by Gary Priour

We’ve always told them it was enough just to hear from them occasionally and know they were okay. But this Christmas, two HCYR alumnae went further than that. They helped make Christmas happen for the children who now live at the Ranch.

It was a special Christmas. From bicycles to cash given for wish lists, many wonderful friends made it possible for our children to have a bountiful Christmas. Waking up on Christmas morning to see all of the gifts left by Santa, the boys and girls were, and still are, thrilled and grateful.

Two of Santa’s elves once lived here as teenage girls themselves. They are two bright, talented and loving women who share a very special link to the Youth Ranch.

Jennifer Herron-Oudshoorn lived at HCYR in the early 1990s. After graduating from high school, she left and started a family, then returned to work at HCYR as a houseparent and administrative assistant in 1999. In 2000, she was accepted into a special studies program at Harvard University, where she studied for a year before moving to Waco and completing her Bachelor’s degree at Baylor University in December 2003.

Married with two little girls of her own, Jennifer lives in Dallas with husband Rob. In addition to being a devoted Mom, Jennifer works as an accountant, and is a Mary Kay cosmetics consultant. She and three friends from the Mary Kay company joined to gather donations and gift items for the children at HCYR. Arriving on Christmas Eve with her family, Jennifer delivered cosmetic items, jewelry, novelty items and assorted other gifts for the boys and girls.

Catherine Brockett-Carson first called the Ranch home in the Spring of 1986. Cathy is also one of our brightest stars and dearest daughters. She has stayed in touch with her family at the Ranch through the years, and we have felt so proud as she has grown to be a woman of competence, faith, courage and great love. We invited her to the Ranch’s 25th Anniversary and Reunion in September 2002 to be a keynote speaker. Addressing the crowd, she spoke of the "great big hug from God" that she has always felt about her time at HCYR.

Married to Rick and mother to Nikolas and Katie, Cathy has worked her way up the ranks of the corporate world, serving as Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Foley’s, then as Auditor, and currently as Return Goods Manager/ Big Ticket Operations at Foley’s Distribution Center in Houston.

When Cathy became aware of a surplus of clothing items at the Distribution Center, she met with other department heads at Foley’s and requested that the items be sent to the Youth Ranch. After hearing Cathy’s compelling story of the children’s home, the group agreed that the clothing be sent here.

Shortly thereafter, Joe Stephen, another HCYR alumni from Houston, pulled into the Ranch with a trailer full of boxes – full of brand new clothing items for our boys and girls! Coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, our children love to receive new clothing. For them to receive brand-name designer clothing with the tags still attached is nothing short of wonderful! The children have been busy since Christmas showing off their new duds, with a visible sense of pride.

Both of these ladies have made significant contributions through the years, including helping other grads, promoting the Ranch, attending reunions, speaking at Career Development Week each summer, and sending us news of their own growing families.