A great example of this was a couple of weeks ago, the evening of the Lakewood Junior-Senior Prom. Our SCYR Staff knew David, our only Junior, wanted to go to the Prom. Our staff working together, came along side of him and gave him a special Prom experience and a night to remember.

Prior to the big night SCYR Case Worker, Mr. Ryan, took David shopping for a three piece suit, tie and shoes. Then the night of the Prom SCYR Worker, Mr. Paul, showed up dressed in his own shirt and tie to chauffeur David to the Prom in his 1983 restored Camaro Z-28 T-Top. Remembering David’s love for his Father, they contacted him and he stop by for pictures before they left. One of our other Ranchers even got into the act, dressing in his own shirt and tie (and blue jeans) to get a ride in the cool car.

That night David went to the Prom in style and they had everyone’s attention as they arrived in the Camaro, top open and radio booming. Mr. Paul jumped out of the car and opened David’s door. Mr. Paul also stayed and performed chaperone duties at the dance.

I asked David to tell me about his night at the Prom. He said the T-Top made him feel special and the open top gave him a feeling of freedom. His favorite part was…, was…, I think it was everything about that night. He had a hard time singling out one favorite thing about his special night.

As we move forward, we are gaining momentum and several agencies are urging us to build a 3rd home right away. They like what we are accomplishing and want to send us more Young Men.

We are blessed to have a wonderful staff and also volunteers who are putting their total efforts into making the Ranch experience the best it can be. Mr. Paul made a special effort to see that David went to the Prom in style. Volunteer, Mike Cook, took Maleke turkey hunting and Maleke got his first turkey (pictured right, note the wonderful, huge smile on Maleke’s face). One of Michigan’s finest, Officer Mario Jones, visited the Ranch to share his experiences as a State Trooper with the Ranchers. Mr. Thelen still comes every Saturday to work with the boys in the Wood Shop.

Now that we have more Ranchers and additional staff we look forward to even more stories which I am posting in a blog on our website www.sunnycrestyouthranch.org. You are welcome to visit the website anytime.

Lastly, we want to thank you as a community, for your continued support of the Ranch. We wouldn’t have two homes and be helping Young Men without your involvement.

 We have so much to be thankful for at the Ranch. We have just opened our second home (name to be unveiled at the Home Dedication on June 29th) and have had several new Ranchers arrive this week. After a winter of seeing Executive Director, Ron Coppess, divide his time between working with our builders, administrating grants and overseeing what goes on here at the Ranch, we have come to the fulfillment of the 2nd segment of our Program.

As we move forward, we are gaining momentum and several agencies are urging us to build a 3rd home right away. They like what we are accomplishing and want to send us more Young Men.

We are blessed to have a wonderful staff and also volunteers who are putting their total efforts into making the Ranch experience the best it can be. Mr. Paul made a special effort to see that David went to the Prom in style. Volunteer, Mike Cook, took Maleke turkey hunting and Maleke got his first turkey (pictured right, note the wonderful, huge smile on Maleke’s face). One of Michigan’s finest, Officer Mario Jones, visited the Ranch to share his experiences as a State Trooper with the Ranchers. Mr. Thelen still comes every Saturday to work with the boys in the Wood Shop.

Now that we have more Ranchers and additional staff we look forward to even more stories which I am posting in a blog on our website www.sunnycrestyouthranch.org. You are welcome to visit the website anytime.

Lastly, we want to thank you as a community, for your continued support of the Ranch. We wouldn’t have two homes and be helping Young Men without your involvement.

We have so much to be thankful for at the Ranch. We have just opened our second home (name to be unveiled at the Home Dedication on June 29th) and have had several new Ranchers arrive this week. After a winter of seeing Executive Director, Ron Coppess, divide his time between working with our builders, administrating grants and overseeing what goes on here at the Ranch, we have come to the fulfillment of the 2nd segment of our Program.

As we move forward, we are gaining momentum and several agencies are urging us to build a 3rd home right away. They like what we are accomplishing and want to send us more Young Men.

We are blessed to have a wonderful staff and also volunteers who are putting their total efforts into making the Ranch experience the best it can be. Mr. Paul made a special effort to see that David went to the Prom in style. Volunteer, Mike Cook, took Maleke turkey hunting and Maleke got his first turkey (pictured right, note the wonderful, huge smile on Maleke’s face). One of Michigan’s finest, Officer Mario Jones, visited the Ranch to share his experiences as a State Trooper with the Ranchers. Mr. Thelen still comes every Saturday to work with the boys in the Wood Shop.

