Help children’s home get $50,000 grant

Christian Chronicle readers helped Texas minister Tony Roach earn a shot at starring in his own reality show on Oprah Winfrey’s new network.
Now, readers can support Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch’s bid to receive a $50,000 grant from Pepsi.
The ranch is in the running for a grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project. To receive the grant, the ranch has to place in the top 10 for votes gathered through the Internet. In 10 days the ranch moved from 230th place to 100th.
To vote, go to www.refresheverything.com/timothyhillchildrensranchproject and follow the instructions. You have to register with Pepsi to vote. The site also has instructions for voting through Facebook. Here is a list of instructions if you run into problems:

The ranch, in Riverhead, N.Y., receives support from Churches of Christ. Bobby Ross visited the ranch in 2006 and reported on the experience.

James Hill stands outside a barn at the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch in 2006. (Photo by Bobby Ross Jr.)

Take a tour of the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch and you’ll see houses for abused and neglected boys.
You’ll see a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse, a counseling center, a rock-climbing wall, barns, horses, goats and a pond.
You’ll see a log cabin and a tree house out in the woods where the boys enjoy camping and making “Hobo Stew,” a concoction of venison, onions, potatoes, peppers and garlic — all cooked on an open fire.
You’ll see the fruits of one boy’s dream. “This ranch was Timothy’s dream, and I sometimes have said I think it was probably God’s dream before it was Timothy’s dream,” said Jerry Hill, Timothy’s father.

The Pepsi grant will be used for renovation and expansion of the “Step Out House.” The house will “provide the opportunity for more residents, upon reaching 18 years of age, to take part in THCR’s Supervised Independent Living Program,” according to the description on the Refresh Project’s website.
Here’s a bit more about the program:

Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch (THCR) created the Supervised Independent Living Program (SILP) to help young men between the ages of 18-21 receive the necessary skills and guidance for a successful transition to adulthood.  These residents will learn self-sufficient living skills such as:  how to balance a budget, the responsibility of paying bills (rent, food expenses, etc.), cooking skills, and all SILP residents are required to either attend college, work full-time, or a combination of both.

As of today, there are 13 days left to vote, and it looks like you can vote once per day. We’ll keep you posted on the results.

• Feedback
  I just checked, and the ranch is now up to 83rd place. There are 12 days left to vote.

  Erik Tryggestad

  July, 20 2010

  What a wonderful work.

  retha Hammett

  July, 22 2010

  With nine days left to vote, the ranch is up to 74th place.

  Erik Tryggestad

  July, 23 2010

  What a great work! Let’s all try to help them win.

  James Haney

  July, 27 2010