Julie Van Heest ’86 Gortsema
Julie Van Heest ’86 Gortsema is founder
and president of a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit
organization, All Our Kids Inc., which is
committed to Christ’s call to care for orphans in
distress. They serve in Tijuana, Mexico, where
due to extreme crime and poverty, children are
often abandoned at birth, forced into human
trafficking or sold into the sex trade. Others
live within deplorable housing with no running
water or basic sanitation. AOK strives to combat
the problem by sponsoring three children’s
homes that meet the essential needs for nearly
100 children, seeking to promote the well-being
of the children from cradle to career. Ultimately,
AOK strives to foster a generation of youth
who will in turn serve Christ within their local
communities in Mexico.