Sunny Crest Youth Ranch | A Safe Place For Kids

A Safe Place for Kids Mission: The purpose of Sunny Crest Youth Ranch is to provide a safe, loving environment with the influence of core values, and physical, spiritual, mental and social support.

“Throwaway children: nothing could better illustrate my strong belief that the worst of all forms of pollution is wasted lives.” - Al Gore, Earth in the Balance Ecology and the Human Spirit.

Giving children and family a new start:

In this country of abundance and opportunity, we still face the reality that some children, through no fault of their own, find themselves without adult guidance, nurture, and supervision – and sometimes, even without a home. Sunny Crest Youth Ranch is a vision of lifelong educators Ron and Ellyn Coppess, and a cadre of caring Ranch partners willing to commit to mentoring some of the most vulnerable in our communities.

At full capacity, Sunny Crest Youth Ranch will provide a loving, nurturing and secure environment for as many as 48 children who deserve a new start. Sunny Crest offers every rancher a safe place to learn from mistakes without fear of rejection and to practice the skills necessary to become a successful adult. Sunny Crest is designed to be a working ranch operation that offers at-risk boys the experiences and activities any child must have to develop in mind and spirit. Educational programs, mentoring, and skilled adult intervention coupled with cutting edge methods will create the Sunny Crest environment - a safe place to explore the opportunities young men need to meet the challenges life has presented them.

Within the rich environment of a working ranch, Sunny Crest offers the structured experience and activities at-risk boys need to develop in mind, body and spirit. An individualized treatment plan (ITP) for each rancher will combine the appropriate educational and therapeutic programs under the supervision of skilled adults. The goal of the ranch is to mentor each boy toward becoming a responsible, honest working, and trusting young man.

Investment in the future:

The Sunny Crest commitment to each boy does not end when he returns home. While a boy is living at the ranch, we encourage his parent(s) to participate in a common sense parenting program. This educational program will teach the same parenting techniques used by the Sunny Crest staff. A team consisting of a professional social worker and Ranch Partner mentors will work with the family while each boy is in residence. This team will continue their support of the boy and his family after re-unification. The experience of a safe home starts at Sunny Crest, but our goal is to mentor successful young men capable of creating their own healthy families, thus breaking the cycle of abuse, neglect, and delinquency.