Inspiritus Community Health Foundation (ICHF) granted $32,712.70 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch for the Wildlife Club on its Minot campus. Through the ICHF’s Twice Blessed program, $24,712.70 was raised in addition to the ICHF matching grant of $8,000, to underwrite the entire project.
Wildlife Club serves as an outlet from therapy and school while giving residents a place to practice self-discipline in the “real world” and prepare them for transitioning back to their home communities. Wildlife Club also introduces kids to nature's positive impact on their lives. Kids who participate in Wildlife Club are introduced to fishing, camping, hunting, woodworking, community service, and much more.
Wildlife Club has a positive impact on kids at the Ranch. Sadie* said, “The best part about Wildlife Club is that I get away from the things that make me angry or sad. It’s just so different.” Jordan* said, “I don’t really have a father figure in my life who cares. [The leaders] take the time to teach me and help me understand.”
Funds raised from the Twice Blessed campaign will be used to renovate the pheasant pen and purchase fishing equipment, a wildlife camera, and a trailer to store and transport equipment.
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is a Christ-centered residential treatment and educational center for children and their families. We help the most troubled, complicated, and amazing kids by providing best-in-class psychiatric therapy and trauma-informed care, where we look kids in the eye, walk with them, and help them become their best selves. In addition to Residential Treatment Facilities in Fargo, Bismarck, and Minot, the Ranch provides Outpatient Psychiatric and Psychological Services, and Spiritual Life Programs. Our on-campus school, Dakota Memorial School (DMS), provides an individualized education for kids who have psychiatric, behavioral, and trauma issues.
The mission of Inspiritus Community Health Foundation is to promote healthy and sustainable communities by providing financial gifts, strengthening relationships, and supporting local initiatives that impact the mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of residents in Northwest-Northcentral North Dakota.