Now that we have more Ranchers and additional staff we look forward to even more stories which I am posting in a blog on our website www.sunnycrestyouthranch.org. You are welcome to visit the website anytime.

Lastly, we want to thank you as a community, for your continued support of the Ranch. We wouldn’t have two homes and be helping Young Men without your involvement.

David is the Rancher who has been at the Ranch for the longest time.  Recently I was so proud of David I could bust.  This young man has always been interested in being a policeman and he even attended a Junior Cadet Academy in Lansing last summer.

Last week we received a visit from a Michigan State Policeman who introduced himself as a Community Service Trooper.  As we talked he told me of his interest in young men who need mentoring and direction.  He also told me that he liked what he had seen of the Ranch.  I put him in contact with Ryan Patten, our Case Manager, so they could set up interaction with our Ranchers.  As we continued talking, I told him a little about David.

As we were talking David rushed in, excited about a chance to speak with and interact with a Police Officer.  David was very self-assured and had no trouble introducing himself with assurance as Mr. C. had taught him when he first came to the Ranch.  We all talked for a few minutes, and then David offered to take him on a tour of the Ranch, and especially the new home.  As they left I heard them talking about riding horses and the Trooper was telling him about his experiences when he was a youth.

David is also currently involved in making Long Bows and Arrows as taught by wood shop volunteer, Mike Cook.  Mike is very knowledgeable in Indian Artifacts and is a flintnapper.   David is very proud of the bows he has made.  Later last week I learned that David and Maleke, another Rancher who is also interested in making Long Bows, presented a bow they had made to Ralph Thelen in thanks for the many Saturday mornings he has spent selflessly mentoring the Ranchers in the wood shop.  I know Mr. Thelen was deeply moved by the gift.

These are a few examples of life skills and activities learned at the Ranch and this is why we are a Ranch.

Game in Progress

Spring Break at Sunny Crest was a time for building relationships and memories as well as contributing to the community and to the Ranch.

The week began with a trip to the VFW Children’s Home in Eaton Rapids where Staff Member, Paul Lightner, set up a special “retreat” just for our boys.  Staff and Ranchers arrived at 8:00 pm and stayed until 4:00 in the morning.  The boys played basketball in the gym for hours and had some really great dodge-ball games.  Pizza was ordered for a late-night snack and the boys even took turns singing karaoke in the upstairs auditorium.  The VFW Children’s Home gave us the facility at no cost to the Ranch and told us that they would be happy to allow our boys to come at future dates.   Before returning home at 6:30 AM, the Staff took the boys for breakfast at Denny’s.  The boys appreciated being allowed to sleep until after 12:00 noon after the event.

Wednesday provided a community service opportunity for our Ranchers as they volunteered at the Red Cross Blood Drive at the United Brethren Church in Sunfield.  They enjoyed greeting donors and helped them get refreshments after they gave blood.  On Thursday, the boys were invited to Olivet College for a visit to their planetarium and a pizza party, and Friday they took a trip to Grand Rapids where they enjoyed a movie.

The week ended with the boys putting the roof on our new tool shed building.  Through this process the boys learned to build trusses and the art of building a roof structure.

Throughout the week the boys also helped build 3 new pens in the barn area as new baby sheep are about to be born on the Ranch and the momma sheep need to have a place prepared for their arrival.  A welcome site was the warmer weather that has arrived and the boys were able to get outside more to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air that spring always brings.

From My Corner Office at Sunny Crest Youth Ranch

The Sunny Crest Chocolate Story

Ranch Partners contribute to our mission in so    many ways, sometimes unexpected but always delightful!  Marti Lind LMSW, ACSW, CAADC of Amazing Miracles, LLC, has many years’ experience as a therapist for at-risk kids and became invested early in the life of the Ranch.  As Marti witnessed our progress, her commitment grew and in July of 2010 she became our Social Work Clinical Supervisor to oversee the work we were doing with the Ranchers.

