Gordon and Vicki Hankins

Gordon and Vicki Hankins founded Kleos in 1989, but their passion for rescuing troubled children began long before then. When they first came to Klamath County, they founded & pastored a church for fifteen years. During that time, the Hankins' time off was spent traveling the country studying child care facilities and techniques. They saw a lot of "institutional care", but not much emphasis on prevention (see the discussion of prevention in the Statement of Mission). They observed care being given at "arms-length", rather than vital parental relationships being formed between caregivers and kids under their care. They saw kids passed from home to home, from institution to institution rather than kids receiving stable long-term care and contact from the caregivers.

Fueled by their passion and their research, Gordon and Vicki founded Kleos. Their guiding principle: Hurting kids need a stable loving home with parents, a long-term commitment of time and resources and a practical application of the love of God in their lives. Their hard work soon began to pay off. Kids who had been branded "hopeless" or "incorrigible" by society began to make good lasting changes in their lives. Over time, the Hankins' son Jonathan became increasingly involved in caring for the kids at Kleos. The Hankins also built a hand-picked staff dedicated to the kids.

The Hankins' success and passion for excellence did not go unnoticed by the state of Oregon. Currently, roughly 30% of the kids at Kleos are placed by Oregon social service agencies. Gordon, Vicki and the staff have cultivated an excellent working relationship with Oregon officials at many levels.

Many of the kids that arrive at Kleos have experienced failure at school. To address this need, Gordon and Vicki formed the Riversbend Academy, where Vicki taught in a one-room schoolhouse environment for the first two years. In 1995, the Riversbend Academy was recognized by Klamath County as an alternative school.

Gordon and Vicki admit that they don't always get to see the fruit of the investment they make in a child's life. Many times, however, they witness the moment when a child first realizes they are of great worth, they can succeed, and they can love others. Gordon and Vicki fondly remember Tiffany, who was placed as a 14 year old runaway. Before arriving at Kleos, she had made a string of bad decisions, and her life was over as far as she was concerned. At Kleos, Tiffany regained a sense of self-worth and confidence. She maintained a 4.0 grade point average through high school. After deciding she wanted to be a pediatrician, Tiffany began corresponding with a doctor at Johns Hopkins University who continued to encourage Tiffany. Today, Tiffany is a sophomore in college, and is headed for medical school at Johns Hopkins University. Tiffany told her assembled high school student body that Kleos, and the love of Gordon, Vicki and the staff, turned her life around.

All of this adds up to an incredibly hectic life for the Hankins. Through it all, they draw strength from the Lord to continue the work, and they always have a smile and a hug for "their" Kleos kids.

And scores of kids are better for it!