Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => The Troubled Teen Industry => Topic started by: Anonymous on September 24, 2003, 02:09:00 AM
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God, when will these parents be forced to take "personal responsibility" for placing their child in an abusive program? Seems to me that would send a strong message to other parents that there are risks in private placement and that blind faith is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!!!!!
7/4/03
Teen-ranch owner faces charges
Teri Figueroa
Staff Writer
An Aguanga man pleaded not guilty Thursday to allegations that he lied to police and twice reopened his Christian ranch for troubled teens after the state shut it down following allegations of sexual misconduct, according to court records.
Mark Bonacquista, the 40-year-old director of the Gentle Spirit Ranch in Aguanga, faces up to two years in jail if found guilty of the misdemeanor charges, Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Colleen Maas said.
State officials say they have shuttered Gentle Spirit Ranch in Aguanga three times in the last 15 months.
Allegations of sexual abuse led state officials to shut down the ranch in April 2002, according to the state's Department of Social Services.
Seven teenage girls were removed from the ranch by Child Protective Services at that time, state authorities said.
But upon investigating a tip authorities received a year later, deputies found the ranch was still operating, and once again shut it down. At that time, Child Protective Services removed three teens, said Department of Social Services spokesman Rapone Anderson.
Then, two weeks after removing the three girls, authorities once again found the ranch open for business and once again had to remove a child ---- one of whom was one of the same teenage girls they had removed two weeks earlier.
Bonacquista did not respond to requests this week for comment.
Gentle Spirit Ranch sits on 20 acres in Aguanga, about 20 miles east of Temecula. According to the ranch's Web site, Bonacquista and his wife, Virginia, ran the ranch as a "Christ-centered boarding school" for girls from 13 to 16 years old.
The average stay at the ranch ---- which costs $2,500 a month ---- is 15 to 48 months, the Web site states.
The ranch accepted troubled girls who may have used drugs and alcohol, who have been prone to run away, and those who have been pregnant, to name a few. Violent girls and felons are not accepted.
The allegations of sexual misconduct
As listed in the state's complaint against Bonacquista, dated April 5, 2002, the allegations that led to the eventual shutdown of the Gentle Spirit Ranch came from one girl, a client at the ranch. She charged that:
Bonacquista inappropriately touched the victim on her inner thigh;
he lay in bed next to the girl and caressed her hair and face;
he held the girl's hand in an inappropriate manner, causing the girl to feel uncomfortable; and
he massaged the child on her back under her clothes near her buttocks and told her that doing so caused him to have an erection.
"As soon as we got this information, we acted on it," Department of Social Services spokesman Anderson said. "That's when we shut the place down."
That closure was temporary, pending an appeal from Bonacquista, Anderson said. But Bonacquista did not appeal the investigation findings and the Gentle Spirit Ranch license was permanently revoked in May 2002.
State officials said they substantiated the sexual abuse allegations by the girl who came forward; the department's investigation of the allegations at that time revealed no other alleged victims.
Then came word in April of this year that Gentle Spirit Ranch may still be operating.
The ranch allegedly reopens
According to the investigation case report from the Department of Social Services, a local social services agency received a call April 16 from the parents of a teenage girl living at the ranch ---- a placement that was reportedly costing the couple $35,000 a year.
The parents, who live in Minnesota, reported that ranch officials do not allow any communication with the girls in their care. But the couple had become concerned when they received a videotape of their daughter, in which the girl ---- who suffers from anorexia ---- looked very thin, the report states.
Later that night, Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Chad Craig went to the ranch to check on the girl, according to a May 26 affidavit from Craig, which was filed in support of an arrest warrant for Bonacquista.
Craig asked about the teenage girl several times, but Bonacquista refused to cooperate, Craig said in the affidavit. The Department of Social Services report adds that Bonacquista was placed in the police car at one point.
Craig then spoke with Bonacquista's wife, who told him there were three teenage clients at the facility, which she claimed was a boarding school.
When the couple was not able to produce a license to operate the facility, the three teenagers were removed from the ranch and returned to their parents, according to the state's report. All three of the girls were interviewed, but none disclosed sexual abuse, according the state's case report.
What was reported, according to an affidavit by social services investigator Michael Jackson, was that all three of the teenagers at the ranch said they felt uncomfortable around Bonacquista ---- and two of them told Jackson that Bonacquista touched them on their faces, shoulders and thighs in the mornings to wake them up.
Then, two weeks later on May 1, Craig returned to the facility with Jackson. At that time, they again found a teenage client ---- one of the same girls they had found at the ranch two weeks prior, the affidavit states.
Once again, Child Protective Services removed the girl, Craig states.
In his report, Jackson states that the girl, who suffers from an eating disorder, had recently begun purging, but had not been taken to a doctor for treatment.
Deputy District Attorney Maas said Jackson told her the ranch had no running water when he inspected it May 1.
According to police and social services reports, Bonacquista claims he was operating a boarding school exempt from licensing.
But Gentle Spirit Ranch advertised for and provided counseling services, and thus does not meet the state's standard to be licensed as an exempt boarding school, which must provide education only, social services department spokesman Anderson said.
In addition, he said, there were no teachers employed at the facility, nor was there a school curriculum.
"They tried to hold themselves out as a school, but they are not. They have no teachers," Maas said. "(The girls said) the only instruction was (what) they studied themselves and that was it."
The ranch had originally been licensed as a foster family home, a license given to Gentle Spirit Ranch in 1999.
Gentle Spirit was required to be licensed because the facility was providing care and supervision, including rehabilitation, therapy and counseling services, Anderson said.
Solicitations for help and donations
In December, seven months after the state revoked the ranch's license, help wanted advertisements for Gentle Spirit Ranch appeared on two different Web sites: christianemployment.com and ministrymatch.com.
Both ads state that the ranch was "praying for a mature married couple" to become full-time ministry directors for a salary of $24,000 to $36,000 a year.
Both ads directed job seekers to contact Bonacquista.
Those ads came on the heels of a feature on the ranch in the October edition of Christian Times magazine, which said the ranch receives two or three calls a day from families seeking help.
Christian Times reporter Carol Thomas said last week that Bonacquista did not tell her the ranch's license had been revoked.
Then in March, Bonacquista appeared in a radio interview on K-Wave 107.9 FM, a Christian radio station owned by Calvary Church of Costa Mesa. Public Affairs Director Terry Lind said Thursday that Bonacquista had pursued the station for the interview, in which he promoted the ranch.
