CAPABILITY RANCH ACTIVITIES & EVENTS CENTER

FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DELAYED YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS

501(c)(3)

NEWS FLASH! We are on track to open and begin our Wednesday & Saturday 2-5pm activities & events calendar starting Jan 14th with a movie and dance party. Stay tuned for creative art projects, arm knitting, pottery making, fun with soap, adaptive yoga, and baking -- already on the calendar :-)

The calendar and sign-up details will be posted here and on the Capability Ranch Facebook page.

For those who donated and claimed perks, they are in progress -- thanks for your patience. 

In honor or our son Jack, 21, who passed away 11.6.14, the result of a Traumatic Brain Injury, and his surviving brother, Owen, 19 and autistic, we ask for your generosity and open hearts to help us fulfill our dream to open Capability Ranch, a non-profit ranch-based activities & events center for youth & young adults with autism & other developmental disabilities to be creative, learn, grow and laugh.

Our youngest son Owen, 19, is autistic, and after our oldest son, Jack, 21, suffered a life-threatening traumatic brain injury in March 2013, it struck us deeply that life is truly fleeting, and we needed to intentionally change our lives to do something more impactful and fulfilling that gives back to our developmentally delayed, mental health and TBI community.

A DREAM WITHOUT ACTION IS JUST A WISH

In April, we quit corporate America, bought a rundown ranch and former wildlife research center on the Ramona Grasslands just 20 minutes east of San Diego, and have been renovating the property to open the Capability Ranch nonprofit Activities and Events Center in January.  Our goals is to offer a calendar of activities and events in truly meaningful ways, exposing our special needs community to new crafts, therapeutic ranch animals and outdoor activities in the heart of nature.

WITH HEAVY HEARTS AND SOULS WE ARE NOW MORE INVESTED THAN EVER IN OPENING CAPABILITY RANCH -- EVEN EARLIER THAN PLANNED

Our son Jack, 21 -- Owen's only sibling -- passed away unexpectedly last week, Thursday, November 6, 2014, as a result of his brain injury, in his home at the University of Maryland where he had been able to return to class. Hundreds showed up for a candlelight vigil in his honor with many saying Jack was friend to everyone and the most open-hearted, uplifting and positive person they have ever known, despite what he went through. When people were down, he was known for asking "What's good?".

YOUR GENEROUS GIVING will help us make this dream a reality to serve our special needs tribe who have amazing untapped creativity, love to learn and be creative and have fun together. Capability Ranch will also provide parents a place to bring their 'forever kids' to commune and make new friends -- where the tears, worries, quirks, low lows and high highs are understood and embraced with laughter and love. We will also be holding special parent and caregiver appreciation and pampering events.

MONTHLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

We will have a monthly calendar of events, crafts and activities -- and ranch themed activities from hoe downs to helping our community learn to feel safe and work with our gentle, therapeutic ranch animals -- from rescue horses seeking love themselves to petting cows, a donkey and other friendly furry and feathered friends that we will be rescuing. 

We'll make soap, paint, make holiday decorations, work with clay, cook and all kinds of crafts. We will also have outings on the calendar -- hiking the grassland trails and learning about nature, celebration parties, bowling, movie outtings. 

If you are a San Diego artisan or someone who just has a hobby talent -- please contact us: 914.582.5901 / capabilityranch@gmail.com. We'd love to have you on the calendar.

If you have craft or other supplies you feel would be helpful and would like to donate, don't hesistate to reach out. 

Most importantly right now, we need fundraising donations to help complete the activity center barn which will be named in our son Jack's honor. 

To date we have self-funded turning around a downtrodden tranch and former wildlife institute into a safe and fun haven. We have funded renovations including the activities center, event areas and getting our resuce therapy horses and other ranch pets on the ranch and ready.

To open as planned in January or sooner, we are seeking to raise donations towards specific projects, a very special fundraising event in Jack's honor -- and general donations for ongoing operational expenses.

NOVEMBER 28 -- Life Celebration Memorial to raise general donations for Capability Ranch in Jack's honor. BBQ, beverages and live music. We request a small donation and either a potluck dish, an outdoor plant, daffodil bulbs or packs of seeds to further the cycle of life.

ACTIVITY CENTER:

PLUMBING -- the Jack Activity Barn is now equipped with electricity, heat and a/c. To finish, we need to add plumbing for the sinks and wash up areas, and install a boiler.

TOILET FACILITIES -- a fully equipped large, wheelchair accessible, self-contained portable toilet with wash basin (which we are building into a beautiful barn exterior). Donations to purchase or a sponsorship to rent and for the emptying service.

OVEN AND STOVE TOP -- for baking, cooking and baked crafts

WOOD -- for building the counters and cabinets

PLASTIC STORAGE DRAWERS -- for craft supplies

FOLDING TABLES -- any size.

If you are local and would like to swing buy to see firsthand what you would be supporting bringing to life, we would love to show you. Please just text ahead: 914.582.5901 

CABABILITY RANCH IS A MUCH NEEDED FACILITY IN OUR AREA and A PASSION PROJECT THAT WE HOPE TO EXPAND AND CONTINUE AS A LEGACY TO JACK, OWEN and ALL THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND TBIs.

If you prefer to send a check -- please mail to:

Capability Ranch

18030 Highland Valley Road

Ramona, CA 92065

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support, small or large.

Best, be well, live the life you had imagined, laugh and love.

Founders

Nicola & Tony, and Owen