Wolf Creek Academy was founded 30 years ago to help struggling teens by James (Jimbo) and Dr. Patricia Jones, Jeremey Jones’ parents.
During the foundational years, Wolf Creek Academy became a place of refuge for struggling teenagers and families. Those early years were essential for the development of the program that we have today.
Jimbo and Dr. Pat started Wolf Creek Academy with a very small staff that poured everything they had into those youth. From two people doing all of the day to day tasks; education, culinary, medical, counseling, and spiritual growth, Wolf Creek Academy developed into the program it is today, with almost 30 staff members, having helped thousands of students and families. Jeremey and Angela married in ‘93. Their young married life was filled with building and selling multiple businesses, having babies and enjoying their life together. As their family began to grow, so did the urge to help youth. This drive led them to serve as assistant youth pastors and begin volunteering at Wolf Creek. Jeremey and Angela joined Wolf Creek full time in ’97 with the complete immersion of 7 young men, that needed guidance and unconditional love, into their home. They juggled running a business, the young men in their care and taking care of their own babies. Those experiences continued to forge the foundation for the program that we have today.
Instilling the Love of God into the Hearts of Teens
For over thirty years, the Jones family has been working in ministry with children and youth and raising their own families. Their passion for the angry, lonely, and abused has helped Wolf Creek Academy reach thousands of teens and their families, making a tremendous impact on so many lives. Jeremey and Angela now have five sons who share a passion for hurting families. The Jones family possesses strong family values and an overwhelming amount of love for the Wolf Creek Academy students. Jimbo and Dr. Pat created Wolf Creek out of love in their hearts for children and a desire to help them. They worked to instill the love of God into the hearts of as many teens as He brought to them. What they began so many years ago is still our program’s heartbeat today.
In January 2013, Dr. Patricia Jones was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. While she fought with dignity and grace, Dr. Pat ultimately lost her fight on September 15, 2013. At that time, Jimbo decided to move into a time of retirement. He and Dr. Pat worked side by side for so many amazing years that he decided he could not do it without her. It was then that Jeremey and Angela stepped up to the challenge. While they may not have been completely ready, they picked up the mantle without question because they carried the very same burning in their hearts that Jim and Pat did for all those years.
Since the fall of 2013, Wolf Creek has evolved into a better than 1 to 1-ratio of staff to students. Jeremey and Angela have an overwhelming desire to continually improve the services and care that Wolf Creek Academy provides to its families and clients. With a natural sense of adventure and a true love for the outdoors, it only made sense to bring in the element of Adventure Therapy. That said, in the fall of 2016, Jeremey and Angela set out on a path to surround themselves with adventurous professionals who would come alongside them and join their team at Wolf Creek Academy. They now have an amazing team that provides excellent services to both the students and their families. They are blessed to have an entire Wolf Creek Family who shares their vision and passion.
At Wolf Creek Academy, we are all about families. This is proven once again, as we see the next generation of the Jones family serve alongside their parents, and on some occasions, their Papa (Jimbo). Having five sons means there is always a Jones close by. They can be found participating in various campus activities or simply sitting with a group of students and chatting. Not only can the Jones boys be found lending a hand, but you can also see our staff’s family members volunteering or just hanging out with the students and their family members. We hire couples, we encourage family involvement when possible, and we model what healthy relationships look like. Wolf Creek was founded with profound roots of unconditional love for those in need, and this love is the thread that connects Wolf Creek Academy over the generations. We look forward to what the future has in store for the entire Wolf Creek Academy Family.