Gentle Spirit Ranch is run as part of the nonprofit C-ya in Heaven Ministries, which is also headed up by the Bonacquistas.
According to the ministry's 2000 federal income taxes, the organization reported income of $428,000 for the year. Total expenses tallied in at $219,000.
Contact staff writer Teri Figueroa at (909) 676-4315, Ext. 2623, or tfigueroa@californian.com.
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First, parents who agree to sever communication with their child should be charged with CHILD ABANDONMENT. Second, for the parent who chose this program for their child suffering from a serious medical condition, they should be charged with MEDICAL NEGLECT. This business of not holding parents accountable for the safety and well-being of their own children is criminal.
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Well I think California as of late is the only state doing a good job in this area that I have heard of. Perhaps other states should adopt their laws in this area.
Any program that is shut down and then reopened illegally should result in jail time for the owners period. Preferably 5 years minimum. That will discourage the practice.
In addition any program that is caught operating without a license and their owners/operators and staff members should be banned from obtaining a license for no less than 5 years. That will discourage the common practice of hiding until caught and then applying for a license while kids are still being tortured inside.
Any parent who returns their child or teen to a program from which cps has had to remove them due to abuse, neglect, or lack of a license should be subject to parental rights termination and jail time.
It should be completely illegal to send any minor to any program outside the United States with penalties for violation including jail time and termination of parental rights.
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The war we fight is not against powers or principalities. It is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender.
[ This Message was edited by: FaceKhan on 2003-09-24 00:56 ]
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First, parents who agree to sever communication with their child should be charged with CHILD ABANDONMENT. Second, for the parent who chose this program for their child suffering from a serious medical condition, they should be charged with MEDICAL NEGLECT. This business of not holding parents accountable for the safety and well-being of their own children is criminal.
AMEN!
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!!!!!!!
It sure should not have taken a rocket scientist to read the contract and know they were putting their child at risk. Anyone who signed the Dundee contract that I read, should be found guilty of child endagerment, at the very least.
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Comments at Struggling Teens
http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... 2/np1.html (http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives/2001/12/np1.html)
Each girl receives an accredited academic program designed to meet her specific needs. Performance is monitored and individual motivation plans are implemented to encourage successful completion of the academic program.
THE DSS REPORT SAID THERE WAS NO CURRICULUM OR EDUCATION.
They are licensed through the Department of Social Services ?Community Care Licensing.?
BLATANT LIE.
The ranch is supported by DONATIONS (?) from the families with daughters in the program, as well as through the sale of ranch crops and livestock, a petting zoo, pony rides as well as with donations from individuals, churches, businesses and grants.
This 501(3) corporation has a Board of Directors and Board of References that oversees all organizational expenditures. Mark & Virginia have worked with a variety of youth ministries, as well as a Christian program called Shelterwood, a one year residential treatment program for at risk teenagers.
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I think Ed Cons like Lon should be responsible to check out the facilties that advertise with him. Only takes a minute to call the Licensing Director in any given state to ensure that a program is licensed and hasn't had any complaints. If they aren't, then they shouldn't be advertised. How many times has he given glowing reports of facilities that later were closed and/or exposed for abuse, injury, and death.
Since none of them are going to take responsibility in this way, individuals should write and ask them to remove any program they know to be unlicensed.
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http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:Wr ... n&ie=UTF-8 (http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:WrkLAOjH5bMJ:www.christiantimes.com/Articles/Articles%2520Oct02/Art_Oct02_12.html+%22Gentle+Spirit+Ranch%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8)
?We believe that the best form of counseling for most teens is working on a strong relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit,? Bonaquista said. ?
The Bonaquistas also believe that academics are therapeutic. Their primary goal is to use schoolwork to assist in the growth and progress of each student.
?The best way to accomplish this is to provide a rigorous academic program that is tailored to meet the needs of the individual student,? Bonaquista said.
The responsibilities of each teen include house chores, cooking, cleaning, work projects on the property and taking care of the animals and vegetable garden. Community service projects and outreach events into the local community are also included in the program.
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Just a thought, if taking care of animals, enforced christianity, and household chores make one behave better how come methamphetamine is so big in rural areas?
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-Just a thought, if taking care of animals, enforced christianity, and household chores make one behave better how come methamphetamine is so big in rural areas?-
::bwahaha:: ::cheers::
I'll have to remember that...that's hysterical
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I would just like to say that if what this young teenager has accused this man of is true, then I know Mr. Bonacquista will be giving an account for this when he stands before God. Having said that, I would like to add that I have seen first hand what used to occur at Gentle Spirit Ranch and through my experience I have always found the Bonacquista family to be a loving and caring family.
It's easy for anyone to sit here and poke fun, be angry and criticize them without knowing the entire story or the whole truth. I had worked closely with the Bonacquista's in the past and in my opinion the Bonacquista's have been misrepresented, why?...I don't know. Maybe people didn't want a Christian-based program operating in California or in their backyard, or maybe they had some kind of vengence thing going. Whatever the case, I would just like to say that Mr. Mark Bonacquista and Ginny are good, Godly role-models and I think it's a shame what allegations have been thrown their way. I wish our world was a more just world in the sense that Godly people were not punished for simply putting into practice Biblical principles such as loving,caring and nurturing others. If what this young lady says is true then I fully agree that justice must be done SWIFTLY for Mark Bonacquista and the closure of this program. Actions such as these are unacceptable no matter who it is. But if this is all fabricated then I pray God's mercy for those who destroyed the reputation and integrity of the Bonacquista family.
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Does anyone have any update on the investigation?
Barry@hurricanehillranch.com
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On 2004-02-08 16:07:00, Anonymous wrote:
"I would just like to say that if what this young teenager has accused this man of is true, then I know Mr. Bonacquista will be giving an account for this when he stands before God. Having said that, I would like to add that I have seen first hand what used to occur at Gentle Spirit Ranch and through my experience I have always found the Bonacquista family to be a loving and caring family.
