New Camp And Conference Center Opens

By Jeff Wisdom

The former Cascade Boys Ranch in Grants Pass has become a new destination for camps, conferences, families and much more according to director Jeff Shelton. The new camp called Cascade Ranch is owned by ICARE, Inc, a non-profit corporation that has been successfully dedicated to the betterment and strengthening of families since its beginning in 1993 as Cascade Boys Ranch.

With a turn of events in 2007, the board determined to take the property in a more productive direction. Working with boys without strong onsite family involvement emerged as a missing element. Studies indicated that working with the family as a whole in "Family Building" programs would offer more enrichment, help and positive support to the family units.

In March of 2008, the new Cascade Ranch will open with a broader goal of "Building Families" and "Strengthening Lives.”

New programs will include:

A) Family Building Vacations: This offers families, as a whole, an experience of not just exclusively a "fun" vacation, but a "fruitful" vacation together, with the ranch offering life changing counsel a& family interaction along with recreational opportunities.

B) Family Reunions: With room for 48 people and many ranch amenities, this will be a wonderful environment for relatives to reunite.

C) Day Conferences: The day use area can also used during certain seasons for clubs, corporations, churches, and others to meet together in a quiet, natural, and pristine rural setting.

D) Group and Youth Benevolent Camps: The ranch hopes to build an endowment fund to serve many needy families, youth, and children with quality short term camps and conferences for little or no cost.

E) Family Events: The ranch will host anniversaries, weddings, and other family events including assisting in times of traded.

F) Special Groups: Here is offered a wide variety of options, men's and women's groups, retreats, connection and cell group getaways, single parent programs and many other helps programs.

G) Donors Club Programs: The ranch hopes to build a contribution based foundation of operation. The ranch will offer "complimentary guest packages" to these donors during the late fall, winter and early spring. Guests may come to the ranch during this season by reservation as token of appreciation for their contribution to the charity's continued sponsorship of family and
children's' programs.

H) Exclusive Programs: The ranch will offer exclusive confidential programs at times for people who have need of a private retreat or therapeutic reprieve.
For more information on the ranch or booking information contact Jeff Shelton 734-4713 or see cascaderanch.org on the web.

Jeff Wisdom writes from Eugene, Oregon.