Marti is also the owner of Marti’s Magic Candies.  She had the vision of a custom made candy mold to create a solid chocolate image of the Sunny Crest Logo.  In January 2013 she contacted Dan Miller of Custom Sweets in Arizona to work out the details and create the molds.  We ordered the molds and when they arrived, started chocolate production!  We organized a group of willing Sunny Crest Volunteers to help create the initial 500 bars.  The money from the sales is designated toward the purchase of a John Deere Gator to make Ranch life easier.

We are delighted with the WONDERFUL success of our chocolates! They are created in three luscious flavors… white chocolate with pecans, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate.  Our raised, detailed logo stands clearly on the face of each of the 3.5 ounce chocolate bars that are individually packaged and sell for $3.00 each, or 2 for $5.00.

Several local businesses have generously agreed to stock our chocolates.  You can find them at the Sunny Crest Trading Post in Sunfield where we have already sold over 80 bars.    They are also available at the Sunfield Coffee Company in Sunfield, Terry’s Café in Woodbury, Union Bank and So Simply in Lake Odessa, Dood’s Jewelry and Greenstone Farm Credit in Ionia, Health Source and China Buffet in Portland.

Many thanks to Marti and our volunteer candy maker/packagers, Joyce Wilcox, Julie Dingerson, Noreen Enz, Fran Courser, Sandy Johnson, and Betty Neil   We appreciate their very valuable and delicious contribution to the Ranch!

They told him, “It can’t be done,” but if you know Mr. C. (Executive Director, Ron Coppess), you know that “can’t” is not in his vocabulary.

We need to take up residence in our second Sunny Crest Home by April 1, 2013.  We have several young men who are waiting to come here where they can feel safe and cared for; where they can learn new life skills.

By the end of February the dry walling was yet not started and they told Ron it couldn’t be done by the first of April.  Ron’s answer was, “If they can do it on Extreme Home Makeover, then it can be done and we can do it!”  So now, the drywall is almost finished and we are in the process of painting and finishing.  We are running a race with the calendar.  Jim Stowell’s sub-contractors have been working at a break neck pace.  They may not be done by April first but they are giving a great effort.  “This is not TV with 500 workers.”

This is where our Community comes in.  We need all of the help we can get in order to move these boys into their new home.  If you are free to help paint, stain, and clean, daytime, nighttime, or weekends, please call (517)507-3144, or email sherry@sunnycrestyouthranch.org.

Sunny Crest currently has a variety of activities and projects going on and you can easily become involved.

1. Status of House # 2
a. Drywall is going up.
b. Ionia Corrections is building the cupboards which are made of hickory and are sturdy and beautiful.
c. We are now beginning the painting and staining and are in need of a lot of volunteer help.

2. Add a Sunny Crest Chocolate Bar to your Easter Basket
Have you tried our Sunny Crest Chocolate Squares? We have them in the flavors of White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate, and they are wonderfully good. You can make your purchase at the Sunny Crest Trading Post or the Sunfield Coffee Co. in Sunfield; the Union Bank or So Simply in Lake Odessa; Dood’s Jewelry in Ionia; Health Source or the China Buffet in Portland. They are priced very reasonably.

3. Order a Sunny Crest Pen
We take individual orders for personalized engraved wooden pens. The cost is $20.00 per pen and they make wonderful gifts for that person who has everything. For businesses they can also be purchased in bulk with your logo printed on it. These pens are made by our young men in our wood shop.

4. Tri-County Peoples Fund Grant
We recently received a grant from Tri County Peoples Fund in Portland which is for our Universal Laser. The laser is for putting imprints on the pens the boys turn on the wood lathe.

5. “Fore” the Kids Golf Outing
The plans for our Annual Golf Outing have been set in motion. Make your reservation before May 3rd to receive the Early Bird Discount. Go to our website at www.sunnycrestyouthranch.org for details.

6. Sunny Crest Ride-a-Thon
Watch for information forth-coming for our very first Sunny Crest Ride-a-Thon to be held on July 13th, 2013. This event will take place here at the Ranch and will be a Ranch Fund Raiser. We will be grooming trails for this event and participants will take pledges to raise funds for the Sunny Crest Animal Assisted Therapy Program.

Last week I was on vacation in sunny Arizona and my first question when I returned was “What happened at the Ranch last week?”  Of course, there was more that I can possibly relate in this space!