It's easy for anyone to sit here and poke fun, be angry and criticize them without knowing the entire story or the whole truth. I had worked closely with the Bonacquista's in the past and in my opinion the Bonacquista's have been misrepresented, why?...I don't know. Maybe people didn't want a Christian-based program operating in California or in their backyard, or maybe they had some kind of vengence thing going. Whatever the case, I would just like to say that Mr. Mark Bonacquista and Ginny are good, Godly role-models and I think it's a shame what allegations have been thrown their way. I wish our world was a more just world in the sense that Godly people were not punished for simply putting into practice Biblical principles such as loving,caring and nurturing others. If what this young lady says is true then I fully agree that justice must be done SWIFTLY for Mark Bonacquista and the closure of this program. Actions such as these are unacceptable no matter who it is. But if this is all fabricated then I pray God's mercy for those who destroyed the reputation and integrity of the Bonacquista family."
just a thought, but . . .
when news reporters ask neighbors what they thought about so an so (the molester, serial murderer, etc. etc.) don't the neighbors always say, oh, he/she was a good neighbor/quiet, never caused any trouble, i'm so Shocked this is uncharecteristic of this person, etc. etc.
anon poster, i hope what you say is true, that this didn't happen. but more and more victims of sexual abuse are coming forward. hell, on TV i saw a commerc ial, similar to the anti-drug commercials, where they show person after person admitted they were sexually abused, at what age, or by whom (a family member, coach, etc, not by name but who). i wonder if each and every person of 2000 people were asked, anonymously, had they ever been molested or sexually abused, i wonder how many, anonymously would say yes, at some point in their life they had been. i also believe people would be surprised, if not shocked, to find the number of people who say that had been. the abundance of information in this day in age will be a driving force against these atrocities, as evidenced here, by fornits, thanking you Ginger.
information + heart = love
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Sir,
I'm not sure who you are, but I would like to say that I have worked with GSR intimately as well and what you are hearing about Mark is true. He does seem like a Godly man...which is why when the allegations were brought up before they broke THIS time, they were quickly discarded as not true. I believe he started out with a good heart towards God and for serving, and he gave Satan a foothold.....and corrupted what could have been a very anointed ministry. It is TRAGIC.
Ginny, on the other hand, is a good woman who was caught, I think between her obligation to her husband and how horrible the reality of what was going on between Mark and the girls. My heart goes out to her......I can't imagine how she must be suffering.
All we can do is pray for their family...but don't forget to pray for the girls that were under their care....seriously, b/c of the atrocities that they came into contact with at the ranch, some of those girls (and staff) left with MORE wounds than they came there with.
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Can anyone provide an update on this story?
Did anything come of the allegations agaisnt Bonaquista?
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All we can do is pray?! Are you nucking futs???
Where is this guy now and does he have access to his preferred victims?Give me the youth, and Germany will rule the world.
--Hitler
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One of my Mom's Friend's relatives had a kid in Shelterwood. Does anybody know what dates Mark and Virginia Bonacquista were there or anything more about that particular program?
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One of my Mom's Friend's relatives had a kid in Shelterwood. Does anybody know what dates Mark and Virginia Bonacquista were there or anything more about that particular program?
Shelterwood is run by Doulos Ministries, founded by Richard A. Beach. Offices and Admissions are in Colorado. The two Shelterwood campuses are located in Missouri. http://douloscorp.com/ (http://douloscorp.com/)
Mark and Virginia Bonacquista would have had to have been there sometime prior to 1998. They bought the property for Gentle Spirit Ranch in 1998, and were licensed as a foster home, I believe, in 1999.
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An early article about Gentle Spirit Ranch, when they had been open less than a year:
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One more chance -- A chance in the country (http://http://www.press-enterprise.com/newsarchive/1999/11/11/942292023.html)
A Christian foster home way out in the country offers troubled girls a place to find themselves.
By Gordon Johnson
The Press-Enterprise
Published 11/11/1999
AGUANGA
A long driveway, bordered by fruit trees, curves up the hill around pastures, paddocks and untilled garden plots toward several blue-trimmed, white buildings.
Songbirds twitter from perches in oak trees. Horses paw the dust. Asti and Blade, knee-high shelties, bark from the main house. Goats bleat from a pen further up the hill.
As its name suggests, Gentle Spirit Ranch invokes nature's calm.
But it's not always so peaceful, says Mark Bonacquista, 37, co-director with his wife, Ginny, 33, of the 20-acre Gentle Spirit Ranch, a new Christian foster home for troubled girls.
Sometimes, when a new girl gets dropped off, screams of anger interrupt the calm.
"Most girls don't know they are coming here. It can be very emotional. The girls scream things like: `I'm not going to stay. I'm not that bad. I'm sorry. I don't need this. What about my friends? I hate you,' " Mark says.
Some girls lock themselves inside the car with the windows rolled up and it can take hours for Mark and chagrined parents to coax them out. Some girls bolt from the car, and flee down the driveway. But they don't get far. Remote and isolated, it's a long, scary walk from the Gentle Spirit Ranch to anywhere.
It's harder yet for the girls to escape themselves. But for many, Gentle Spirit Ranch is a journey from dissipation toward a new spiritual balance.
Girls meet livestock
"This is Frankie, our newest addition," says Mark of the black, spindly legged pygmy goat that's nuzzling his palm.
About 13 goats dwell in the roomy pen shared with a litter of pigs.
To raise extra money for the ranch, Mark hosts petting zoos for young children. The girls who reside here help make sure that children and farm animals interact safely.
Six girls, aged 13 to 17, live and work at Gentle Spirit Ranch. The ranch is one of 1,835 homes licensed for foster care in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
It may be the only foster home in the Inland area exclusively for private placements, according to Robert Gonzales of the state Department of Social Services and John Vaughn, supervisor of foster home licensing in San Bernardino County.
Most foster homes accept only children who are wards of the court and receive payment from social-service agencies to house them. The girls at Gentle Spirit Ranch aren't ordered there by the court. They are placed privately by their parents, who must foot at least part of the bill.
The girls aren't in serious trouble with the law, but often things have reached an impasse at home.
Gentle Spirit Ranch offers an option to parents who want to save their out-of-control children.
Most girls come as emotional wrecks, losers in the game of life. They've ditched school, hung with the wrong crowd, run away from home, and partied till they've lost their footing. Parents can't cope, teachers bemoan their poor attendance, even friends tire of their mooching.
But Mark and Ginny take them in. "When they come, in their heart of hearts, they know they are out of control. Although they don't always admit it, they are relieved to be here," Mark says.
Relieved to be in a place of structure, of learning, of friendship, of love, they begin the long climb back toward self-esteem.
At this working farm, they learn that work is not a four-letter word.
Girls who whined, stamped their feet or refused to do chores at home, rise at 6:30 a.m. to feed the animals. They make beds, do housekeeping, wash clothes, and cook breakfast before school starts at 9 a.m.
