To all of our Supporters,
You made it possible for our youth to heal, to feel safe again, and to see a future they did not think was possible. Every youth that we serve has faced chapters that no child should have to live through. For some, their story begins with hardship—abuse, neglect, loss, or trauma. But this past year, because of you, those chapters were not the end of their story. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, your generosity and compassion gave hundreds of young people across Idaho the chance to rewrite what seemed inevitable. At our new Residential Center for Healing & Resilience, you gave some of Idaho’s most vulnerable youth the tools to confront trauma and begin again. In counseling sessions, at Hays House, through adoptions, in our workforce development program, and even in our thrift stores, lives were changed in quiet but powerful ways. Trust was rebuilt, confidence grew, and new chapters began.
As you read through these pages, I want you to know that you are part of every single story. While names and faces have been changed to protect privacy, the journeys are 100% real. These are stories of pain and resilience, setbacks and breakthroughs, and they have been changed because you chose to stand with Idaho’s youth.
With gratitude,
Scott Curtis, LMSW,
CEO Idaho Youth Ranch
July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025
You changed their stories
Every young person arrives with a story already in progress-some filled with trauma, others with uncertainty, many with broken dreams. But you believed their stories didn't have to end there. Your support rewrote narratives of despair into chapters of hope, transforming 715 individual young lives.
Of those 715 youth, 264 received help in more than one Idaho Youth Ranch program to complete their healing journey.
What our clients actually experienced before they came to Idaho Youth Ranch
When young people go through trauma, the weight of it can show up in every part of their lives—from school to friendships to their hopes for the future.
Before beginning services at Idaho Youth Ranch, many of the youth we serve were struggling with:
Trauma shapes the story, but it doesn't have to define it.
Of the 611 youth who participated in clinical services from July 2024 to June 2025 (not including Youth Works, Adoption, or Alumni services), many had experienced one or more significant traumas.
These are just some of the obstacles many Idaho Youth Ranch kids have faced-at ages when they should have felt safe, cared for, and free to dream about their future.
The truth is, much of the adversity young people experience goes unreported.
Giving her a place to heal
You changed Sofia and her family's story.
By the time Sofia was sixteen, home didn't feel safe for anyone. Arguments started over nothing and ended with slammed doors. Her parents didn't know how to reach her, and Sofia didn't know how to stop pushing them away. Everyone in the house was tired of fighting, tired of feeling hopeless, and tired of watching things fall apart.
When Sofia came to the Residential Center for Healing & Resilience, things didn't change overnight. At first, she barely spoke in therapy. Her family visits were tense. But little by little, she started to open. She learned what it felt like to be heard, to take a breath before reacting, to trust that she could try again after a bad day.
Her family was learning too. They practiced listening without interrupting. They started naming what they were feeling instead of hiding it. Some sessions ended in tears, others in laughter, but they kept showing up.
By the time Sofia returned home, some1hing had shifted. The house was still loud, but now it was full of life instead of fear. They ate together. They talked. They disagreed and found their way back
Because of you, a family that had almost given up learned how to hold on to each other, and to hope.
Giving him a place to learn and dream
You changed Elias and his family's story.
Elias's home life revolved around his struggle to manage emotions. Frustration over schoolwork often turned into yelling or long silences. His parents tried everything they knew, but the harder they pushed, the more distant he became.
With support from therapists, teachers, and family counselors at the Residential Center, Elias began to understand what was beneath his anger. He practiced calming himself, communicating when overwhelmed, and trying again after hard moments. His parents were learning too-how to listen, de-escalate, and rebuild trust.
Promise Academy, the on-campus school for youth in treatment, gave Elias space to re-engage with learning. His differences weren't seen as limits, but as insight into how his mind works.
He was surrounded by people who saw his determination and creativity as strengths.
His parents were part of that change too, learning how to support him without fear or frustration.
When Elias returned home, mornings looked different. He got up for school on his own. Conversations with his parents felt lighter. The home that was once filled with tension became a place of progress and connection.
Because of you, Elias and his family discovered that healing and learning can happen side by side.
Refusing to give up
You changed Daxton's story.
Daxton arrived at Hays House carrying more than just his belongings. He brought the weight of uncertainty, the ache of instability, and walls built high by a childhood spent in foster care.
Those first weeks were brutal. Therapy sessions? He'd refuse to go. When staff tried to help, frustration exploded from him in bursts of anger that left everyone drained. He was a kid drowning in his own defenses.
Your support made the difference. While others might have given up, caring staff members dug in deeper. They spent long car rides with Daxton-not lecturing, just listening. They sat with his fears instead of trying to fix them. They celebrated the smallest victories: showing up to one appointment, walking through the door without slamming it, letting someone see past his anger to the hurt underneath.
Months passed. Daxton moved on from Hays House, but life brought him back for a brief stay. When he saw that same staff member who had driven him to countless appointments, his first words stopped everyone in their tracks:
"I really miss our deep conversations when you would take me to my appointments."
