Straddling the Arizona/Utah border, Short Creek (also known as Colorado City) was a small ranching town when a breakaway sect of fundamentalists settled there in 1935, becoming the dominant influence over the next 60 years.
In 2002, Warren Jeffs gained control of the FLDS (Fundamentalists Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), transforming the town and personally amassing nearly 80 wives.
Surrendered by her parents to be Jeffs’ 65th wife, teen bride Briell Decker eventually escaped, changed her name, and went into hiding. In 2007, Jeffs was sentenced to life plus 20 years for his child bride sexual abuse, with victims as young as 12. After his sentencing, Briell requested to obtain Jeffs’ compound and was granted approval to purchase the property. Within a few months, Briell began working with the Phoenix Dream Center to see if we could help turn the place of horror into a place of healing.
As the number one non-profit organization in the world that addresses the human trafficking crisis, while also serving struggling families, addicts, homeless and the disadvantaged, we, at the Dream Center, could not say no. This is who we are and what we do.
The Dream Institute and the Short Creek Dream Center leadership has repurposed the compound, providing education, skills training, after school programs, resumé building, crisis housing and trauma counseling.
The Dream Institute is dedicated to supporting the Short Creek Dream Center facilities and services by securing the necessary funding and in-kind services.
Our Story
The Dream Institute was founded with a deep commitment to transforming lives and rebuilding communities. Rooted in the belief that every individual deserves a safe and supportive environment, we have dedicated ourselves to creating places of refuge where women and children can heal, grow, and realize their full potential.
Our Vision
We will invest into places of refuge to rescue, restore, renew, and rebuild lives and communities.
Our Mission
We transform women and children’s lives by giving them a place to heal and build a solid foundation for the future.
Core Values:
Act to Serve
Stewardship
Build & Grow
Transformation
Our Goals
The Dream Institute’s stewardship of entrusted resources is to support our Dream Center leadership ability to implement the four-step protocol, which is defined as follows:
Rescue:
Establish a foundation where the individuals find safety and security.
Restore:
Facilitate emotional healing from past trauma and provide educational and vocational training.
Renew:
Offer accelerated learning pathways with the ultimate goal of societal reintegration.
Rebuild:
Establish the emotional connections to build strong families.
Join Us
Whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word, your involvement can make a difference. Together, we can help more women and children find their way to a brighter, more secure future.
