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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2004)
Aggielife The Battalion Page 3 * Tuesday, July 27, 2004 HOME ON THE RANCH With help of the community, Bryan ranch gives youths a hopeful home By Lydia Adams THE BATTALION lo’sff , \n old proverb says it takes a village to raise a child. For 5 ouths at Still Creek Ranch, a children’s home in the Brazos fa ley, the village includes a few loving adults and the entire deb on munity of Bryan-College Station. _|3|.Btill Creek Ranch is a place where children from troubled .'jjBBdisadvantaged backgrounds are accepted into a Christian atrily with “house parents” who raise them like their own :hlldren. The kids do chores, attend an accredited school and Airk with animals, said the Still Creek Ranch principal Dr. }(Ne Sanders. a r g a r e e San Media, s on nei the ones here every morning and put the kids to bed at night, but if it weren’t for the people in the community, loving and helping us, we wouldn't be able to do it.” O’Quinn said that everything at Still Creek Ranch has been donated, from computers, cars and vans to air conditioners and groceries. She said the community is essential for the function ing of the facility and all donations are tax deductible. “I want the community to understand how much we appreciate them. It’s a gift from God to see so many people giving because they know it’s the right thing to do,” O’Quinn said. Dl)uinn and ts , com , , .. , t u m ,band, Danny |SflH)uinn, direc- Duuinn, tob of Still Creek are a t her lie city . tin./, M^lh are a vital ’'fied tol. , itsfirstJ ° f 1IS vllla S e ’ |e heating their H j Sys to the well be ng of children ,,in teed of love and |r in a econd chance. in8fml When lhe ^^^Quinns came Still Creek nationi snd ei to ^Bnch from the fnf.Lily’s Country of ^^Huston, a home s j~ foi disadvantaged Grand;iy s ’ in l988 ’ the p«ich was strug gling and the 0 Quinns took on the roles of admin- n ll-yi as Jrators, house parents, cooks of all other boy u nd ht at i j f of m m, le;i' : 1 and took care ■erations. |“It was hard, we had to st rt from scratch,” Margaret ■Quinn said. "We knew we’d bgen prepared for something pd equipped us to do.” I The children’s smiles and h^igskept the O’Quinns going Mid helped them turn the pro gram into not only a flour ing place for children to I ve, but also a place for them )U typ |f .J learn a vocation, prepare [0* college and participate in hialthy family relationships, Hf Margaret O'Quinn said. She 0 f r said they are able to have a nirmal childhood that they wouldn't have had otherwise. wa S J “We just love the kids. We atcliir ^ lc l nothing when we came es ; here, and it’s amazing how avean:: much we’ve been able to aicomplish with the help of e Lord and the community,” 5ted ; f|O’Quinn said. After 16 years of love and s rvice at Still Creek Ranch, t e O’Quinns are still giving young boys and girls a home, family and a childhood to death ii Photos By BRIAN WILLS • THE BATTALION Clockwise, from top left: Chef Mike Chernyak demonstrates how to season fish filets for 11-year-old Paula Rodriguez. Rodriguez and other Still Creek students are making a meal to celebrate the students' graduation from a six-week cooking course. After saddling the horse, Jacob Pena, 13, rides through the stables at Still Creek Ranch. Abigail Rodriguez (left in photo), 15, and Blaire Fields, 13, add mint leaves to a dessert that was awarded to the raffle winner from that night's celebratory dinner. Ten-year-old first-degree black belt Justin Marshall practices his weapon routine with Justin Hopper, 13, who is training for his green belt. I hen ^member. “We take kids and give them the opportunity to become their best,” O’Quinn said. “We get children who have never slept in bed, who have been cold and hungry, and we have the oppor- tunity to change their lives.” Because the children’s ranch receives no support from the |)vernment and is funded strictly by donations, the corn- unity has an important role in keeping the program alive, Quinn said. “Everybody is what makes it work,” O’Quinn said. “We are P AU 6) is put' the fei 3* flirt : eisity W IniresM e,Dn» >s to II* y,Colle? mentis® iy in lie I are in j one:8& talion.Kt Die jlay a*T ring, cans- n udent Sen to ptt 'f'.aoStre >1-1 y Visa, 845-261' The home is not only looking for those in the community ready to help with their donations, but also their time through volunteer work. Texas A&M students are always welcome to volunteer at the ranch or tutor the kids with their homework, O’Quinn said. “They (A&M students) are such good role models,” she said. “It’s such a great opportunity for the kids to see them and say, ‘That’s what I want to become.’” Other special opportunities in the community give the kids a holistic learning experience, such as the six-week cooking class that Still Creek Ranch students recently took with Chef Mike Chornyak, executive chef at A&M’s Faculty Club in coordina tion with the Texas Cooperative Extension under the Better Living for Texans Program. There, the students learned proper nutrition and cooking techniques. For the children, Still Creek Ranch provides more than a roof over their heads and decent meals; it gives them a life and a future, the owner said. Andrea Davis, 15, lives at Still Creek Ranch and said that every day, the kids wake up early and begin working with their own animals, feed ing and tending to them. She said going to school and run ning errands with their house parents and roommates are part of their daily routine. “I can take what I have learned all through my life, go through vet school and own my own ranch,” Davis said. Davis said her favorite part of living and learning at Still Creek Ranch is having her own horse. This past year, all eight female residents went to state with each of their horses as part of the 4-H Club. Abigail Rodriguez, 15, said she gained a second chance when she came to Still Creek Ranch and is now looking forward to a career in com puter graphics. “It keeps me out of trou ble and teaches me different traits I need to know in the real world,” she said. “I am less angry and respect myself more.” Sanders said the home seeks to build students up spiritually, academically and to help raise their self esteem. Sanders said that the love of people of Margaret and Danny O’Quinn, the couple who made it all happen, is obvious. “Danny and Margaret are a uniquely gifted couple. They are committed to the vision of seeing kids’ hearts and lives being mended and their pas sion is contagious,” Sanders said. “When kids come through here, they give them a chance,” Rodriguez said. Some may say the job is honorable, but Margaret O’Quinn says it’s all in a hard day’s work. “We give all the glory to the Lord. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said. “It’s been hard, but I just get back up and keep going. I do it for the kids and it’s going to make a dif ference in their lives.” For donation or volunteer information at Still Creek Ranch, call Margaret O’Quinn at 979-589-3206. Bodega Breakfast 7 DAYS A WEEK!!! Monday-Friday 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. Saturday 6c Sunday 8 a.m. - noon Starting August 9 th DoiVt forget you can your Favorite brealcFast TO GO!! 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