provide support, to facilitate the learning of life skills and to build lasting friendships with refugees from all over the world.  

Unfortunately, the complex where they lived treated the refugees so poorly that they transitioned out quickly and World Relief stopped placing new families at this location.  With very few refugees onsite and their lease expiring, Barton and Lori purchased a duplex.  They moved into one side and rented the other side to a refugee family of 8 who were going to be homeless because they could not meet the income requirement necessary to move into