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Founder's Story: A Journey of Faith |
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Big Springs Ranch Brief History of Big Springs Ranch
AKA: The Place of a Thousand Angels ~~~ Ingram Ranch
Brief History of HCYR at Ingram
Where the Children Come From
Cailloux Elementary School ~~~
The sign at HCYR's front gate announces the goal of our work. At the end of the day, it will stand as a measure of our offerings, whether we were moved in that direction or not, by the actions we took, the responses we gave, and the songs we chose to sing. It is the Master's Commandment. |
| Love | One | Another | |
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Hill Country Youth Ranch began with a calling, a gift, and an act of faith. First, there was a vision, and a sense of being called to build a haven for abused and orphaned children. That happened to founder Gary Priour in 1976. Then, to get started, there was an initial gift. Priour, who had himself been a troubled youth, remembers many boyhood hours of dreaming, exploring and healing on the land where the Ranch now stands . . . for this land was part of Gary's childhood home. As an adult, Gary received this same land as an inheritance from his ranching family. Gary had strongly felt the call from deep within his heart to build a home for outcast youth, but he had to ask himself a question -- "Are you willing to give away everything you have, in order to realize this dream?" -- The answer was "yes", and Gary's gift has been an inspiration to the many who have come to the Youth Ranch, bringing their own unique gifts to share in this healing valley. A time of grace followed the gift. Community leaders came forward to give their endorsement. Unexpected resources were offered. Gifts of time and support came from the community including a Telethon in 1978 to raise the initial operating funds. The original staff came as volunteers and there were no paid staff for the first two years. The initial obstacles loomed like mountains stacking in the distance. Yet needs were always met at critical moments. A web of design larger than anyone could grasp seemed to enfold the development of the project. Individuals with important contributions to make would "happen by" at just the right time. Priour attributes the human component of this "miracle valley" to two primary values: faith and perseverance. Says Priour, "We've always stayed focused on our mission. We have a saying, 'one ticket to the customer', and we try not to get distracted by goals other than that of serving children." Since its beginning, HCYR has been dedicated to providing a continuum of long-term therapeutic care for abused and troubled children. The main campus, built continuously since 1976, spreads across 265 wooded acres along Brushy Creek, just west of Ingram. In addition to the ten children's residences, the 40-building village is designed to meet all the requirements of childhood, and includes the Meadows Fine Arts Center and Cailloux Charter School, plus shops and recreational facilities up and down Main Street. A sister campus, built on the historic Big Springs Ranch on the Frio near Leakey, begun in 1996, now spreads over 7,000 acres in the Frio Canyon and includes a grandparents' village, a working cattle ranch, and the highly acclaimed Ed Brune Charter School system. The Ranches are home to an average of 110 children at a time from all over Texas. The goal of Ranch programming is to meet the needs of the individual child. Thus, it is called an open-ended learning system, and seeks to grow to meet the needs of each new resident. A broad array of services has been developed over the years. These include: charter schools for grades 1 - 12; vocational skills training; recreational therapies; expressive therapies; foster family living; preparation for adult living; residential treatment; professional psychotherapy; an assessment center; and a wilderness camping program. Says Gary, "I remain amazed at what God has done. It looks to me like, if we follow the trail of guidance He leaves in the clues of daily life, we are heirs to a kingdom of miracles." |
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