"Work has gotten a bad reputation," Mark says. "But it doesn't kill you. It makes you feel good when finished."
You should see them boast to their parents on visiting days how they laid tile, set poles for the riding arena, painted a room, worked on the barn, he says.
Mark and Ginny and their two daughters Tori, 4, and Alina, 6, live in the top floor of a converted, two-story barn. The bottom floor houses the girls, two to a room.
Upstairs, Mark sits at a roll-top desk making additional plans for their ranch, which opened last January.
It's too early yet, but later in the year, he'll till several acres and add manure and other fertilizers for an organic farm. Mark was reared on small Michigan farms. He understands the chemistry between seeds, water and good earth. The girls, most of them city-bred, will plant strawberries, onions, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers and hoe weeds between the crop rows.
At harvest, they'll sell vegetables and fruit from their 130 trees at the Temecula Farmers Market. What isn't sold will go on the table as good, healthy food for the girls.
In seasons of plenty, farming might provide up to 30 percent of the $140,000 or so each year it takes to keep the ranch operational, says Mark.
Like other non-profit organizations, money is a constant concern. Many private foster-care group homes for teens in other parts of the country charge anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 a month for each resident, Mark says.
Parents pay about $600 a month for a 15-month stay at Gentle Spirit Ranch. Other funds donated by churches, businesses and individuals keep the ranch afloat.
Mark describes his and Ginny's commitment to the ranch as a "calling,' although he hates using the word because it may sound trite. For 10 years, they worked as house parents, youth ministers and group home directors for other programs.
But they longed to start their own group home, where Mark could put his farming experience to good use while providing a safe place for teens.
Last year, a newspaper ad led him to the ranch. He used profits made on the sale of their house near Lake Arrowhead and formed a non-profit corporation to buy the ranch for $150,000. At the time, the ranch was a rundown retreat for a Whittier church.
Before they could open the school, Mark and Ginny solicited financial help and labor from church groups and civic organizations to prepare the buildings and grounds.
The barn needed to be converted from horse stalls to bedrooms for girls. Another detached building below the house had to be outfitted as a kitchen and classroom. Animal pens had to be built, corrals erected, paneling nailed, plumbing made water-tight, and still the ranch-improvement projects continue. Knotty pine paneling covers the walls of the combination kitchen and main classroom. Yet, patches of oak flooring remain unfinished.
"It all takes time," Mark says.
It's a weekday morning, and the girls usually attend class from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Many have fallen behind in school. They use A Beka curriculum, a Christian-based home-schooling program. It is self-paced so students can accelerate learning and catch up. Some try to shoehorn two years' of school work into one year.
After working more than 10 years with hundreds upon hundreds of troubled teens, Mark says most teen crises stem from academic failure and parental abandonment.
Kids, for any number of reasons, can fall behind in school, he says. Frustrated, they band with others to ditch class and soon their studies suffer even more. When self-esteem plummets, they often turn to drugs to numb themselves against problems.
"Drugs, alcohol, disrespect for authority, sexual promiscuity are all symptoms of deeper issues," Mark says.
And many of those issues stem from distant parents, he contends. Divorce, separation and marital discord all lead to children feeling abandoned, even in two-parent families in which parents spend too much time on career and not enough time with their children, he says.
"Love and encourage the children," Mark says. That's the simple solution.
Joy in seeing change
On this day, Gentle Spirit Ranch staff members Jeannie Gustafson, 23, and Margy Knop, 24, oversee classroom activities. Another, Christen Santana, 21, fries pork chops for lunch in the main house.
The three are college graduates who act as big sisters. Mark tries to keep a ratio of one staff member to two students, so each girl gets much individual attention.
Knop, a New Yorker who graduated from Central Bible College in Springfield, Mo., reads a book and monitors Jessica, 16, as she paints a bathroom.
At Gentle Spirit Ranch, Knop sees herself as a role model, trying to nudge girls in the right direction.
As she gets closer to the girls and they begin to trust her, they share confidences.
Coming here has been a pleasant surprise for her. "I was expecting them to be a little more like straight boxers, mean and combative. But they're not. They're sweet-spirited and have wonderful qualities about them."
Gustafson is convinced that working at the ranch is making her grow as a person.
Oh, sure she gets angry and frustrated at times. "With six girls, there's always some little drama going on. But this isn't a quick fix over a month's time. When you really invest in them, you see not just a verbal change, but a life change," she says.
Most of the girls sit around a long, dining-room table. They do math and complete English assignments. Others work at computers and video monitors.
Jessica, 16, sits at a TV studying world history. She takes notes as a teacher lectures on videotape.
Jessica, who's from San Diego, says she ended up at Gentle Spirit Ranch because she made wrong choices in life.
"I was doing a lot of drugs, mostly marijuana and alcohol, acid once or twice and coke sometimes. But mostly marijuana and alcohol because I'm a skater. That's what skaters do -- alcohol and weed," she says.
Jessica sports curly hair and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She smiles readily.
A year ago, she didn't look so wholesome. "If you'd have seen me," she says, "You'd have said, `This girl is whacked.' I had my eyebrow pierced, lip pierced, nose pierced, my hair dyed black and I shaved much of my head. I wore black contacts and bright-colored clothes. I wanted to be different, to be noticed."
She landed at Gentle Spirit Ranch because her parents couldn't trust her anymore. She was a constant runaway, and didn't even live at home much after she was 14. Instead, she drifted from friend to friend for places to crash and eat.
She says she started boozing and smoking pot at age 11. To afford to stay high, sometimes she stole. Sometimes she burglarized her own house. A repeat offender, she went to juvenile hall. Finally, a judge told Jessica's father to find a place for her or he would send her to the California Youth Authority facility.
"Nobody felt I deserved that place," she says. As an alternative to CYA, she arrived at the ranch Sept. 4.
"It was hard at first, six girls all put together in one house, but we all get over it. Because I came here straight from juvie, getting used to the routine wasn't hard," Jessica says.
Jessica's parents are divorced, and the split has affected her life. "We don't really act like a family anymore. Mom lives in Georgia, Dad just had a baby with his new woman. I consider Mark and Ginny my closest family," she says.
Although she once she boasted of wildness, now she regrets mistakes.
"I was so incredibly ignorant. Doing drugs was the lamest thing I could have done. If I hadn't been doing drugs, everything would have been different," she says.
Jessica says she has been teased because of her weight most of her life. She didn't have many friends until she was 10. She took drugs to fit in. "I didn't want to lose my friends because that's all I had."
