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History of The Ranch and Its Founders
following one of his usual Monday night visits to Waxsters Juvenile Detention Center, Chuck McClanahan vowed to dedicate his life to helping troubled teenagers. Each Monday night, Chuck would travel from his comfortable suburban home to the facility, leaving behind his beautiful wife, Christine, and their two precious children. His mission was to encourage these troubled teenagers to make positive changes in their lives. That particular night as he was preparing to leave the facility, a young boy approached Chuck and began to talk about his mother whom he loved and missed terribly. The boy continued to talk about his feelings until all at once he cried out in pain, “But I will never see my mother again. She just died from a heroin overdose. My father’s in prison and I have nowhere to go but here! Chuck reached out and embraced the hurting teen as tears strolled down his own cheeks. It was at this moment that Chuck made a commitment to help troubled teens, just like the one he held in his arms. Later that year, Chuck and Christine opened their Prince Georges County, Maryland home to their first two foster children. As the size of the McClanahans’ hearts quickly outgrew their home, they were blessed to find and purchase an eighteen-room colonial manor home that was located on two acres in Davidsonville. In October of 1985, Chuck and Christine began providing care to eight troubled boys. However, Chuck continued to dream. His plan was to someday build a ranch in the mountains that would provide a great environment for troubled teens to make positive changes in their destructive lives. In 1990, one year after Christine received a phone call about an available 70-acre property in Pennsylvania, the McClanahans moved their own four young children into a small dilapidated PA farmhouse and began cleaning and repairing the house and surrounding property. However, it soon felt like home to the young family. In 1993, Chuck was able to purchase the property. Immediately, the young visionary and his board of directors began constructing a 6000-square-foot lodge that would provide housing for fifteen boys. Soon after, a second house was built that now houses six additional boys who have achieved the second phase of the program. Included in the development of the property, was the construction of a school/administrative office building, a vocational building, a weight room, horse stables, a hay barn, and an indoor horse training pen. The Ranch Today At this time, the Ranch provides care to twenty-one teenage boys ages 13-17 and utilizes the services of 25 fulltime staff members. The McClanahans realize that the need for facilities such as theirs is continually growing. With twenty years of experience, they are driven by a passion—that is in turn fueled with the knowledge—that troubled teens really are worth trying to save. Now, together with a dedicated team of folks who are committed to the cause, Chuck and Christine work diligently to provide troubled teens with the tools they need to get their lives back on track. As Executive Director of the Ranch, Chuck McClanahan oversees day-to-day operations, financial management, and all plans for future development of the facility. As Personal Care Director, Christine procures and manages all services and goods provided for the care and welfare of the Ranch’s residents. Both Chuck and Christine continue to work to promote the Ranch and its programs to surrounding businesses, clubs, churches, and other interested groups while providing a home-like atmosphere to the boys that are in their care. |
In 1984,