Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch

The Victory Over Violence Difference Maker award is given to organizations working to stem violence in the community. Working with at-risk children is key component of focus at Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch. The ranch which first opened in 1976 is 600 acres in the Batesville area.

Children coming to the ranch are generally the products of abuse and neglect caused by broken homes. With kids coming to the ranch in such formative years, the ranch aims to create a safe, healthy, permanent home for the children. They are provided with counseling and emotional support to get through difficult times. It’s not just the immediate needs the ranch meets. It also helps children to develop goals for the future after high school and college. The ranch provides these children with hope for a future they may never had thought about or even realized they could have.

Life on the ranch takes on a feeling much like you might expect. There cows to be raised, horses to feed, fish to catch, and campfires to sit around. The activities are designed to be fun and help teach teamwork, responsibility, and give the children structure in their life. Over 2,000 children have benefited from staying at the ranch.

Our communities are better because of the numerous success stories from the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches. At-risk children have entered the program hurting and looking for meaning and there they meet strong men and women ready to make a difference. That is why they are an excellent choice for the Victory Over Violence Difference Make Award.