Now she is building bridges with her parents, and feels much closer to her mom than before.
"Once, I was a major Bible thumper, but I started ditching church when I was about 10. I'm enjoying church now," Jessica says.
Being away from her former life has helped her to relax. She doesn't get as irritated with silliness as she once did. "It's been a long time since I've laughed. But I laugh here. Mark and Ginny have showed me a lot of love, and I haven't been around that in a long while either."
Turnarounds
Mark considers Kasey, 15, of Huntington Beach, one their biggest successes.
Kasey, who arrived at Gentle Spirit Ranch in late July, had a reputation for rebelliousness.
She was ordered to leave a previous group home for fighting. When her mother picked her up they got into a fight in the parking lot.
"When I came here, I screamed at my Mom, `I hate you for bringing me here,' " Kasey says.
Still she wakes in the middle of the night at times and wonders what she's doing here. "But I know it's better for me here. I'm scared to go home. I'm afraid I'm going to go back to my old ways, drinking and being with boys," Kasey says.
Kasey's mother, Carmine, says, "Gentle Spirit Ranch saved my daughter's life. Without it, she'd be a child of the streets right now."
The downward slide can happen so fast, Carmine warns. A year ago, Kasey was the model child. She came home, did her homework, did dishes, watched her little sister. Then she got into high school, and "we lost her."
The pain in Carmine's voice is evident as she describes trying to keep Kasey home, away from her so-called friends. The screaming matches, the physical confrontations . . . "Kasey would get this glazed look in her eyes, and she was going to do what she wanted, no matter what," Carmine says.
Kasey and Carmine have patched things up. Kasey says, "I would get so mad, I'd get into physical fights with her, cuss her out. But now we're fine. I love her to death," says Kasey, who lives with her mom and stepfather.
Kasey wants to continue schooling at home, on independent study, after she leaves the ranch.
"High school was nothing but problems. I was very boy crazy. I never went to class because I was always with a boy. They overruled my life. Now I have a growing sense of independence."
She intends to go on to college. "I want to be a nurse that takes care of infants. I love kids," Kasey says.
Timing can be everything
Long term, Mark says he'd like to expand the ranch, maybe to accommodate six more girls.
That's the limit, however. "Bigger numbers and you lose that closeness," he says.
It's the love that makes it work, Mark says. "Some people say it's an oversimplified philosophy, but it works really well for us."
Even the Bonacquistas have their failures. "A lot has to do with timing. We try everything we can, but a child may be so addicted to a previous lifestyle, or a boyfriend may have such an emotional pull, that as much as you try, it's not going to happen."
But no matter how resistant a girl is, they won't turn her out. They never give up.
Gordon Johnson can be reached by e-mail at gjohnson@pe.com or by phone at 909-587-3129.cq
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Hi,
My name is Kimberly Marquez, (my maiden name is Doyle). I was in the ranch when I was 15. I am looking to try and track down some of the girls that were there with me at the same time, but I am not having very good luck. If anyone has any information that you think could help me that would be amazing. First names or maybe more articles, anything would help.
When the whole scandal with Mark came about I just so happened to with my family for Easter break and when my family heard the allegations, I didn't have to go back. Mark and Ginny were sick people, I feel sorry for us girls that had to spend so much time with them, but I feel especially sorry for their daughters who had them for parents. If anyone has any questions that they would like answered, I maybe able to help and give you some information or maybe some insight to the situation there.
Again, is anyone is reading this and knows another girl who was there or has any other information, I really would appreciate it. Those girls are in my thoughts a lot and I hope that they were able to find their way in life.
You can email me at kimberlymarquez@gmail.com.
Thank you
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Can we have an admin take the @ out of her email before she gets a whole truckload of spambot penis pump sex enhancement offers?
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Can we have an admin take the @ out of her email before she gets a whole truckload of spambot penis pump sex enhancement offers?
Not unless she requests it. Nope, sorry. Plus. Most email services, including gmail, have pretty good spam filters.
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True that.. I've found my spam bin on gmail chock full somedays.
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We have a datasheet (http://http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title=Gentle_Spirit_Ranch) on the facility. The owners are not in the business today.
Kimberly:
If you want to find others, you have to create groups on Facebook, Myspace and Classmates. It works and we would be happy to write enter the links on the datasheet.
The datasheet is far from complete. We have not been able to find any information about the methods used at the ranch. We would be happy if you tell us a little about how they worked. While the owners are working outside the business some employees could have started a program of their own. Sometime we can track there they went.
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My name is Kari and I was at the Ranch when I was 16. It was the spring and summer of 2002. Although I hated that place and I think that it could have been run way different. I cannot believe that Mark would ever do something that bad. He was a nice guy, Ginny was a bit weird and kinda an ass. But not Mark. I will admit that it was a really bad place and I would never wish it upon anyone, but it was not because of Mark. I got lucky and got to leave. THe reasons it was bad was because for me they took everything and everyone I loved away. I was 16 and had 6 months sober in Alcoholics Anonymous. I'm still not even sure why I got sent there. I think the people I lived with just didn't want me anymore. Anyway, I loved going to meeting and had an awesome support group. when I got to the Ranch I was not allowed to talk to anyone from AA nor was I allowed to go to meetings. I stayed sober for the whole six months I was there but I had to leave. I could not live like that any longer, unless you were there you could never understand just how bad it was. I don't even feel like there are words for what is what like. I'm a type One Diabetic and they told me my insulin and blood tester had to stay in a locked room, that always freaked me out. I could go without a lot of things, but not having my insulin was not ok with me. It took me three weeks to convince them that I had to have juice in my room incase my blood suger went to low. I know this all sounds bad and it was but some of the rules made sence. We were never allowed to be alone with Mark, there always had to be someone else with us. I'm not deffending the place, I hated it. It's just hard to believe that something like that could happen. I'm also trying to find the girls that I was there with so feel free to e-mail me also. sobergrl2004@yahoo.com Kari Mason
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Oscar: Thank you for your info. I have looked at the datasheet previously. For some reason I find it odd that I cannot find more information on that place, maybe because I was there and the place was almost larger than life in a way. If I made a Myspace group or Facebook page should it just be something like "Gentle Spirit Ranch Girls" and then I could write a description of the purpose?
