BCH to manage Oak Ranch boy's program
From contributed reports
THOMASVILLE - Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina (BCH) has signed an agreement to manage and eventually own a residential program for at-risk boys in central North Carolina.
Oak Ranch, the facility located on the Lee-Harnett County line near Broadway, features two existing cottages, administrative buildings and an eight-horse equine therapy component.
Oak Ranch director Phillip Richmond (right) introduces a BCH camper to the horses living at the ranch.
(BCH photo by Jim Edminson)
"I am very pleased that Oak Ranch has been able to turn to Baptist Children's Homes which has been caring for children since 1885," said Oak Ranch founder Lyston Peebles. "Under their management, Oak Ranch will be able to successfully achieve its mission."
Oak Ranch grew from a dream of Peebles, a Raleigh native who is the director of Cherokee Gives Back, a service of Cherokee Investment Partners, LLC. He envisioned an environment for needy boys that encouraged intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual growth. Soon his vision garnered the attention of others who had a desire to help children.
Oak Ranch became a reality when land was acquired in 1998. The decision was made to locate the residential facility on 755 acres of land on the Cape Fear River, 40 miles south of Raleigh.
After researching children's homes and residential services, Peebles concluded that Eagle Ranch in Chestnut Mountain, Georgia, would be the model he and the others would use to build their fledgling program.
"I saw a great need to provide a loving environment that could help children deal with years of pent-up pain and anger," Peebles said. "Oak Ranch is the culmination of a vision and a dream shared by myself and other concerned citizens in the Raleigh, Sanford and central North Carolina area."
In the fall of 2006, Oak Ranch began a search for a partner who would help them grow the program and increase their outreach to boys. Their search led to a phone conversation between Peebles and BCH president Michael C. Blackwell.
"From the first talk that Lyston and I had, there was a great feeling of God's hand guiding us to this place," said Blackwell. "It is through God's grace and in His time that Oak Ranch can become a BCH ministry."
Blackwell sees Oak Ranch as being consistent with BCH's mission of "helping hurting children...healing broken families."
"This is an historic event," he said. "Baptist Children's Homes and Oak Ranch share a vision to provide hope and healing to children. This is a natural merger, and we look into the future with great hope and tremendous expectation."
