St Judes Ranch for Children Inc

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children wasn’t a place so much as a dream in the mind of one well-meaning man. ”What if we could build a place for neglected children?” he wondered, “How much good could we do?” The vision came from Father Jack Adam, an Episcopalian priest, who wanted to create a safe haven for abused, abandoned and neglected children in Southern Nevada. After a successful fundraising gala with stars like Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Shecky Greene and Bob Hope, Father Jack Adam’s vision became a reality. Construction began in the spring of 1967 in Boulder City, NV and on September 1, Eddie – a boy from Elko, NV – became the first resident at the Ranch. And, thus, for the past fifty years the organization has been able to help thousands of the most abused and neglected children in Nevada.

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children transforms the lives of abused, neglected and homeless children, young adults and families, from birth to age 25 by breaking the cycle of abuse and keeping families together. As we finish celebrating our 50th Anniversary, many things have changed; our campus in Boulder City has grown, we have expanded our programs and we have two branches in Las Vegas. What hasn’t changed is our mission to transform the lives of abused and at-risk children, young adults and families by empowering them to create new chances, new choices and new hope in a caring community. Our high quality therapeutic care is based on the most recent trauma-informed approach and is provided in a safe and nurturing environment, while meeting the physical and emotional needs of each child, youth or young adult. 

Shayna was 10 when she came to the Ranch. She had been in and out of foster care her whole life. Her father was in jail and her mother used prostitution to fund her drug addiction. Shayna was dragged into that world as a young girl and at the tender age of four, she was already giving sexual favors to grown men in exchange for money. Shayna’s first months at the Ranch were really tough for her. She didn’t trust anyone and didn’t think this was a stable situation. Further, she would get very mad when grown-ups in the house would not accept her sexual favors in exchange for whatever she wanted. After two years of living with us, Shayna has learned what appropriate boundaries are and she is finally feeling safe enough to come out of her shell. This young lady is thriving in school and loves playing flag football. When she grows up she says she wants to become a nurse. It is thanks to your St. Jude's Ranch that Shayna, and many others like her, have been able to re-write their story and look forward to a bright future.

This is an important and exciting time for the Ranch that requires all our efforts to focus on the children. We have an opportunity to challenge and change the discussion in the child welfare arena.  We must move the focus to treating and healing children so that the cycle of neglect, abuse and homelessness can be broken.