Shawn and Shanon Blankenship are the founders of Cultivate Hope International. After 12 years of being the Executive Directors of the two adolescent centers of Teen Challenge of Oklahoma, God expanded the borders of their hearts and gave new vision. Between the two of them they have move than 50 years of experience in working with broken people. This ministry was birthed out their passion and heart for the hopeless and broken they have encountered over the years in places all over the world. When they began working for Teen Challenge God placed a burden for missions into their heart. They began taking missions trips in 2009 and since then have taken hundreds of adults and teens on multiple trips to 6 different countries. From this experience they began to see that Hope means different things to different people. A homeless widow with 3 children has hope that she will one day have a home, while an addict has hope for freedom from the bondage he or she suffers. A giant barrier to many receiving HOPE is that of resources, that come in many different forms. The tragedy is that all the resources needed are out there and someone has a VISION to supply those resources, they just don't have the connection or relationship to make it happen. Cultivate Hope is about being a conduit to building relationships so that HOPE reaches the hearts of all that have need. Where HOPE and VISION collide!
Shawn and Shanon Blankenship have been married more than 30 years and have 6 children and 5 grand children. They currently reside in Columbus, Georgia with their two youngest children Grayson and Carsyn. Shawn is a veteran of the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserve where he served with distinction as a non-commissioned officer for more than 9 years. He left active duty and received his B.S. degree in Psychology from Evangel University and a M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern State University. After 10 years of working as a therapist and administrator in a community mental health center he went on to receive his M.B.A. from Southern Nazarene University. He then served as the Executive Director for Teen Challenge of Oklahoma adolescent centers from 2005 to 2016. Shanon served along side Shawn as the Assistant Executive Director as well as the Program Manager for both the boys and girls programs of Teen Challenge Oklahoma. After many years of dedication to raising her family Shanon received her B.S. in Family Studies from Southern Nazarene University. They have currently been in full time ministry for 16 years but have served in ministry for more than 25 years. This family can be defined by their commitment and dedication to working with broken people. "We are honored that God trust us with helping Him to put the pieces back together."
