Samuel P. Redfern serves as the Founder and President of The United States of Hope. Samuel was born in Whitefish, Montana outside Glacier National Park to Pascal & Mona Redfern. He is the oldest of 10 children in a Christian family where his parents have been married 32 years.
Samuel joined the US Army after the 9/11 attacks to work in the Chaplain Corps. He has now served nearly a decade. Previously he had worked for the Home School Legal Defense Association as a Congressional Liaison for 7 years and Patrick Henry College as a student basketball Coach in the Washington DC region. From 2004-2007 Samuel was deployed with the US Army in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom under Task Force Olympia, Task Force Freedom, the 25th Infantry Division, and the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Samuel and his Chaplain were responsible for the supervision and coordination of 20 Unit Ministry Teams in MNF-NW Iraq, in an area the size of Kansas. They developed a historic Imam & Religious leader training program encompassing anti-terrorism and democracy through NGO & US Army command sponsorship, and a youth program for students in North Iraq. Samuel and his Chaplain teams provided ministry in a complex war environment during their tour serving Rawa, Bartillah, Tal Afar, Duhuk, Irbil, Baghdad and Mosul. The Iraq experience and his interactions with thousands of hurting and impoverished orphans, and struggling military families, shaped Samuel’s vision for creating The United States of Hope.
Samuel has extensive travel experience in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. Outside the Army, Samuel lives in Missoula Montana with his dog Maximus and daughter Evangeline. The mission of USOH is his passion.
Lead the Way
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Tim Danyo is the owner of Imagination Media and the Director of Communications for USOH. Tim is a graduate of Temple University and is a passionate storyteller. He and his wife have 4 children and reside in Missoula, Montana. Tim joined the USOH team in October of 2009. His experience as a video producer and new media marketer have proven to be a valuable asset as we push forward into 2011.
Tim believes that the core of USOH’s message and identity can be found in the stories it shares as an organization. “It’s the USOH community and the lives that are touched that make us who we are as an organization.”
Tim is very active in his Christian faith and believes that, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:3) Even though Tim is not a Veteran, he feels strongly that, “As a citizen of the US, it is my responsibility to give back and help those who have given so much for the cause of freedom. There is no question about it.”
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Marlayna Bryant was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and spent her life traveling between central Florida and Western Montana. She attended high school in central Florida where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in International Social Work specializing in Central and Southwest Asian Studies from the University of Montana. Her passion for this area involves international adoption and orphan aid. She also is a strong supporter of the Armed Forces and their families. She has served as a Sunday school teacher, high school mentor and tutor, and technician in adolescent foster care over the years and as a Montana resident, she is avidly involved in the outdoors and humanitarian work. Her hobbies include running, painting, camping, rafting, and traveling.
Ms. Bryant is the owner and operator of her own business. Her travels include most of the United States and portions of South America. Currently, Marlayna Bryant serves as the Director of Social Affairs and Transition Assistance for The United States of Hope and is an active member of her community.