Though neither is from Greensboro, both David and Lori attended and met at UNCG, fell in love and started a life together. Thirty-two years later, they have three adult children and are enjoying their life in New Irving Park. Their children are all out of the house and thriving on their own. Taylor is a chef at Printworks; Hailey Powell is a special education teacher in Texas; and Avery Robbins is a counselor at Restoration Place. 

Completing their home are Tank, the labrador retriever, and Remi, the dachshund. These two rule the house! 

“We moved to New Irving Park 12 years ago after spending a decade on Lake Jeannette,” Lori shares. “We love the outdoors, hiking, our place in Beaufort, North Carolina, with friends, and boating and fishing all around the Beaufort Area. We are foodies and love to travel.” For the past 25 years, David has been in the financial planning industry and is currently vice president of investment and financial planning at Carolina Financial Advisors. 

Lori is an avid volunteer with Outback Greensboro. Outback Greensboro is a special organization to the Belk family, as each who live in the Greensboro area is involved in some capacity. David and Lori told us a little more about their involvement through an interview. 

 

For the past 25 years, David has been in the financial planning industry and is currently vice president of investment and financial planning at Carolina Financial Advisors. Lori is an avid volunteer with Outback Greensboro. 

lunteer with Outback Greensboro. Outback Greensboro is a special organization to the Belk family, as each who live in the Greensboro area is involved in some capacity. David and Lori told us a little more about their involvement through an interview 

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Lori Belk: Outback Greensboro's primary focus is to be a starting place to restore or enhance family relationships, whether that be parent/teen or husband/wife. 

For teens/parents, we know that transitional phases are hard. They often strain relationships. Outback provides topical and adventure-type experiences that create spaces for conversations to work through that journey. We even have a specific conversation just for the parent's title, The Journey of Parenting.

 

The husband/wife program is designed through adventure experiences to break through with communication, parenting, etc. Both programs are structured to run parallel with each other with the intent to "strengthen" the relationships.

David Belk: Around 10 to 12 years. I began taking the girls to JH Ranch in Northern California back in 2009 with Taylor when she was in the ninth grade; I did the same with Hailey and Avery. I thought it would be great for the girls but never imagined the impact it would have on me personally! Outback Greensboro is a way to bring the experiences learned at the Ranch back to our community and provide weekend opportunities with similar experiences.

 

Families always vacation together, but how often do you get to spend 1:1 time with each teen where your focus is totally on them for just a few days? Generally, that answer is rarely.

 

The depth of the conversations I had with my girls may have never taken place had we not put ourselves in experiences with high ropes and whitewater rafting, where we had to learn to work together and become better communicators with each other. I’ve seen the impact the program has had on not just my family but also on the communities and families across the country. 

 

The messages presented through Outback Greensboro may be the most impactful and effective program I have seen to draw families closer!

 

I volunteer as a board member, lead some of the activities during the weekend, assist in volunteer training, head up the fundraising,  and promote Greensboro Outback. We all back each other up and make sure we are all having fun!

 

There is a great group of men in our community whose families have also experienced the program. Many feel the same way I do and continue to support the efforts of the messages presented.  

 

We continue to ask others who have joined us to partner with us by donating time, talents and resources. We have folks in the community who love what we are doing, yet they have never attended. They understand that stronger families make stronger communities.

 

"I heard and I forgot; I saw and I remembered; I did and I understood" is a saying we use. As our program is experiential for the topics, we believe those who have experienced the weekend pretty much understand the "why" of our convictions about the program.

 

We have a weekend program (May 3-5, 2024) that is held at Camp Weaver in Southeast Greensboro. Currently there is only one event per year, but we are hopeful to begin providing a fall event in the future.

 

There is also a Tuesday morning men’s group that meets from  6:30—7:45 a.m. at Hope Chapel Across from Grimsley High School.

 

To learn more, email info@jhoutbackgso.org or register to volunteer at  jhoutback.com/family-adventures.

 

 

JH Outback was founded by Gene Johnston on a ranch in Northern California. Years into a real estate career, Gene sought to fulfill a promise by investing resources in a meaningful way. He acquired a 300-acre hunting lodge and established JH Ranch with his son Bruce.

Today, JH Ranch has grown into JH Outback, hosting weekend events around the United States and globally. At the core of JH Outback lies a commitment to biblical values.

On May 3-5, 2024, JH Outback will host a weekend event in Greensboro at YMCA Camp Weaver.

JH Outback's Parent Son/Daughter Adventures offer a chance for families to connect. Aimed at parents and kids aged 13 and up, the weekends are packed with outdoor activities, good food, and live music. Built on JH Ranch's transformative content, the focus is on life purpose, relationships, values, and spiritual priorities.

For couples, JH Outback provides Husband and Wife Weekends with outdoor activities, great food, and live music. Led by professional facilitators, the weekends delve into life purpose, communication, relationships, values, and spiritual priorities. The investment made here promises a lasting impact on marriages and families.\

Friday, May 3 - Sunday, May 5

YMCA Camp Weaver

4924 Tapawingo Trail
Greensboro, NC 27406

A WEEKEND AWAY, A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

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