Second Chance Ranch: Counting the Blessing

Saline County is blessed to have a place of love, a place of compassion, a place of hope and a place of second chances. “Second Chance Youth Ranch loves, protects and provides a home for children who do not have a place to call home and experience the love and protection a family usually gives,” says Susie Everett, long-time supporter of the organization. “I love Second Chance Youth Ranch! Dwight and I feel they are a ministry in our community who are truly making a Kingdom difference.”

Second Chance Youth Ranch, or 2CYR, was founded in 1999 by Pastor Perry Black of Family Church in Bryant. 2CYR places special emphasis on prayer, encouragement, life skills, love, values, and safety. “Our philosophy is that the past doesn’t have to define our kids. We serve a God who restores and redeems. Jesus can provide hope in what may have felt like a completely hopeless situation. They can begin to see their own value and get excited about the good things that God has planned for them,” adds Pastor Perry.

Everett has been involved with 2CYR since 2016, and since then has made significant donations over the years, including sharing the cost of a van. “We found out about the need for the vans because we contacted Rachel and asked about their needs. There are several other needs, but since we are in the transportation business, we thought the vans were a perfect fit for our donation,” says Susie. She also recalls the special memories made possible through her involvement with the organization. “One of my very favorite involvements with 2CR has been visiting and speaking to the girls living in the transitional homes in Bryant. I got to meet with these young ladies, speak about their potential and give them my story; then with the help of Gina’s Catering we provided lunch and had lunch with these girls. I’ve had the neat experience of their remembering me when I saw them working at Chick-fil-A, and also getting a hug at a 2CYR banquet! Another favorite need we contributed to was the building of a pool at the Ranch. The pool gives those kids hours of fun and just might change the fear of a new place into excitement.” 

 Rachel and Billy Hubbard are the Operations Directors at Second Chance Youth Ranch. “We currently have two campuses: one in rural Saline County near Paron, and one in Bryant. We have six homes on those two campuses, and we are just finishing completion of a seventh campus home in Bryant. Each of these homes can accommodate up to eight children,” explains Rachel. The goal is to provide homes large enough to allow big sibling groups in foster care to stay together. If children coming into foster care must be separated from their parents, then they should not have to endure separation from their brothers and sisters also.” 

The addition of a new home on the Bryant campus is a tremendous gain for 2CYR because it will allow foster parents to care for even more children, but transportation for so many people is crucial as well. “We are in need of three new 15-passenger vans for hauling big families to all the things that big families do: soccer practices, dance classes, karate lessons, church services, doctors’ appointments—there’s always so much going on!” Rachel noted that the vans also would be used for the harder things that children in foster care experience, such as court hearings, family visitations and therapy sessions.

The total cost for purchasing three vans will be approximately $120,000. To meet this goal, 2CYR is relying on the generosity of Saline County, starting with Everett who has donated $30,000 towards meeting that goal. “Everett has been a faithful partner of Second Chance Youth Ranch for several years. They are regularly asking us what they can do to help, and they have certainly helped in many ways. Their donation toward these vans and their commitment to helping us raise the remaining funds is a huge blessing,” says Rachel. “Everett is making sure that our kids have what they need, and we could not be more grateful. The loyal partnership with Everett is something that we have learned we can lean on, and they have truly been an integral part of the expansion that we have experienced in the past few years.”

Rachel and Billy are devoted to Second Chance Youth Ranch and love all the children with a fierce passion. The couple invites the community to get involved and help change the lives of our precious youth. “We would love for the community to get involved in helping us to meet the need for three new vans, and we are always recruiting more foster parents.” 2CYR is currently searching for foster parents at the rural campus, and there is also a need for more foster parents from the community to foster in their own homes as well. “There is a huge need for more homes for children in crisis in our state right now, and we are looking to open as many homes as possible!”

Donations for purchase of the vans can be made by visiting www.2cyr.org and choosing the “VANS” designation, or by mailing a check to PO Box 901, Bryant, AR 72089. To learn more about becoming a foster parent through Second Chance Youth Ranch, please email Rachel and Billy at hubbard@2cyr.org.