Kari: Thanks for posting, I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to get a response when I posted so you gave me some hope! Do you remember any of the girls names that you were there with? How about any of the "counselors"? When I got there, there were 3 counselors and a “teacher". I remember Armina-a tiny older woman who was sweet as can be and lived in the trailer across from the house, Melanie- a bigger woman with red hair that was probably late 20's to early 30's at the time and she stayed inside the house with us-in the room across from the bathroom and the locked closet. The other counselor I cannot remember her name, but I was very sad when she left, she was a genuinely nice person and I remember that she would go running us and actually help us with "work hours". If you do remember anything, you can email me if you choose or post back on here.
Here is what I have found since I have been looking for some info:
Mark and Ginny are no longer working in the business (As Oscar said) and they also no longer live in California! They live in Tennessee selling fly traps for horses; http://www.horselineproducts.com/ (http://www.horselineproducts.com/) Check out the 'Contact Our Staff' page for a lovely picture of them...
I have found this website; http://www.threedayranch.com (http://www.threedayranch.com). I remember going to this person’s ranch and being taught how to train a horse, her name is Xena and she claims that Mark stole a few horses from her, according to a few some forums she is on and mentioned on, she has quite a few problems herself. As you can see not much information.
Here is what I remember, which is a bit long:
As I said above there were three “counselors”, Armina, Melanie and a woman whose name I can’t remember. There was also the “teacher” whose name I believe is Donna, she lived in a trailer that was further away from the main house and she smelled terrible. Close to the end of my stay there were only a few girls for a time, and there was one weekend where Mark and Ginny left for some reason and Donna was in charge of us. We went over to her trailer and the placed reeked. For some reason that really burned in my head. I think that Armina and the other counselor were fired, even though I didn’t know it at the time. When they came to tell all the girls they were leaving they were equally sad as us and crying right along with us. Melanie stuck it out for awhile with us, even though she was the only counselor and I cannot recall whether or not she was even there in the end. We did not get along very much, but then again I was 15-16 and not a nice little girl, I was pretty much angry at the world just because it existed.
Mark and Ginny were rarely around, and they were busy doing who knows what. I remember seeing them on any outings we had, and then also on the days that we didn’t go to church but they held “church” in the house. There was one or two rare occasions when we were allowed to go into their “house” (pretty much an apartment that was the second story of the main house) and that was so we could do their housecleaning. I remember thinking even then, considering who I was and all I had done to get myself there, that their daughters had some serious issues. They wouldn’t walk everywhere, they trotted like horses. Now I know little kids do this when they are playing, but they stop to go to other activities and then at a certain point they stop all together and grow up. These girls were 6 and 7 I think and they were trotting everywhere, even outside. Looking back, those girls needed some serious socialization with kids there age and maybe the horse thing was a coping mechanism.
The girls that I remember are limited unfortunately, I have a hard time remembering a lot of my childhood, I guess that was my coping mechanism. Ok well there were more than the 6 girls that they said they always kept it at or wanted to keep it at. If I remember correctly, There were 4 bedrooms in the main house that the girls had and also a trailer that a girl had that had been there for a long time. I remember a girl that we all called Daisy, I cannot remember her real name, and she had bleach blonde hair and seemed real normal to me. She shared a room with a girl that left shortly after I got there and then a girl named Jessica came and shared the room with her. When Jessica first came she told all of us that her name was something different all together and she ended up alienating herself in a way. I had the room next and I shared it with a girl named Jamie, who I became fairly close to simply because we were roommates and that she lived close to where my aunt did. I remember a girl named Brenda that was 13 and she was so funny, a very shy girl and her father worked for Frito-Lay. She had a room with a girl that ran away and actually got free. There was also Tabitha who I remember quite a bit about, she was my best friend there and I really would like to know how she is doing. I remember she lived in Humboldt at the time. She had a roommate that was Mexican with long hair that was straight and really pretty, she always wore baggy sweatpants. The girl that lived in the trailer by herself had been there for over a year and her name was Shar (short for Sharlene I think.) I got close with her as well. I know that there were other girls there but I cannot remember their names at all.
We went to a church that was in Temecula and the drive was terrible because the ranch literally was in the middle of nowhere. We were called the Hidden Valley Ranch girls by the people there; it was absolutely humiliating to go out anywhere. Depending on how new you were to the ranch or how bad you acted you had to stay no more than 2 arms lengths away from an adult, can you imagine how difficult that became at certain places? There some other activities that we got to do that were quite fun despite the situation, we went to another ranch and were taught vaulting with a horse. We saw a Cirque Du Soleil show that involved horses- Cavalia.
We did go to school for a set amount of hours during the day and we were all told that it was accredited. Well, when I came back to the real world I found out that it was not and had lost almost a whole school years worth of work. I was a junior in high school, but I had to work twice as hard to make up for those lost credits. We read the bible a lot- 3 times a day to be exact. When you woke up after you did chores and then got ready you read for an hour. We also read when we first got into the school room and then again at night before bed by ourselves. We had to cook our own meals and clean up after ourselves. We had work hours which were pretty much extra chores like cleaning up the horse pens if you misbehaved. We would get a trailer or truck full of food once a week, that I’m guessing came from one grocery store or a few and it was the reject stuff. We would sort through it and take out what we wanted and the box up everything else and sale it. They took away any personal belongings that you came with and locked them away for example when I came, I came with very little but I had a yearbook, medication that was supposed to help level my moods and various other things. My yearbook was gone through and censored, yes censored. Anything that they felt was inappropriate was blacked out with a marker, I still have the yearbook and there is barely anything to read in the thing. The medication was taken away from me and I was not allowed to take it, they believed that medication was unnecessary and against their religion-Christian. And it’s but at the time what bothered me about them taking away the meds were that they were taking yet something else that was mine that I felt I had rights too, I could care less that I wouldn’t be able to take the meds, I felt like a zombie on them anyway. Unfortunately, I quickly became a very angry person that didn’t know how to control my anger and soon I was screaming at everyone uncontrollably, throwing things at walls and people, putting holes in the walls and doors, at one point my anger was so intense that I was laying on my bed thoroughly upset at something and I started to hit my head up against the wall, until I couldn’t do it anymore. I also cut myself while I was there, it was amazing how easy it was to hide and get away with.