Construction is moving along on our second house and we are hoping for a move-in date of April 1^st.  And at this point we have several young men waiting for a home.  The 2^nd week of March we plan to begin painting and finishing.  If you would like to volunteer your time, we would love to have your help!

Candy Bar sales are going great.  Our scrumptious Sunny Crest Candy Bars are the creation of Marti Lind of Marti’s Magic Candies and made with the help of our wonderful volunteers.  They would be a wonderful addition to your Easter Baskets.  Pick them up at the Sunny Crest Trading Post in Sunfield or here at the Ranch.

As for the Ranchers, they are busy as always.  The house parents are always looking for ways to, not only entertain them, but to enhance their life experiences so they become well rounded adults, ready to face life and reaching their fullest  potential.  As House Mother Sandi French says, “This isn’t a job, but a calling.  We believe that what we offer here to our Ranchers is far removed from anything cold.  These boys are given the opportunity to have a mother and father figure to help them know the potential they have to be anything they choose to be. They are given the benefits that every child should have access to… extreme amounts of love that equates to their total well-being.  All of the staff here at Sunny Crest Youth Ranch is here for one reason only… to see these boys grow and flourish.  Even though it’s a daunting task, each and every one of us is totally dedicated to this endeavor.  As time passes, by the grace of God, we will be blessed to see many new productive citizens burst forth into our society with a wave of healing that will have an effect for generations to come.”

You see, building character is not a one time event.  It is a journey and it happens every day of your life.  Social skills are learned by someone modeling them.  So…you would think the better your living environment, the better your character.  Not so fast my friend.  When I talk about living environment I’m mostly talking about level of social skills, moral values, and family values.  I know wonderful families that did not have much when it came to materialistic things, but were very rich in moral values and social skills.  So, there are many things that contribute to building character.

I grew up on a big dairy farm and learned to work from my father.  I had the benefit of my father teaching and coaching me every day, unlike many young men growing up in our society today.  I had “a safe place to live,” food on the table with a family, holiday fun, and opportunity.  I was given a lot of responsibility at a very early age.  My family was very caring and everyone was treated fairly, with respect.  I did not say equally.  You see, life is not equal, but it can be fair.  Virtues like trust, caring, responsibility and integrity were expected in our home.  We never lied or told untrue stores.  Wait.  We did, but were corrected quickly.  I did get a “few” spanking.

There are many experiences in my life that helped build character.  One I can point to came from my brother Richard who was a lot older and, like most big brothers, my hero.  While Richard was in high school he would read the bible to me every night.  He is the only person I can ever remember reading to me and that made it very special.  My sister Lynda has modeled caring and be ing kind at the highest level for me my whole life.  Watching her has helped me to have a caring side.  My sister Mary has modeled hard work and was never embarrassed of me, her younger brother, at school (at least she didn’t show it).  We are closest in age and I have always enjoyed her company.   My brother Robert and I became very close as he modeled what true honesty looks like.  During the last two years of his life that became very meaningful to me.

Here at the Ranch there are decisions going on all of the time about integrity and telling the truth.  Giving an honest day’s work for an honest day pay is also discussed.  Last summer we were bailing hay and one of the Ranchers did not want to bail hay (don’t tell him but neither did I), and at the end of the day everybody gets to evaluate each other.  I had the boy who got the worst score of all come in to talk about it.  I explained to him how important it was for him to change the perspective of the other Ranchers and staff here at the Ranch.  Two weeks later our Board President stopped in at the Ranch and picked up three boys to help him on a project.  I didn’t know that he had stopped or who he took to help him.  When he returned he interrupted a meeting to tell me how the boys had worked out.  When I found out it was the bailing hay worst worker I was afraid of what he was going to tell me.  To my surprise, he gave this Rancher a glowing review.  When I went back and shared that with the Rancher he was smiles from ear to ear.  You see, the bailing hay incident revealed character and he did not like what he saw, so he made changes in his life.  Since then he has worked for many people and sometimes is even requested.

There are many ways to define Character.  All of my children, grown adults now, at different times, have said, “Dad I love to watch you when you don’t think anyone is watching because you do the right thing.”  That’s maybe the highest compliment anyone could give me.  That is about integrity and character. That is also a very high bar to live up to, but I guess that’s a good problem to have.  Where do you set the bar in your life and with your family?

from Executive Director, Ronald L. Coppess