When Julia died seventy-five years later, John Andrus fulfilled a promise he made to her. He transformed Julia’s childhood home on the quiet slopes of the Dyckman family farm into a sanctuary for orphaned children. Supported entirely by the family’s Surdna Foundation, Andrus transformed lives for over sixty years, giving orphaned children the safety and opportunity Julia once found with the Dyckmans.

Grounded in the values and vision of John Andrus, the Andrus board of directors actively pursued and supported the development of new ideas and approaches to helping children in need. An Andrus-sponsored study of foster children in the 1970’s inspired the launch of the Orchard School, which added academics, and clinical services for children with special needs, to the residential program. Over the next two decades, a growing understanding of mental health issues in children shifted the focus at Andrus to those diagnosed with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED).

As our knowledge and commitment grew, so did our reach. Andrus joined with like-minded organizations to open new doors for children and families to mental health clinics, childcare services and community-based programs across Westchester County. To fund its continuing expansion, Andrus grew its base of support beyond the Surdna Foundation, winning grants and attracting generous donations from institutions and individuals who saw the impact Andrus was making. Andrus hit a turning point when Dr. Sandra Bloom brought her Sanctuary Model^(SM) to Andrus. The Sanctuary framework helped us better understand our clients and how trauma influences behavior for both individuals and organizations. We were so empowered by the Sanctuary Model^(SM) that we partnered with Dr. Bloom to bring this transformative approach to other human service organizations through the Sanctuary Institute™.