The ranch did not give me one tool to help me learn or cope with my emotions. I didn’t learn why drugs or alcohol was bad. If anything one bad habit was taken away only to be replaced so quickly with something else, like anger and food. I came to the ranch sometime when it was warm, I do not remember the month of course and I remember leaving for Easter break and never coming back thanks to the allegations. I refused to speak to my father (who was the reason I was there) up until my last month there, and the only reason I did speak to him is because he said that I would leave. Neither he nor I knew that it would be that soon. Now I know that I may sound like a spoiled brat or typical troubled teen that blames her own problems on other people, but I am very honest and very realistic about things. I do not sugar coat and I certainly accept when blame is mine. My father was a drug from the high school and still is actually, he beat me whenever he was clean. I was on a downward spiral and I was going fast. I was cutting myself a lot then, I was using drugs and drinking a lot and I didn’t use pot, it was pills and crack and anything else I could get my hands on, the same with the alcohol, it was usually straight vodka because it was easy to get and clear. I was very promiscuous and in general didn’t care about my life. My father certainly didn’t seem to care about his life or mine so why should I? I called the police on him and CPS many times during my childhood, the police couldn’t do anything because he usually had consumed all the coke by the time they came and then hey no evidence; CPS wouldn’t do anything because there was a roof over my head and the place wasn’t infested with rodents. The events that lead directly up to me going to the ranch are something that I will never forget, although I wish I could. I was 15 a sophomore in high school and one day I was outside my apartment sitting on the curb hanging out with some friends. My father came home and was mad that I was outside even though I asked him if I could be outside, he told me to go inside. He grabbed his belt and beat me until my rear had bloody welts and puss welts. My downstairs neighbors heard me crying and screaming and called the police. When the police came, my father said that he was just taking care of a bratty child. The police came and spoke to me and I broke down completely, I showed them my arm where I had cut the word “DIE” into it from my wrist to my middle of my forearm. I begged them to take me out of there and take me anywhere else because I was going to kill myself soon if this stuff didn’t stop. The police were completely unaware of the beating I had just gotten and did not know about my rear. The police officers went and spoke to my father more and I heard him just saying that I was spoiled and starved for attention, the police officers and father thought it would be a good idea to teach me a lesson, so I was handcuffed, arrested and admitted into a hospital where I had pictures taken of my rear for proof. I spent the night there where I was later evaluated by a psychiatrist and my grandmother also came to see me in that condition. Everyone kept asking me what happened and when I told them, I was told that I was a liar, by everyone. I was later admitted into the mental hospital where I stayed for two weeks and was put on the medication because the psychiatrist there said I had about 6 different mental issues. I really was starting to believe I was the crazy one and at one point my father told me that I was so crazy that he could have me locked up forever in a straight jacket. The other option was to go to the ranch. Now like I said earlier the ranch didn’t teach me anything about how to deal with my family or life in general and a lot of what I was going through was normal stuff but intensified by other factors. I believe that maybe if someone would have showed me that I wasn’t crazy but I was just trying to deal with my life in the only way I knew how then maybe things would have gone a little more smoothly. When I left the ranch I still really hadn’t learned from the past and I still continued to use drugs, drink, be promiscuous and hurt myself. I eventually came to a point where most people come to where they learn to grow up. I needed to learn that I am the only person that can change me.
I am certain that I would not be here if it wasn’t for the ranch though, but the only reason I believe that is because it was a change in scenery-nothing more. I truly hope that the other girls have found their way in life. Every day I think about the path that I took to get where I am and hope they are as fortunate as I am. So that is a little bit of my story and some of what happened at the ranch. If I remember more I will be sure to add more. I am also looking for a photo album that was given to me while I was there, when I find it I will scan some pictures and put a link up of them. If anyone has any other questions, feel free to ask or email me. I have no problem talking about my past, in some ways it helps to get it out. I keep hoping that I will start to remember more of what happened in my childhood but who knows.
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Oh, my god, Kimmy you must have got there just after I left. I was there with Shar, Tabitha, Marissa, and I believe the girl in the baggy pj's wad Stephina. The staff was Gillian and Melissa. They were awesome! They left right before me. They said there time was up but I think they also got fiered. It's so freeing to talk to someone who knows just how it was. As I read your post I felt as though I was back there all over again. Do you think were the only girls looking for eachother?
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for some reason I find it odd that I cannot find more information on that place, maybe because I was there and the place was almost larger than life in a way. If I made a Myspace group or Facebook page should it just be something like "Gentle Spirit Ranch Girls" and then I could write a description of the purpose?
Just make groups with the name of the ranch and possible other marketing names and for purpose "reunion" to remember old times. Once they are created I can link to them. Of course having read what you and Kari had to go through in life, some might have died, but people have been surprised how many who are able to located them within short time.
As for news etc. back then not all programs were online. Otherwise we could have found their webpage on a webarchive. The same goes for the newspapers. Google are in the process of scanning old newspapers but I have checked it and was unable to located anything.
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Just wanted to let you know that there was a web site. http://www.gentlespiritranch.com (http://www.gentlespiritranch.com) It had pictures and everything.
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Now where you state that there was a website with that name, I researched and found that it was name with org in the end.
Here is their website from 2003 (http://http://web.archive.org/web/20030207193803/http://www.gentlespiritranch.org/index.html).
Thank you very much. Now we have something to work with.
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I definetely think that some of the other girls may be trying to find other girls like we are, but it isn't easy. And as Oscar stated same may very well be dead, a lot of those girls had much more difficult lives and problems than I did. The girl in the baggie sweats was Stephanie. I know exactly what you mean how freeing it is to talk to someone else who knows what its like, because no one can ever imagine exactly how it was. I cannot even compare it to anything, it's not we were being tortured physically but the place was so bad. And then the other aspect of it is where you made good friends.
I will get started on making groups and then post the links once they are done, thanks for the advice Oscar!
I remember that website and I thought it was a .com as well, but seeing it is just so weird. It is a shame that the pictures dont work I would love to see them since I still can't find that darn photo album! I read the other pages on there and it's weird because are a few contradictions compared to what Mark and Ginny have said to the press about cost and the program itself.
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One of my Mom's Friend's relatives had a kid in Shelterwood. Does anybody know what dates Mark and Virginia Bonacquista were there or anything more about that particular program?
Shelterwood is run by Doulos Ministries, founded by Richard A. Beach. Offices and Admissions are in Colorado. The two Shelterwood campuses are located in Missouri. http://douloscorp.com/ (http://douloscorp.com/)
Mark and Virginia Bonacquista would have had to have been there sometime prior to 1998. They bought the property for Gentle Spirit Ranch in 1998, and were licensed as a foster home, I believe, in 1999.
