We’re on a mission.
Our Story
When my husband, Chris, and I brought our two youngest children home from China, the road to FARM127 had already begun. God had placed in each of us a heart for the fatherless. This not only led us to adoption but also to volunteering with local organizations that serve vulnerable children.
In 2020, while volunteering here in Charlotte, our perspective of the fatherless expanded from not only young children in need of a home and family, but also to those young adults aging out of foster care with nowhere to go and little to no support.
James 1:27 tells us to care for the fatherless who need help. FARM127 was founded to answer this call
Co-Founder and Executive Director,
Bethany Knox
The data
Young adults aging out of foster care are image-bearers of God, not statistics. The data shared here helps explain why organizations like FARM127 exist, but it does not define the future of any individual young adult. Every person is created in the image of God with dignity, purpose, and potential. With God’s help, there is hope beyond every statistic.
Each year, more than 15,000 young adults age out of foster care nationwide without reunification, adoption, or guardianship.¹ In North Carolina, programs like LINKS and Extended Foster Care recognize that the transition to adulthood often requires more than independence alone. Many young adults still need housing, guidance, community, and practical support as they begin building stable adult lives.²
That need is real here in our own community. Local research in Mecklenburg County found that 7.4% of youth with foster care experience faced homelessness between ages 18 and 21, underscoring how important stable relationships and safe housing can be during this stage of life.³
And the broader housing crisis for young adults is visible across Charlotte-Mecklenburg. In FY 2025, 152 unaccompanied young adults ages 18–24 were identified as experiencing literal homelessness in the community’s One Number median.⁴ While this number is not limited to youth who aged out of foster care, it reminds us that young adults without stable family support face real housing vulnerability during the transition to adulthood.
FARM127 exists to help bridge that gap through Christ-centered community, mentorship, housing support, and practical care — walking alongside young adults as they move toward stability, independence, and hope.
Sources:
Mission
Fueled by biblical faith, our mission is to encourage, train, and nurture young adults aging out of foster care toward purpose-filled, productive adulthood.
Our Vision
A community where young adults aging out of foster care learn to thrive and know they are valued.
Why is FARM capitalized?
It’s an acronym to help us remember the principles that lead to healing and ultimately multiplication.
Fortify the mind
Affirm the person
Renew the spirit
Mobilize a generation
And the 127? What does that mean?
They are chapter and verse numbers for two scriptures that summarize our mission:
James 1: 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Genesis 1: 27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Meet the team
Bethany Knox, Executive Director / Co-Founder
Bethany Knox is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of FARM127. Her heart for vulnerable children and young adults grew through adoption, foster-care-related volunteer work, and a deep conviction that biblical faith calls the Church to care for the fatherless.
After she and her husband, Chris, brought their two youngest children home from China, Bethany continued serving with local organizations supporting vulnerable children and families. In 2020, her understanding of the need expanded as she began seeing the gap faced by young adults aging out of foster care: many stepping into adulthood without stable housing, family support, or a steady community around them.
Bethany leads FARM127 with a desire to create more than a program. Her vision is for a safe, Christ-centered community where young adults are known, supported, encouraged, and given room to grow into purpose-filled adulthood. FARM127’s mission is rooted in James 1:27 and the call to care for those who need family, belonging, and practical help.
Chris Knox, Development Director / Co-Founder
Chris Knox is the Co-Founder of FARM127 and shares a deep commitment to serving young adults aging out of foster care. Alongside Bethany, Chris helped shape the vision for FARM127 out of a desire to respond faithfully to the needs of the fatherless and to help create a place where young adults can experience safety, dignity, and long-term support.
Chris brings a steady, practical presence to the work of FARM127. His heart is to see young adults surrounded by healthy relationships, real-life guidance, and a Christ-centered community that helps them move toward independence without having to walk alone.
As FARM127 grows, Chris helps carry the long-term vision of creating a farm-based community where housing, mentorship, life skills, work, faith, and belonging come together in one supportive environment.
Max Zalaquett, Director of Operations
Max Zalaquett serves as Director of Operations for FARM127, where he helps build Christ-centered support for young adults aging out of foster care. His work focuses on mentorship, housing, community partnerships, and developing the future FARM127 farm vision.
Before joining FARM127, Max spent more than a decade designing digital products and user experiences for large organizations. Today, he brings that same strategic thinking to creating practical pathways for young adults to find stability, belonging, purpose, and community.
Max is passionate about discipleship, mentorship, and helping people discover that growth often happens through steady relationships, patient support, and faith in Christ. He lives in the Charlotte area with his wife, Kristin, and is grateful to be part of a mission that reflects the call to care for others with dignity, compassion, and hope.