For decades, the Buckeye Ranch has made it their mission to help troubled central Ohio youths find hope again.

“The ranch has been open for 50 years now. We started here originally as a place for delinquent boys to learn to be good young men,” said Nick Rees, president and CEO of the Buckeye Ranch. In 1990, the organization expanded to also include services for young women.

The ranch specializes in helping adolescents with behavioral, emotional and mental health problems. “Sometimes they lose hope for the future, and the families lose hope for that future, also,” Rees said.

Through individual therapy and healing programs, Buckeye Ranch offers a well-rounded approach to meeting the needs of these children and their families. Rees explained that the children the Buckeye Ranch serves often have diagnosable mental health issues that cause them to behave in ways that are not socially acceptable. Related emotional distress can become an obstacle that keeps them from being successful.

“The most rewarding part is the moments that you get to spend with the kid or the family and see their faces,” said Rees. “A lady once told me that we gave her back her son.”

With three different locations around Columbus, the Buckeye Ranch provides varying levels of support to meet the needs of 1,650 kids every day. Sometimes these troubled adolescents have been self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, and Buckeye Ranch provides specialized counseling and rehabilitations for these addictions. The main campus in Grove City has an intensive care unit for adolescents with severe psychological problems who may be harmful to themselves or others. This unit has space for 41 residents, and Rees says they are full all the time. Buckeye Ranch also provides supportive outreach services such as visiting a child’s home once a month.

The 400-employee team provides $34 million worth of services every fiscal year. Most often, children come to the ranch through children’s services, but children can also be referred through the court system, pediatricians, or school guidance counselors. Most kids do not realize that they need to be admitted, Rees said.

These adolescents can become socially outcast at school, and when they come to the ranch they realize they aren’t alone. Rees says kids have that “a-ha” moment where everything clicks and hope begins to reappear in their lives.

The rehabilitation process typically takes a four to five month stay at the ranch. The ranch served 3,600 kids last year, despite budget cuts and funding decreases. Fundraisers, such as the upcoming Taste of Dine Originals event, play a vital role in the organization’s operations.

Last year, the gourmet gala raised $25,000 for the cause. For Rees and his coworkers, this event makes it possible for them to continue their mission of creating hope for central Ohio youths. “Hope is one of the most essential things to have in your life if you want to be successful at all.”

Sample fine drinks and dishes from over 50 locally owned and operated restaurants and support the Buckeye Ranch this month at the Taste of Dine Originals event, May 12th at the Grange Audobon Center (505 W Whittier St.). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.buckeyeranch.org or send an e-mail to michelle.aro@buckeyeranch.org.