Interjection with some recent news re. Shelterwood:
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Breaking News
Posted: Oct 20, 2009
Shelterwood
Independence, MO
Shelterwood Completes the Construction of a New School (http://http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/ShelterwoodBN_091020.shtml)
Contact:
John DeVries
Admissions Director
800-584-5005
http://www.shelterwood.org (http://www.shelterwood.org)
info@shelterwood.org
October 13, 2009
Last year, Shelterwood moved its facilities from Denver, Colorado to Independence, Missouri. Although the dorms and dining hall had been completed prior to the move, the school remained incomplete. It is exciting to finally have the last of the construction completed and to settle into this great facility. So on Sept. 28, 2009, the students and teachers of Shelterwood High were able to move into the Walk Worthy Field house.
The school, set on the side of a beautiful hill, can be accessed by walking past a large outdoor swimming pool. The school's top floor has six spacious classrooms and includes a computer lab, science lab and some additional office space. A quick elevator ride takes you down to the weight room/studio area on the second floor. The bottom floor is a full-court gym with six glass backboards and a large stage.
The cost of the facility was financed through donations and allows parents and students to enjoy an incredible property at a much lower cost than would be expected. We have four full-time teachers currently and only eighteen students, but we were built to expand and are excited about the prospects of helping more families.
Copyright © 2009, Woodbury Reports, Inc.
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An archived page from the Gentle Spirit Ranch website (2003):
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BIOGRAPHY
MARK & VIRGINIA BONACQUISTA (http://http://web.archive.org/web/20030401215214/www.gentlespiritranch.org/pg5.html)
In any relationship, it's important to know who you're dealing with. Below you are going to find statements about who we are, what we believe, and what we have set out to do for Christ.
In the late 1980's we founded C-YA in HEAVEN Ministries. Since my wife and I have put Jesus Christ first in our lives, God has called us to minister to youth. We started our youth work only a few short weeks after our marriage. We were involved with Youth With A Mission in Jamaica. At that time we diligently sought the face of God for a clear direction for our lives and ministry. God revealed a clear vision: to provide YOUTH THE TRUTH about JESUS CHRIST. God wanted us to show teens how they can get real with Him, forgive those who have hurt them and invest a part of themselves doing something that has eternal consequences.
Since the vision to work with teens, God has been developing us through many experiences.
We started by becoming house parents for six teenage boys at a state funded program called McDowell Youth Homes. This program worked with teens that were wards of the state. It was a level three facility, last stop before juvenile hall. We worked with teens who had many different types of behavioral disfunctions. Through Christ we had tremendous success in this home. Never in the history of McDowell Youth Homes had a resident started and finished a sport, as well as be elected as class president.
We worked as lay youth pastors for a missions church. The youth group was small but we learned a tremendous amount about youth ministry as well as what makes kids tick. We worked directly under the Pastor and were totally responsible for the spiritual growth as well as activities of the youth.
We then worked with a large church in the bus ministry doing "church on the street" in the projects of downtown Phoenix. This program consisted of setting up a complete program every week. It included songs, games, scripture memorization, message and alter call. We then would give out food for the kids to take home.
In the mid 1990's we took a full time youth pastor position working with junior/senior high school students as well as teaching a fifth and sixth grade Sunday school class. Our average youth attendance on a Wednesday night was about fifty. We put together many special events such as nursing home visitations, a crisis pregnancy center program and evangelistic skits at the park and beach.
We also worked for a Christian program called Shelterwood, a one year residential treatment program for at risk teenagers. This program worked with thirty two high school students on a 50 acre camp setting. This program included schooling on the property.
Mark, has over ten years of professional experience in advertising, public relations and marketing. This experience has allowed me to be creative in ways to coach youth for the kingdom. I was a high school wrestling coach, and took a few gifted individuals and taught them to lift a team of thirteen to take second place in the state finals. I also have over five years of home building and repair experience.
We have two beautiful children, Alina Nichole, who is ten, and Victoria Ashley (Tori), who is eight. Virginia (Ginny) also has committed herself to homeschooling our children.
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Six years later, here they are now, in Tennessee:
(http://http://www.horselineproducts.com/Resources/img1587.jpeg)
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Another archived page, also from 2003...
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METHODS (http://http://web.archive.org/web/20030207191128/www.gentlespiritranch.org/pg3.html)
We believe that for most teens the best form of counseling is working on a strong relationship with God through Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. We do provide a Christ-centered approach in our situational counseling. This allows for each girl to give positive input.
Families have weekly telephone contact with their daughter, quarterly Ranch visits and monthly trips home during their stay, plus extended holiday visits. Communication with each family is instrumental in addressing issues creating a family purpose/vision, reaching understandings and setting goals. Home visits must be top priority for the families. All families must attend church with their child on home visits.
Each teenager lives with several other girls. God also grows and challenges our staff to become positive role models for the teens. As the staff bond with the girls, they provide a foundation upon which the teenagers can rebuild trust, integrity and communication. More importantly, the teenagers learn through these relationships that interpersonal problems can be solved.
Parental involvement and growth is required to accomplish the goal of having the teenager home as soon as possible. Parent participation by phone and quarterly attendance at our Sunday family dinner make this goal attainable. We also remain in contact with the family as their teen makes the transition home.
Gentle Spirit Ranch is a cost-effective program of $2,500 per month. While the contract period is a minimum of one year, it takes most teens 15 months before they are ready for reunification with their family. (Financing is available as low as $269 per month with approved credit.)
Each parent is required to name twelve individuals who will pray daily for their daughter. We also suggest that each prayer partner give $25-$50 to help offset the parents' monthly cost.
Mark & Ginny Bonacquista and their staff are dedicated to providing God's best for the teenager caught in a crisis situation. Commitment to the family goes beyond the time a teenager is at Gentle Spirit Ranch.
Parents are responsible for personal items for girls. e.g. clothes work/play/dress...toiletries. Home visits are the best time to provide these items. If this is not provided, G.S.R. will purchase these items and include the cost in your next statement or deducted from your deposit. If buying clothes together is a challenge, you can deposit a clothing allowance and we will take her shopping to ensure she is dressed modestly.
We encourage each parent to deposit $20 a month into their daughter's account for spending. We take care of a lot of their extras but from time to time they like to go to the mall or get a soda, buy a gift for someone, etc.
Families who desire more information about Gentle Spirit Ranch should call Mark & Ginny at (909) 767-1520. An application packet will be sent or you may download the * Application (very large file) * Upon completion, the application will be reviewed by the staff and, if appropriate, a personal interview will be scheduled or E-mail ---} Gentle-Spirit-RanchMAILBOX