How a backyard project changed everything.
In 2020, Zac West’s daughter asked him to build her a playhouse.
Zac jokes that he’s “crafty enough to be dangerous,” so he pulled out his tools and got to work. When the playhouse was finished, his wife, Hannah, had another idea.
“Why not build a few swings for the neighbors?”
The swings were an immediate hit. And when the world is shut down and you suddenly have time on your hands, the next logical step is obvious: start a swing company. And just like that Southern Pine Swing Company was born.
Swings for Camp
One day, a man named Jim Norton ordered a swing from Southern Pine Swing Company.
In the notes section of the order, Jim wrote that he’d love to donate to Zac’s Young Life area. Zac, who had earlier served on Young Life staff, explained he was no longer on staff but did serve on the Young Life Africa Committee, and invited Jim to help send more kids across Africa to camp instead.
Jim and Zac, once perfect strangers, began texting regularly. By September 2024, Jim and Zac were dreaming about how to get a swing to every Young Life camp property. In October, Swings for Camp launched.
Zac made a purchase page on his website with every camp’s logo, so donors could buy a swing for their favorite camp. Jim matched every dollar to send kids to camp in Africa and Haiti, the country committee he and his wife, Kristin, serve on.
By the end of 2025, the campaign saw:
- 26 donors participating;
- 32 swings purchased for every Young Life camp property;
- $15,000 raised and matched;
- 150 kids in Africa attend camp;
- 65 kids in Haiti attend camp.
What started as one swing purchase was now something far bigger.
Jim and Kristin shared:
“When we first purchased a swing, we had no idea it would spark such a wide-reaching story. What began as a simple gift has turned into 32 camps receiving swings and 215 kids going to camp in Africa and Haiti. We are humbled to play a part in connecting generosity with transformation, and we pray each swing is a reminder of God’s joy and love. For us, this campaign is proof that when people come together with open hands, God multiplies the impact in ways we could never imagine.”
This campaign offered people a unique way to tangibly give something to the camps they love, offering a beautiful place for leaders to talk one-on-one with the kids they bring to camp in future summers or weekend camps.
One donor who purchased a swing for Malibu Club shared why they chose that camp:
“We chose to send the swing to Malibu because my mom met Jesus there in the early ’60s, I met Jesus at Malibu in 1995, and I met my husband there during our summer internship. Malibu is more than a special place for us … it’s a sacred place.”
What’s Your “Swing”?
What started as a simple COVID project slowly became something only God could piece together.
Zac reflects on it this way:
“The swing campaign was a way for us to make an impact without having all the funds in the world as we raise four kids. I live by the truth that the Lord owns all these things, and it’s our job to invite people into generosity. What started as making swings in 2020 turned into a camp blessing in 2025.”
You never know how God might use what’s already in your hands.
A business.
A hobby.
A simple “yes.”
Whether you have resources, skills, or time, God can use it all for his glory.
So here are the questions: What do you have to offer in this season — beyond finances? How might God use what’s already part of your life for something far greater than you imagined?
Ask him to use you and be ready to be surprised in the best way!
