Our Mission
The mission of The Louis Zamperini Foundation is to bring the good news of hope, forgiveness and redemption to at risk youth by sharing the Louis Zamperini story.
Reaching Youth With A Life Changing Story
We bring the gospel message to thousands of at-risk and imprisoned youth. We provide Bibles, Louis’ books and curriculum, along with mentoring programs as a means of demonstrating the goodness of God and the value of their lives. Through Louis’ powerful story of being lost at sea, imprisoned and trapped in a spiral of anger and despair, his story makes known to them the power of God’s love and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.
How Your support changes lives
Increasingly. . .Our children are losing hope, faith, dignity, and a grasp of how their behavior today molds their future for tomorrow! The traditional sources of these values, (intact families, God, church, school) have become marginalized or corrupted. This results in our kids seeking gratification and inclusion from worldly sources leading often to destructive, risky behavior. Studies have shown that feelings of hopelessness are linked to risk taking behaviors. We have a story that continues to PROVIDE HOPE!
Luke Zamperini addresses a group of students at Sunburst Youth Academy, 2017.
Luke sharing his fathers message of HOPE at the Ventura County Youth Correctional Facility in California.
The chapel was filled with attentive hearts and minds, fully open to hearing the life changing story of redemption. This story captures youth in an unparalleled way!
Our Solution
• For over 65 years, the incredible story of Louis Zamperini has provided youth with a ‘real-life’ example of overcoming hardship through a transformed life providing kids with HOPE. To quote one 14 year old student, "Your story resonates with me so much beause it is the story of life after hardship, forgiveness after pain, belonging after losing oneself. Whenever I am in a tough situation, I will ask myself, 'What would Louis do?'"
• We are continuing to bring Louis’ story to youth today by reaching out to at-risk youth in Public and Private schools, Foster Care programs, Churches, Camps, Youth Correctional Facilities, and the National Guard Youth Challenge Program.
• To reach more youth, we are developing an immersive, transformative, Project-based curriculum for use in Public and Private Schools nationwide. Curriculum is in development for over 200 camps for Foster Care Children.
Our Impact
• The unique nature of Louis’ story…Troubled Youth, Olympian, Survival-at-Sea, POW, and rescue… captivates today’s youth...opening their minds to the saving message of redemption, transformation, and forgiveness.
• Thousands of lives have been changed; we want to increase that impact nationwide with our new curriculum. With 5-years of classroom experience to draw from, this module has proven effective.
Luke and Lisa Zamperini sharing the Good News through the donation of Bibles!
Please Join Us!
We are seeking support for prayer, resources and financial support to help open doors in an often hostile mission field. Today’s kids are at-risk. We offer HOPE to the hopeless, and the model of forgiveness to a broken world.
Your help is vital so we may continue the success of Louis’ mission for generations to come. This is missionary work and our mission field is right here in the USA.
Please partner with us in prayer and giving…Impacting eternity today.
FOSTERING COURAGE, HOPE, PURPOSE AND DIRECTION FOR OVER 60 YEARS
After coming to faith in Jesus Christ and forgiving his former captors, Louis Zamperini dedicated the rest of his life to helping at risk youth. In 1952 he established Victory Boy’s Camps which is now known as Louis Zamperini Youth Ministries.
What was once a tiny camp in the mountains north of Los Angeles is now a mission outreach to at risk youth across our nation. Bringing the lessons learned from Louis’ extraordinary life, we are awakening in them the truth that forgiveness, perseverance and faith in Jesus Christ can carry anyone though the worst storms in life awakening them to God’s promise of a perfect plan for their lives.
“For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Louis Zamperini leads a group of boys in Bible study and prayer, 1955.
VICTORY BOYS' CAMPS
Celebrating 64 years providing inspiration, guidance and a path forward to at-risk youth, Victory Boys Camps continues its long and storied history, as Louis Zamperini Youth Ministries.