The Mission Statement for The Ranches is, "Rekindling Hope in Today's Youth." When combined with the purpose statement, "To provide services for young people and families in pursuit of a brighter tomorrow," a truth emerges: the power of hope to transform lives. Our Mission statement not only defines what we do, but the difference we want to make. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." As a Christian organization we know the importance of good values, including hope. However, such values are useless unless they also become important to the individual young people who utilize our programs. Hope includes many facets: seeing ourselves as valuable, having a vision for our future, having the skills needed to provide for our own needs, finding a profession that we enjoy, feeling safe, knowing how to develop a healthy support system, finding love and knowing there is a loving God who cares about us. While development of this vision for our future often takes years, when young people believe such things are possible, they are transformed by their hope.