Valerie K. Norton is Founder and President of House of Hope S.W. Michigan, a Christian non-denominational residential program for troubled teenagers, soon to be located in Bellevue, Michigan. Founded in 2004, House of Hope S.W. Michigan will help to restore the lives of hundreds of teenagers and to reconcile families.

A native of Michigan, Valerie attended Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois  and Appalachian Bible Institute, in Bradley, West Virginia,  for Christian Counseling and Youth Ministry. She was a youth leader for over 25 years, bringing troubled teens into her home mentoring, teaching, and guiding them. Her heart was driven with compassion and God’s love for them. Through out the years, Valerie was saddened she could not help more teens than she could fit in her home. Through several God orchestrated events, she was exposed to the Traverse City House of Hope and the vision was born in her heart to help these troubled teens on a larger scale. The National House of Hope vision and mission of Sara Trollinger connected deeply with what had been on her heart for many years.  She saw the need for troubled teens to understand life-changing principles based on God's Word.  Valerie saw through her work with troubled teens that there is no lasting help when Jesus Christ can't be shared.

Valerie asked Christ to be her Lord at the tender age of 7, at a vacation Bible School, and has followed Him with all her heart ever since. To spread the news of Jesus Christ to everyone she meets has been a life long mission. However, Valerie received a call from God to troubled teens at the age of 16 at Hiawatha Youth Camp when she was praying for God’s will in her future. He spoke to her heart and told her she would be ministering to teenagers and marry someone who would also have the same heart.  Years later, she met and married John Norton, who has also spent 27 years as a youth pastor, and mentoring the teens brought into their home.

Besides being a youth leader for over 25 years, Valerie served on the board of a local Nonprofit home school co-op organization called, “SHARE, INC.”  for many years where she took her own children for enrichment classes and sports. She also took many of the teens she mentored to this program. She taught several classes for teens there, and worked with teens in a drama program.  Valerie sits on the advisory board of Leaps and Bounds Inc., a ministry to help fight child abuse.

She is currently enrolled in Radiant School of Ministry through Radiant Church in Richland, Michigan. She is also pursuing Christian Counseling Certification through American Association of Christian Counselors.
John Norton served as a youth pastor for over 25 years, and is a Master Electrician.  He has owned and managed several businesses. He also attended Appalachian Bible Institute for Youth Ministry.  He served as president on the executive board of Building Trades Credit Union, in Battle Creek, Michigan for many years. He also served on the board of an area church for many years. Valerie and John have been actively involved in various types of ministry at Lake Ann Camp (a Youth Camp) in Lake Ann, Michigan, for many years.  It was through the ministry of Lake Ann Camp, that John and Valerie heard of Traverse City House of Hope.