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Willow Springs Boys Ranch helps troubled youths
Willow Springs Boys Ranch cares for youth and prepares them for life.
BY CARLA HINTON Oklahoman Comment on this article 1 Comment
Published: May 16, 2010
CHANDLER — University of Oklahoma students Todd Vinson and Derin Carr dreamed of helping boys from troubled environments.
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They served as volunteers for various youth ministries while in college, including Young Life.
Vinson, 42, now married with four children, said a beloved uncle knew of his desire to help youths. In 1996, his uncle donated 180 acres to Vinson for the home of Willow Springs Boys Ranch. The first boys moved to the idyllic country setting in 1998.
Vinson’s undergraduate degree is in psychology and his master’s in children and family relations. He said serving as a surrogate father to youths and providing a Christian home for them is a calling from the Lord.
Carr, 42, who joined Willow Springs in 2004, said its mission comes from Proverbs 22:6: "Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Carr earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from OU and his master’s in clinical psychology from Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill. He compares the Willow Springs ministry to "planting seeds.”
"We may not see the fruit of all of it, but we did plant the seed,” said Carr, referring to some children who leave early.
Others bloom at Willow Springs where the goal is to teach responsibility, respect and character traits of honesty and truthfulness.
"We hope they will leave with the tools to be successful in life,” Vinson said.
Carr said the leaders at Willow Springs consider themselves a big family. "We don’t really look at this as a job. We look at this as a way of life.”
The ranch can house 16 boys, and there are about 11 current residents. Vinson said five young men, including Miguel Rayos, will attend college this fall after graduating from Chandler Public Schools.
The boys come to the home through private placement, meaning they are sent by adults who agree to allow ranch leaders to raise the youths. Boys are from a variety of economic backgrounds, and many from single-parent homes.
Most are from families who have been in crisis for various reasons.
Carr said the separation is often hard for mothers and their sons, but the boys have monthly visits with their natural families. "We tell them we are not there to take the place of their families. We are there to come alongside their families.”
Carr said most boys need positive male leadership, particularly those from single-parent homes headed by their mother. "It’s good for them to see good males doing good things,” he said.
Funding comes, in part, from private sources. "A lot of private donations, and whole lot of prayers,” Vinson smiled.
Carr did youth and family counseling at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, before joining Willow Springs.
He said the church’s sponsorship allows him and his wife to live and work at the ranch.
Vinson, a member of Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmond, said supporters of the ranch have a heart for children.
Willow Springs, which is not a working ranch, also serves as a site for camps and retreats.
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http://newsok.com/willow-springs-helps- ... z0o9QXfygVDanny spoke:
I found this in the Sunday morning, " The Oklahoman" anybody now anything about this ranch. Have not looked yet in the archives. Very positive article from, Carla Hinton religion editor-
[email protected]Could it be this healthy.
Danny