In that moment, everything shifted. This wasn't the same guarded boy who had arrived months earlier. Daxton had discovered something that changed everything: adults who stay. He experienced people who don't leave when things get tough. You gave him trust that doesn't break under pressure.
Replacing silence with trust in the arena
You changed Alaina's story
Alaina was once a vibrant fifteen-year-old who loved sports, her friends, and school. But over time, her parents noticed a change. She grew distant and withdrawn, weighed down by depression and anxiety they didn't know how to reach. Silence had become her shield, and her parents felt helpless watching her slip further away.
Then they found the Idaho Youth Ranch. Through Equine Therapy, Alaina began the slow work of finding trust again. When she first entered the arena, her anxiety was overwhelming. That's when Rocky, her therapy horse, stepped quietly beside her. He met her in the silence, and for the first time, the quiet didn't feel so heavy.
Session by session, Rocky's steady calm helped Alaina reconnect with herself Her fear softened into trust. Her silence began to break. And when her family joined her in the arena, something remarkable happened-she finally found the strength to share what she had been holding inside for so long.
That moment became the beginning of healing, not just for Alaina, but for her family too.
Because of you, Alaina's story did not end in silence. It became a story of courage, hope, and new beginnings.
179 young people found healing through Equine Therapy last year, discovering trust, confidence, and connection in the quiet company of horses.
Giving her the safety to heal
Your gift gave Mia the chance to rewrite her story.
Mia carried the weight of trauma no child should bear. Her parents struggled with substance abuse and spent time in and out of incarceration. Stability was rare, and safety was even harder to find. Most often, Mia was the one caring for her younger siblings when she needed care herself. Childhood slipped away, replaced by responsibility, fear, and loneliness. Depression and harmful thoughts followed her everywhere.
When Mia arrived at Idaho Youth Ranch for outpatient counseling, she was exhausted from years of holding everything together. She didn’t believe she belonged anywhere—not at home, not at school, not even with friends. Through therapy, she finally found safety and stability. She faced painful memories, learned to manage overwhelming emotions, and began to rebuild her self-worth.
Step by step, her world began to shift. The healing that started inside the walls of her therapist’s office grew into new strength at home, at school, and within herself. She learned to accept herself with kindness and confidence and found friends who embraced her true self.
Because of you, Mia’s story didn’t end in despair. Today, she is pursuing higher education with hope and determination. Her story now stands as a beacon of possibility, showing other young people that with the right support, they too can overcome even the toughest beginnings and thrive.
A newborn’s loving home
You changed a teen’s life . . . and her baby's future.
In a North Idaho hospital earlier this year, a young mother made a courageous choice. At just 15, she told the nurses she knew she was too young to raise her baby and wanted to make an adoption plan. Wanting to ensure she had the right support, they turned to Idaho Youth Ranch.
Because of the trust you've helped us build with hospitals and the Department of Health & Welfare, our team was able to step in immediately. With compassion and support, the birth mom chose a family through our agency. The adoptive parents received home studies and services from Idaho Youth Ranch to help prepare them for their new baby.
Instead of entering foster care, her newborn went straight into the arms of a permanent family. And thanks to you, both the birth mom and the adoptive parents will continue to receive the counseling and support they need in the months and years ahead.
Your generosity makes moments like this possible, when fear gives way to family and the first chapter of a child's life begins with love.
Last year, 133 families found support through our adoptions program. From maternity counseling to home studies, child placement, and lifelong post-adoption care, every step was made possible by donors who believe every child deserves a safe and loving family.
Giving him the foundation to dream
You changed Antonio’s story.
When we met Antonio, he was living in a homeless shelter after years of uncertainty. Each day was about survival, not the future.
Then he found YouthWorks, an eight-week paid job-training program that takes place in our thrift stores, giving youth real-world experience in retail, customer service, and teamwork.
For Antonio, it became more of a lifeline than a job opportunity. Surrounded by mentors who believed in him, he began to see his own potential. He learned to show up on time, take pride in his work, and collaborate with others—skills that built confidence and purpose far beyond the workplace.
At graduation, Antonio said he finally felt “ready to take on the world.” The young man who once wondered where he’d sleep next, now speaks with pride about his future and dreams.
"During the last 8 weeks, I've learned new skills that will help me move forward. Having such support and faith in me ... I want to thank everyone who believed in me."
Because of you, Antonio's story is no longer about survival-it's about resilience, stability, and hope
Thrift stores and bright futures
. . . turning secondhand into second chances
When you shop or donate at an Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store, you’re not just clearing a closet— you’re creating possibility. Every item on a rack, every book at the checkout, and every donated vehicle helps fuel the programs where young people find healing, purpose, and hope.
Hours of Healing
Your donations didn’t just stock shelves—they kept therapy doors open. Last year, donors like you made over 425,000 dropoffs, and donated 106 vehicles. Together, those gifts became thousands of hours of counseling, crisis care, and hope. Every donation helped rewrite a young person’s story.
Ranch Readers
Every child who walks into our stores can walk out with a free book—sparking imagination, confidence, and a love of reading that lasts. This year alone, through Ranch Readers, kids under eighteen received more than 35,000 books. Because of you, their stories begin with possibility.
