Our Mission
“Creating space for parents to grieve”
P23 Retreat offers respite and retreat to parents grieving the death of a child. Based on Psalm 23, we provide a peaceful location and resources for couples to take a break from the demands of everyday life so they can focus on healing and restoration. Our goal is to create space for couples to rest, reflect, and experience solace as they continue their journey of grief. Having experienced the death of a child ourselves, we founded P23 Retreat as a tangible way to encourage and love others while offering something practical that can have both immediate and lasting benefit to the family as part of their emotional health and healing.
Who we serve
Parents who have experienced the death of a child ranging in age from infancy to early adulthood.
Parents who are in the early stages of grief (typically within the first 3 years of their loss).
Parents referred from grief counselors, pastors, and community partners.
P23 Retreat at-a-glance
Our Team
Cindy Shufflebarger
Cindy has worked in various capacities and settings during her diverse career. She holds a Master of Public Health degree and has worked for a non-profit agency, a governmental agency, a healthcare facility, taught at a community college, is a published author and spent the past 12 years homeschooling her children. Having experienced the death of a child herself, Cindy has a heart for offering encouragement to those walking a similar journey.
She loves adventure, the outdoors, hiking the National Parks and delights in finding evidence of God in everyday life. She enjoys travel, photography and all things nature. She can often be found looking for the best spot to watch a colorful sunset. She craves time with family, connecting with friends and believes that everyone has a story that matters. But mostly, Cindy is a God-loving, joy-seeking, lover of fun.
Founder, Executive DirectorJulia Rimbey
Development and Events CoordinatorJulia has experience in event planning, administration, bookkeeping, and teaching dance. She exudes a love for detail in every aspect of event planning, from early development and planning to engaging volunteers and executing the event like clockwork. For the last five years, she has served in multiple capacities of a youth ballroom dance organization, including volunteer, administrator, and instructor. She mentors students and demonstrates how the skills learned on the dance floor translate into everyday life.
Julia’s passion is connecting people with opportunities to be a part of an encouraging community. She looks forward to bringing this passion to P23 Retreat. She is active in her church and Bible study. Her hobbies include hiking, watching musicals, playing board games with family & friends, and photography.
Jenny Basile
Jenny is passionate about serving people. She brings over 25 years of expertise in engaging participants, volunteers, community partners, employees, and donors. She has a background in finance, payroll and benefits management, and nonprofit organizations. Regardless of the role she fills, she takes joy in helping others connect.
Born and raised in Charlottesville, VA, Jenny and her husband Ryan relocated to New Kent County, VA in 2020. They are now empty-nesters who spoil their rescue cat William “Bill” Douglas. Jenny has trained Bill to sit, lay down, and return with voice and hand commands.
They have two children: Bridgit Ashley, along with her husband Mitch, and Zachary. When not training Bill the cat, you will find Jenny volunteering at her church in the children’s department, chairing the decorating committee for Night to Shine at her church, leading a core group for Community Bible study, hosting dinner parties and engaging with people whenever she can.
Care Coordinator
Scott Shufflebarger
Scott has been roofing for over two decades and has performed almost every job in the field from laborer, foreman, estimator, project manager, etc... to now owning a contracting business. He brings an intimate level of technical knowledge to his customers as well as a deep commitment to help them achieve their goals.
Scott graduated from James Madison University with a double major in Public Administration and History. He is active in the Virginia Association of Roofing Professionals, as a past President and current Director of Legislative Affairs and serves in leadership with the National Association of Roofing Contractors. Scott keeps involved with the community as a Board Member of the West Richmond Businessmen’s Association, Advisor and Steering Committee Member for LocalFirstVirginia.org and as a Deacon in his church. When not working, he enjoys spending time and traveling with his wife, Cindy and their three children.
Sylvia Barnhill
Sylvia has over 20 years project management experience. She is knowledgeable in applications of scrum, waterfall, and agile methodologies, and skilled in developing processes that facilitate continual progress and team achievement. She enjoys motivating others to drive toward the completion of a common goal while problem solving along the way.
Haley Wright
Haley graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Interior Design and currently practices in a commercial application. She is an active member of her church and has several years’ experience in various capacities of children’s ministry and spent a semester interning for a campus ministry organization. This has given her the opportunity to understand volunteering from the perspective of coordinator and volunteer. Her years of ballroom dancing have developed skills in both leading and following along with event organization skills that she uses daily. Her favorite things are coffee, puzzles, and Gilmore Girls.
Jeff Christmas
Having expressed a calling to vocational church ministry at the age of 16, Jeff has been pastoring for nearly 35 years in one form or another. Currently, he is Associate Pastor at the church where he grew up and has been leading worship ministry, students, and senior adults for the last 27 years. He has a master’s degree from Liberty University Seminary.
Jeff has been married to his loving wife, Danese, for 37 years, who is currently the administrator of our non-profit childcare center. Together, they raised 2 wonderful children and look forward to being reunited with their son, Joe, who went on to be with the Lord in 2012. Their daughter, Emma, is the lead preschool teacher at our center, where she prepares and shapes the lives of the next generation.
Jeff is a history buff, especially in the local Dayton, Ohio area, and leads tours from time to time. He is an avid vintage lunchbox and toy collector and expresses his passion for music through participation in the choruses of both the Springfield Symphony and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestras. He believes in the mission of P23 and wishes to help others find healing, having experienced it firsthand.
Doug Grote
Doug has been serving people and communities through sports and recreation for over 30 years. He has a Master's degree in Christian Education/Recreation and has served in churches, para - church organizations, and now operates a sports facility in Gatlinburg, TN. Along with P23 Retreat, he is on the Board for Leadership Sevier. Doug and his wife, Dianna, lost their first child and understand the loneliness of being on the road that you didn't choose to be on. Doug has a heart for loving people covered by storm clouds so that eventually they see sunshine again.
Doug and Dianna have been married 30 years and including their daughter (Kristen) in heaven, have two boys that are currently in college, Dayton and Declan. Luci the dog and Shadow the cat are also important members of the family!
Doug likes to laugh, goof off, have fun - as long as it is with family and friends. Doug is a follower of Christ and knows that He never leaves the broken hearted.
Brandon Tusing
Brandon was born and raised in Woodstock, a small town nestled in Virginia’s Shenandoah County. After graduating from Radford University—where he began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the campus ministry Cru—Brandon joined Cru staff and spent over a decade investing in college students in cities like Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and Richmond.
In 2017, Brandon married his wife, Ellen, and in 2023 they welcomed their first child, Asher. In 2024, he transitioned from vocational ministry and began a new chapter as a full-time real estate agent with the PH Partners team at Providence Hill Real Estate.
Brandon brings the same heart for people and strong sense of purpose to his work in real estate, guiding clients with integrity and care. Outside of work, he enjoys lifting weights, tackling home renovation projects, spending time outdoors, drinking good coffee, and being with family and friends.