Julia McNeil

Julia McNeil (24 November 1974 – 5 June 2012) was born and raised in The Family as the eldest of eleven children. She grew up in the UK, India, the Philippines, Italy, and Belgium, before leaving the cult in 1995 at age 20. McNeil has stated that the challenges both she and her siblings faced when leaving The Family demonstrated to her the need for support and resources for those leaving high demand organizations.

In 2001, McNeil created the community website MovingOn.org for other young former Family members, providing a place for these second generation adults to interact with people who understand the challenges of integration into society and to participate in peer-to-peer support. By the time it closed at the end of January 2009, MovingOn had become the most frequented online meeting place for former second generation members.

In April 2003, McNeil founded Safe Passage Foundation, an organization whose goals include providing support and advocacy for people raised in restrictive and isolated communities.

On 5 June 2012, McNeil died after battling cancer.