The children who come to the Ranch have often come from chaos and crisis. Many have learned to be hypervigilant and alert for danger or unfulfilled needs. When they come to the Ranch, life is largely consistent and predictable. We serve meals at reliable times, and always have enough food. Therapy, groups, school, and chapel are all dependably scheduled.…
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The Kiwanis Club of Minot awarded $500 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch for technology upgrades in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes at Dakota Memorial School (DMS), Minot, the Ranch’s on-campus school.…
I have written before about the “All About Me," worksheets children complete in the early days of their care at the Ranch. It is a chance for them to tell us about their likes and dislikes and how we can make them feel comfortable. The worksheets are just one of hundreds of tools we use to make sure children’s voices are heard.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Fargo, received a $6,000 grant from the Hector Foundation to purchase snow removal equipment.…
Every fall, Ranch teachers, staff, and kids start preparing for G.R.O.W. Day (God Rewards Our Work), a sale held at our Minot thrift store the Saturday before Mother's Day. For seven months, students plant, nurture, weld, paint, and create art projects, yard games, bedding plants, and hanging flower baskets. They move everything to our Minot thrift store, and in four hours, sell everything they created.…
Twenty-three years after his retirement, Larry Knutson continues to impact the children at the Ranch—not only through the strong organization he left behind, but through his donations and his relentless sharing of the Ranch's mission.…
How many of you remember your childhood chores with fondness? I certainly don't! Cleaning my room, taking out the trash, vacuuming, or emptying the dishwasher took time away from the fun things I would have much rather been doing.…
16-year-old Avalon is a kind, gentle, and talented young woman, despite the challenges that brought her to the Ranch. She was born in Nebraska as the youngest of 12 siblings and moved to North Dakota in 2016. It was a blended family, and second marriages for both her parents, who had each had the pain of losing their first spouse to cancer.…
When Barbara Pingel cares about something, she goes all in. As a supporter of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Barbara writes to Ranch residents as a Hope Notes pen pal, sends boxes of puzzles, makes regular donations, directs Thrivent Choice Dollars® to the Ranch, and prays every day for the children and employees of the Ranch. She has also made arrangements for an estate gift to the Ranch.…
When a ministry team from Hip Hop & Hope spent the day with the kids at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Dayson made a special connection with keynote speaker Artie Gonzales.…
By the time kids get to treatment at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, they have likely been to many therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. They are fluent in everything related to therapy. They've learned about cognitive behavior modification, how to identify and challenge their thoughts, and many different coping skills — and none of it has been particularly helpful. In treatment, they receive more in-depth learning and have people around them 24 hours a day to coach them on how to use the things they've learned.…
Tre didn't have what most of us think of as a "normal" childhood. Instead, his childhood was complicated and convoluted and gave him a different perspective on how the world works.…
I’ve written before in these emails about my lack of athletic ability. I am strong, but I do spit out my chewing gum before walking. Safety first! My children don’t seem to care. They all received their dad’s sports gene and can compete after watching a YouTube video of a never-before-seen activity. It’s really irritating. And, they love to drag me along… I am certain as comedic relief.…
On the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch website, Chaplain Rick Jones, Vice President of Spiritual Life, says, “Hope is a very powerful thing.” His quote is on a page dedicated to our Hope Notes program, where he goes on to explain. "You can be a source of inspiration and encouragement for those who have none. Friends from all over the country can write Hope Notes to our residents—little messages of encouragement to show our children someone cares for them and wants them to succeed.…
The FM Area Foundation granted $3,500 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to purchase items for the Caring Closet at Dakota Memorial School, Fargo.…
"They said, 'No', but she did the work and they said, 'Yes.'" Anne came to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch at the worst time of her complicated life. Her family was in chaos. A close family member had died by suicide. She, herself, was deeply depressed and suicidal. Her school had told her that at her age and with her lack of progress in school, they would not accept her back. She was in foster care, and only four months from her 18th birthday when she walked in our doors.…
I once had a really good boss who was a big believer in the lessons from “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” by Stephen Covey. He infused the seven habits into the workplace, some more successfully than others.…
I wrote earlier about the “Foundation of Prayers” event we had in the Chapel we are constructing, because of friends like you, on our Bismarck Campus. I wanted to share another moment from that day.…
Sequoia Magrum is one of the phenomenal special education teachers here at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. Whenever I was in my office at the start of the school day, I had a chance to see her doing her work.…
Cass County Electric Cooperative granted $2,547 to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch for Nutrition Center updates on its Fargo campus.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Fargo, ND, received $2,500 from the First Lutheran Church Foundation in Fargo, ND. The funds will be used to support the Spiritual Life Program, including purchasing items for Spiritual Life Groups, individual Bible study, and the chapel space itself.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch received grants from local high school students at Horace High School, Kindred High School, and Oak Grove High School through the Barry Foundation’s Philanthropy and Youth (PaY) program.…
When our Bismarck campus was first designed, the plan was to serve children with developmental delays who would be able to attend church in the community. As we completed the construction of the facility, it became clear that the need for a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility was crucial.…
My day started with two emails back-to-back. The first was about “Jenn” who arrived at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch this morning. She’s only 12 years old. Her case manager said in the email, “She is pretty quiet and reserved today but also had to wake up at 5 a.m. for the drive here so she may just be tired. She told me she loves to paint and do arts and crafts in her free time. She did say she prefers to work with female staff but is willing to try to work with male staff. Make sure to say hello and introduce yourself!”…
We have a lovely 12-year-old girl in our care at the Ranch. She is kind and thoughtful and the first to step up and help. She is smart. She has eyes as dark as coal and beautiful, long reddish-brown hair. She has a loud laugh that you don't expect to come out of such a petite person.…