Helping others is one of the greatest strengths of Ranch participants, and when people are in need, they don’t hesitate to lend a hand.

Over the past month, participants at Black Bear House in Regina and Alex Guy House at Buckland made donation packages for people experiencing homelessness.

“At the Ranch, we always have full bellies, really good food and a nice home, but not everybody has these things so we need to help when we can,” said one of the participants at Black Bear House.

Another added, “I feel very lucky to have staff who cook and make my meals and now I can help someone else get a meal.”

Black Bear House is part of Ranch Ehrlo’s Supported Living Programs, which provide care for people with multiple, complex development needs.

Participants at Black Bear made 20 meals of sandwiches and macaroni salad for people at Camp Marjorie in Regina.

Alex Guy is part of Ranch Ehrlo’s group living programs, which provide care to young people where every activity is focused on achieving the best outcome. It’s located at our Buckland Campus, just north of Prince Albert.

Alex Guy participants made 25 bags of food and handed out mittens and toques in Prince Albert. One of the youth had the idea of writing inspiring messages on the bags.

“It is very important to help those in need because giving back to the community you are a part of is a great way to establish connections to a city,” said Emily Bohmann, a youth care leader at Alex Guy. “Feeling like there is a place you can call home and having tangible experiences gives people a sense of belonging.”

Emily said many kids at the Ranch come from homes where they themselves could have potentially benefited from the kindness of their community. So, allowing them to help others is an important learning experience.

“The reason the kids were so eager to help and participate was because either they themselves or a family member have been in the position where somebody reaching out to help would greatly benefit them,” she said.

Kathleen added, “Our participants all have unique gifts and when they get to demonstrate their talents and give back to others in need, they can experience the magical feeling of living self-actualized.”

These acts of kindness align with Ranch Ehrlo’s CARE principles by enhancing relationships among participants, staff, and the community, while also building competencies that allow them to grow.

“Whether it be on a small or large scale, we’ve all felt like we needed somebody to make us feel wanted and helping those in need is a great way to share a small connection with others,” Emily said.