lions-health-com-45.html
May
46 / 96
amidst green fields and neighing horses sits a quaint
house
filled with the chirping of crickets and a soft breeze. the crunching gravel wel - comes you to the 52 acres that is heritage ranch as you drive through the tall, arching gates at the en - trance of the property. within the gates rests a two-story
house
complete with a pool and recreation area, an office building down the road, and an open arena as the centerpiece. heritage ranch, a christian children?s
home
in zachary, louisiana, provides housing, counseling, and case management for boys in crisis and their families with the ultimate goal of
family
reunification. its mission is to strengthen children, their families, and the community, and it uses christianity as a base. however, christianity is not a criterion of becom- ing involved in the program. ?our biggest focus is really
family
and increasing connection, communication, and understanding, so the
family
can be successful when they leave here,? says vicki ellis, executive director of heritage ranch. ??ere?s nothing better than hav- ing a young person come here that really isn?t sure who he is and doesn?t believe in himself and watching him go through a process of self-discovery to realize he has value and something to offer his
family
and community.? ?ere are currently five boys, ages 11 through 17, who live in the
home
with a
house
mom and dad. ?ey have chores to do at
home
after school and extracur- riculars, and they receive tutoring and counseling in both group and individual settings. ?ey are also allowed to go
home
for holidays and every other weekend, and their families attend
family
counsel- ing sessions at the ranch. ??ere are a lot of life skills and day-to- day learning on how to live and com- municate within a
family
with the other boys and
house
parents,? ellis says. ??ey learn to take responsibility for their actions while receiving educational support and counseling.? witnessing the transformation that takes place within a
family
is incredible, ac- cording to ellis. she believes the
family
making a difference for children: h e r i tag e r a n c h c h r i s t i a n c h i l d r e n ? s h o m e connect / l o c a l p r o f i l e by madeline rathle our biggest focus is really
family
and increasing connection, communication, and understanding 46 brparents.com | may 2016
ellis-community-boys-47.html