A Sustainable Tomorrow
This last year, your donations kept 4.8 million pounds of goods out of landfills, giving new life to items that might otherwise go to waste and ensuring Idaho remains a place where new stories can thrive. Thank you for protecting the world our youth will inherit.
YouthWorks!
Every thrift store purchase helps create opportunities through YouthWorks, where young people learn, grow, and rebuild their futures.
Stories you made possible
you brought Idaho's kids home.
When Idaho families once faced an impossible choice—sending their children out of state for mental health treatment or watching them struggle without adequate care—our community stepped in and created a better story. Together, Idahoans made it possible for the Residential Center for Healing & Resilience to open its doors in 2023, giving youth the chance to heal close to home, surrounded by the love of family.
Families are staying together
In our first seventeen months, nearly every youth who graduated from the Residential Center has been able to remain home with their families
Healing is within reach
Youth from eighteen Idaho counties have found hope at the Residential Center. Parents can sit beside their children in therapy, join in family healing, and walk every step of the journey together.
Chapters are being written
Phase III Capital Campaign launching in fall 2025: Enhancing Healing
The stories you helped change are now shaping an even bolder future. Because your belief in healing, family, and hope made transformation possible, the next chapter is about reaching further, healing deeper, and building lasting impact for generations to come.
Enhancing Healing is the opportunity to complete a healing campus
Family Visitation Lodging
With on-campus lodging, families traveling from across Idaho will be able to fully participate in therapy and counseling. You're making it possible for every parent to play a pivotal role in their child's healing.
Expanded Equine Therapy & Therapeutic Animal Care
You're growing one of our most powerful tools for healing. With your support, equine therapy will reach even more youth—both residential and outpatient. You're helping launch a legacy of healing through small animal care, reigniting a trusted path to empathy, trust, and transformation.
Expanded Campus Access
You’re creating a space where every young person feels safe, seen, and supported. By opening new areas for therapy, rest, and growth, you're shaping an environment where healing becomes part of everyday life.
Endowment for Future Generations
With an endowment built on your belief in what’s possible, you’re ensuring future Idaho families will find the same hope, healing, and support—no matter when their story begins.
Writing the next chapter
... together
The stories you've helped us change are just the beginning. As we look ahead, we see thousands more young Idahoans whose stories are waiting to be transformed—and we're committed to being ready for them.
Your Impact Has Positioned Us for Greater Things
Because of your steadfast support, the lives you've changed, the programs you've strengthened, and the trust you've built in our mission, you have positioned us to change more stories across Idaho.
Listening to Write the Future
We're currently engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning process. We're not writing this next chapter alone—we're listening to the voices that matter most. We are conducting statewide and regional needs assessments and donor surveys, holding community partner forums, and hosting in-person and online community discussions.
We Want To Hear From You
What unmet needs do you see in your community? Where should Idaho Youth Ranch focus next? What stories are you most passionate about changing? Please send us an email with your thoughts to ceo@youthranch.org.
For many Idaho youth
. . . we���re making brighter futures together
Your generosity has already given countless young people in Idaho safety, healing, and the courage to begin again. The stories in these pages are proof of what happens when a community chooses to stand with its youth. But too many young people are still in pain, waiting for someone to notice and care.
Here’s what they’re facing:
• Idaho ranks last in the nation for youth mental health outcomes (Boise State University, 2022).
• The suicide rate among Idaho teens is nearly twice the national average (America’s Health Rankings).
• In 2023, 44% of Boise school district high school students reported moderate to severe depression, and one in three said they had considered suicide (Boise School District Wellness Survey).
• Every county in Idaho is designated a mental health professional shortage area (University of Idaho).
When these kids have nowhere to turn, you make sure help is within reach. Your support keeps our counseling services open, creates safe spaces in moments of crisis, and offers hope strong enough to carry a young person through their darkest hours.
Thank You
. . . for changing so many stories
From trauma to triumph, you change the story.
Because of you, kids who once carried the weight of depression, trauma, and hopelessness are now finding healing, courage, and a brighter future!
Board of Directors
Laura Smith - Chair
Sheila Hennessey - Past Chair
Scott Anderson
Liz Beem
Kristin Bjorkman
Jim Bratnober
Celia Gould
Angie Harrison
Jim Johnston MD
Travis Leach
Lori McCann
Molly Mosher
Rick Rietmann
Leanne Rousseau MD
Alonzo Sanchez
Laura C. Simic
Ivy Walker
Chris Taylor
Deanna Turner
Julie VanOrden
Bridgette Wewers
Julie Yamamoto
Ron Ashley - Director Emeritus
Scott Curtis, LMSW,
CEO
Idaho Youth Ranch believes that every young person—no matter how broken their past—deserves a chance to heal, grow, and thrive. We have the depth, understanding, therapies and case workers to do just that. Not a one size fits all, but tailored programs for every youth. We owe our success to YOU for supporting our vision and to our Board of Directors, incredible staff and volunteers. For over 70 years, you’ve helped us change the story and future of many youth.