Reconnecting kids and families is a critical part of building promising futures. Last weekend was “Family Weekend” at the Ranch Campus, and Program Director Jim Stockberger was glad to report a fun and meaningful experience for all concerned. In Jim’s words:

“We are having a wonderful time out here at the Ranch with the kids we serve! I’d like to send huge thanks to our donors and supporters and the hard-working teams who are making it possible for so many kids to have more promising futures. This past weekend was “Family Weekend” at the Ranch, where we invite all the families of our residents to come spend the weekend with us. The kids are able to show off the projects they made, the parents are able to attend different group sessions and activities, and it really helps build relationships between all of us.

We start off Friday night with a barbecue rib dinner. After a short introduction group with the parents and staff, we spend the rest of the night watching the parents and kids play together. What a wonderful bonding time! Saturday is packed with groups and working with the horses, and this past weekend we even held a pinewood derby race.

We gave each of the kids a block of pinewood, and with minimal guidance, they built their own pinewood derby cars. Look at the pictures; can you believe our kids made such creations out of a piece of wood? Our kids are so creative. We’ve found if we keep telling the kids long enough that they CAN do something, they start believing it.

After lunch on Saturday, we held a graduation ceremony for seven of our residents, and all the families were invited. With help from my team and our volunteers we served more than 80 people for lunch, making it a really special occasion for the graduates. I can’t tell you how proud we all are of what our kids have accomplished and continue to accomplish. They are all awesome. And none of this would be possible without the help and support of so many people who care.“

 

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