I have an interesting story.  I was raised by my cousins in Dermott, AR, after my mother passed away from a drug overdose three weeks after my 12th birthday.  
I was, for all intents and purposes, an orphan. My parents had been divorced since I was a few months old, and my father, an alcoholic, didn’t have the capability to raise me.  Sherry Gibson, my first cousin, came to New Orleans where we were living, scooped me up and brought me to Arkansas. If family had not taken me in, I could have easily gone to an orphanage.  
Now in 2018 if that same scenario played out, I would have likely gone to a foster home. This is why Second Chance Youth Ranch, five miles down a dirt road in Saline County, is so dear to me. It’s where I would have ended up if my story had been any different.
youth ranch
I visited the Ranch in October, and I immediately identified with some of the kids’ stories there.  The Ranch is a faith-based program for kids in foster care who might not have forever families in a traditional sense yet find their forever families here.  It is set up like a town in the old wild west complete with a saloon and bank facade and a real live chapel on the property. Rachel and Billy Hubbard have committed their lives to help raise these kids.  Thirty-three children can be accommodated at the Ranch; the kids go to schools in the area and are expected to do chores and work while living at the Ranch. They house kids ages 8-21, and the Hubbards treat them all like their own. There are other adults who help with the raising of these kids and all are committed to teaching the children how to navigate life without fear of abuse, abandonment or rejection. The kids at the Ranch likely have seen more in their short lives than most have in a lifetime.  It is imperative they are treated with the utmost dignity and respect.
youth ranch
However, the Ranch needs funds to operate.  Their big fundraising dinner is Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Doubletree Hotel at 7 p.m. It’s called the Faithful to the Fatherless banquet. I am the emcee and would love for any of our readers to join us.  If you would like to be my guest, just email me at lfischer@aymag.com and I’ll get  you in. There is no cost but there will be an appeal for the Ranch. If instead you would just like to donate and not attend the dinner, you can go online to www.2cyr.org and you’ll find a “donate” tab on the right side of the page.  It is a 501(c)3 tax-deductible organization.
youth ranch
Think back to a child you knew who was in foster care. That child was given a second chance.  That is the promise of the Second Chance Youth Ranch. These kids deserve a second chance, and it might begin with your generous donation.
RELATED: RSVP for the Annual Faithful to the Fatherless Banquet