Dear Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch,
I first came into the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch family when I was fourteen years old. I was in a very dark and broken place, both mentally and spiritually. I didn't know if I would make it out alive. The direct care staff on the Fargo campus had the patience and the love to help me see the light again.
I came back to the Ranch when I was seventeen, this time to the Fargo Youth Home. The Youth Home was, and remains to be, one of the only places in the world where I felt at home. They knew me from my stay at the treatment center, but not once did any of those staff speak of any of my negatives from back then. If it were not for the Youth Home, I don't think I would have graduated from high school.
Life has been incredibly tough since leaving the Ranch. But, I take all of the knowledge and experience I learned from both my stays in the loving hands of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch with me whenever I go. It helps to have all of that in my back pocket. So, when I don't think I can continue, I can turn back to it.
Thank you to anyone and everyone that helps make the Ranch such a wonderful place. I hope one day I can work for the Ranch, and make this kind of impact in another child's life.
Carrie