A 40 year-old man takes a seat at his family’s dinner table, thinking back on his years as a teenager. There once was no seat for him at Thanksgiving, before he was placed at Timothy Hill Ranch. He begins to think on his first “family dinner” at the Ranch, a moment when he realized that he would always have a place.
Glancing over at his wife and son today, he pictures the memories and values he desires to have as the father of his home, influenced by the father-figures who guided him at the Ranch.
The Dream Rancher community is the fuel for Transformation Through Love for thousands of lives. Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs insists that survival needs of food, water, shelter, clothing, and sleep must be met in order for a human to grow and move towards belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization.
Mere shelter is not enough for the critical juncture of teenage and young adult years, particularly when they include trauma-packed backgrounds. This is why our team works hard each day to immerse youth in opportunity, ranging from on-site internships for workforce development to animal husbandry and counseling services.
What Does it Take to Dream?
“No time to dream when you’re fighting to survive.” This is what our staff is reminded of, upon each new face that walks through our doors with a duffel bag in hand. If you ask one of our new residents what they aspire to do as an adult, he or she may widen their eyes and nervously laugh, often with a sense of shame. This is due to the fact that most have been operating in survival mode. To dream of the future would be considered a luxury, at the start of their time with us.
In fact, many of their brains would appear similar to a car accident victim, if you were to simultaneously view both brain scans. This is the dark reality of trauma. However, with God’s grace, brain pathways heal in powerful ways, providing the potential of future dreams in a child who never had control over his or her childhood. We see this happen everyday.
Grateful to partner with various Human & Child Services departments across the USA, we are aware that true life-change is found when society goes “above and beyond.” This is why simply relying on modest daily rates from government would never be enough to provide the quality of programming we believe is necessary to see young people thrive after wide ranges of trauma, whether it involves trafficking, a complicated adoption, abuse, or neglect.
To the degree of our Dream Rancher community’s investment, we are able to increase our services and invest in these young male and female residents with excellence, running to them with hope in the form of positive family memories with their Ranch family, opportunities to pursue healing, and paths for dignified futures.
We are deeply thankful for each Dream Rancher, and we extend an invitation for others to join this transformational community. Every monthly gift not only provides basic survival needs of youth, but also paves the way for their sense of belonging in this world. Your gifts are directly rescuing youth from becoming negative statistics in homelessness, joblessness, undesired teen pregnancy, and incarceration rates.
Thank You for Dreaming
Our mission began with Timothy Hill, a young boy who dared to dream in honor of those without a home. We thank you for bringing forth new dreams today.
How to Become a Dream Rancher
There is no “pause button” on this work. Our 24/7 services provided hope for 199 male and female youth in 2023, and we are on track to see even more lives reached in 2024.