Thanks to our generous donors, the library at YBGR’s Yellowstone Academy recently got an infusion of new books for the youth to check out and read, and for many of the Ranch’s kids, reading is a wonderful coping skill. For some, it is also a newly acquired skill.
That was the case for Derek when he arrived at YBGR. Because he struggled with reading, he had never been much of a reader until he finally found the right book to get him started. One of his peers recommended the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. One chapter and Derek was hooked. He even opted out of trick-or-treating around campus, instead staying in and reading because he couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
The staff has been able to use this new love of reading to help Derek with his emotional regulation, and his grades in school have improved. Derek is more engaged and working on his treatment, and he has even started writing his own fan fiction for the series!
*For the privacy of the youth served at the Ranch, names have been changed. Image(s) shown here are a representation of those served at the Ranch.
John and Selene are long-time donors to Yellowstone Foundation, and in addition to both outright and planned gifts, they have hosted several donor appreciation events at their home. As John and Selene approach retirement, they have begun the process of estate planning. One asset they were no longer actively using was a 1929 Ford Model A Coupe that John won in a raffle several years ago. After some discussion, they decided to donate it to Yellowstone Foundation, and the car was delivered to the Auto Barn at YBGR.
When Nina came to YBGR in early spring of 2024, she was a tough nut to crack. According to her therapist Audrey, “She wouldn’t open up and talk to me so that we could start the healing process. Then, during a conversation with Nina’s mom, I learned that if Nina had a project to do with her hands, she would open up more. We looked online for some ideas, and Nina wanted a vertical pallet herb garden, so I found a pallet, and we got to work.”
Through the process of sanding the rough pallet, Nina finally started to open up to Audrey. It took several weeks of hand sanding to get all the rough spots smoothed out, and by July, they were ready to paint the pallet and plant the herb seedlings that they had started from seeds. Now the Leuthold herb garden is proudly on display at the lodge, and soon the youth will be able to harvest fresh herbs to add to their meals. Nina is now working towards successfully discharging and looking forward to going home.
In April 2022, Tony and his young sons were referred to YBGR’s Child Welfare Prevention and Support Services. At the time, Tony was homeless, unemployed, and struggling with substance use, but he was determined to rebuild his life and be there for his children. He spoke kindly about their mother and expressed a desire to raise his boys with strong values and faith. Tony used community resources for food and diapers, entered treatment for substance abuse, and worked towards obtaining his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) at Flathead Community College. He also joined Flathead Family Treatment Court, adhering to all its requirements.
Like many youth in YBGR’s residential treatment program, Leah had a chaotic upbringing. Her parents struggled with addiction and were in and out of jail. She was bounced from her parents to her grandparents to foster care and back again so many times, she lost count of all the different places she had lived. When Leah was fourteen, she started getting into trouble. Her grandparents hired an attorney and were finally able to get full custody of her, but Leah continued to get into trouble, plagued by feelings of hopelessness and abandonment. She was going to therapy, but her grandparents felt like she needed more than an hour a week and sought services at YBGR.
Beth needed a fresh start. Her parents died when she was a toddler, and she had bounced from family to foster homes and back again. Beth had never dealt with her trauma from her parent’s death, and that made it hard to form connections with people. She started to believe that everyone was always going to leave her because she was unworthy of love. Things started to change when she moved back in with her aunt Donna.
Ryan struggled to express himself. Words did not come easily, and he often felt misunderstood. When he arrived at YBGR, he didn’t think it was going to be any different than any other facility he had been to, but that all started to change when he met Yellowstone Academy Art teacher Mr. Small.
Jordan’s family struggled to make ends meet and often did not have reliable transportation. “I wanted to learn how to fix cars so I could help my family. We couldn’t afford a new car or to pay for a mechanic when things broke down. My mom and I were able to do some things from internet videos, but that didn’t always work,” recalls Jordan. “When I learned that we would have a chance to learn how to work on cars at the Ranch through the Basic Automotive Care & Maintenance Class, I jumped at the opportunity. Tim Gilge, the instructor, taught me not just about how to fix a car, but also how to stay safe while doing it, and how to maintain the car so it needed less work down the road.”
