By Richard Nedelkoff, President and CEO
It has been about six months since I joined Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch as President and CEO, and I am so thankful to be part of such an amazing organization.
One of the exciting things about coming to work for Boys Ranch is that its mission is based on God, faith and Christian values. I have been fortunate to work with other nonprofits with similar values, and I deeply appreciate the atmosphere and culture that is established in organizations like Boys Ranch.
I have been on a spiritual journey my entire life, and my faith has helped me navigate through the good times and the bad. My spiritual foundation comes from putting into practice Jesus’s teachings. God’s grace can deepen our foundation even though we are not perfect.
I am blessed to be part of the Boys Ranch organization and look forward to helping the organization grow and thrive while adhering to the Christian principles that have been a foundation here since its beginning.
Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch serves children who have no place to go. We serve children who need an opportunity to turn their lives around. They have had their share of difficulties, trauma and grief, and they need a place that they can call home. Some of the children come to us hopeless and lost, and we are able to give them direction and education, as well as the opportunity to learn a vocation that will help them become productive citizens in our society once they leave Boys Ranch. It is an enormous responsibility to be entrusted to care for the youth who are with us, and we take that responsibility very soberly and solemnly.
Cal Farley was known as an innovator and a trailblazer during his time, and we want to be no different now. We want to continually increase the number of children at Boys Ranch so as many as possible can be afforded this unique opportunity to change their lives. We know our mission, values and experiences working with children will translate into services our children can use throughout their future endeavors.
We also know that no matter how much we can positively impact the children during their stay at Boys Ranch, they must eventually return to a community where they will be integrated back into society. We realize the importance of this transition, and we have an alumni program that provides many of our graduates an independent living environment where they can begin working in the community. They also learn valuable social skills and independent living skills.
Where History Meets the Future
We have a growing community services program where we work with children and their families, in their homes, providing case management services to stabilize the family and keep families intact. We know how important a stable and healthy family situation can be, and we are pleased we are able to make a difference with these families.
I am fortunate to be here at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch where history meets the future. It is wonderful that we can offer our children so many experiences that equip them for their adult lives. There are few organizations that have been around this long and remain so open to change for the better.
I am looking forward to an exciting future while I continue this journey with all of you.