Updates

As a Colorado Springs native, Chelsey is excited to help create a hospitable space for the special needs community near her hometown. After graduating from Wheaton College in 2019, she spent the next several years in Christian nonprofit work. As was true for so many, the pandemic stretched their ministry in ways they never would have anticipated. She was challenged to step into new roles as the needs of the community changed. Today she’s grateful for the wide breadth of nonprofit experience she gained during that difficult time, particularly in the areas of grant writing, event planning, and case work. 

Chelsey will be starting at Hilltop Ranch this summer after graduating from Wheaton College with an M.A. in Systematic Theology, and is looking forward to returning to nonprofit work. As she continues to learn more about the incredible need for residential options for adults with disabilities, she has only become more passionate about the service Hilltop Ranch will offer. In particular, she’s excited to draw Colorado Springs and Palmer Lake locals into this vital mission and vision—whether they feel called to serve as prayer partners, donors, or volunteers. She feels very thankful for the opportunity to participate in such an important effort, and can’t wait to see how God works through Hilltop Ranch!

NEW LOGO: We’re thankful to Sally Dunn for her work in designing a new logo for us. We love how she brought in our vision to provide homes that offer opportunities for our residents to SHINE!

CATCH UP: Why is the lodge temporarily closed to residents? What has prompted the renovations? See the previous update below this one.

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As our architect works with the town building officials we’re finding that:

NEW INTEREST: We are conducting interviews for Care Givers and a Director and talking regularly with parents interested in having their adult children be residents at the lodge.

Our story takes a turn…

During the early months of 2021, before we hired house parents, the parents of our first four residents gave sacrificially by providing care at the lodge. Our first House Parents were hired in June, but then left early in October to live near family in Missouri – partly because their first baby was on the way! Rich and I served as temporary House Parents for the month of October and then our residents returned to their parents’ homes. That time was special for us as we “loved on” our very special residents and were able to make sure they were doing alright with the changes they were facing.

We are as excited and committed as ever as we move forward in preparation to again welcome residents to the lodge but with a solid, secure foundation of experienced staff in place. This involves adding: 
1) Two sets of House Parents that together as a team can provide 24/7 care. House Parents need a private place to be renewed when not “on duty” so we are having two efficiency apartments built in the two unfinished areas at the lodge. 
2) A Director with the experience and knowledge to oversee the development and operation of Hilltop Ranch. Our current “directors” (Rich and Becky) have earned a combined salary of $0 but, our new director might need a tad more!

Rich and Becky…

We’re excited over what we have learned in these initial months and we know we will see the faithfulness of God as we move ahead. We look forward with great anticipation to seeing who will join us as we work to meet a small part of the great need for housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. 
We will stay very involved but at this time of our lives, we need to do the work of two people, not twenty! 

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Our fundraising goals…

We’re in the initial stages of getting architectural plans, but we expect the renovation costs for both apartments (and turning one very large bedroom into two bedrooms which will increase our rooms for men) to be about $200,000. We will be able to provide more precise cost projections in the near future.

Our fully staffed operating costs in this next phase will be about $40,000/mo (salaries, mortgage, insurance, etc.), roughly 60% of which is covered by the tuition paid by the residents’ families making our fundraising goal $16,000/mo or $192,000 annually.

Would you prayerfully stand with us and help fund the renovation ($200,000) and salary/operating costs ($192,000) as we develop a thriving home where our “Ranchers” can SHINE?

We would appreciate it if you would be as generous as you can. A huge “Thank You” to those of you who have faithfully supported us. We need all of you now more than ever before to make sure the beautiful lodge God has given us becomes a secure and loving home for the incredible adults He has called us to serve!

We’re so excited to have the lodge become ours in just four more days! The previous owners have rented back from us for the month of January so February 1st is the first day to feel like it’s ours! We plan to spend the month of February preparing the lodge, thinking through and developing procedures that will make life at the lodge flow smoothly. We’re holding weekly social events for the five or six potential residents (and their parents) to join our three definite residents, giving us all the opportunity to get to know each other and to make decisions on whether Hilltop Ranch is the right step for each of these adults. We’ll determine an official “Move-In Day” for the first residents although they’ll be getting their rooms set up before then. They’re just too excited!

Since we haven’t settled on our first house parents yet (we’re currently interviewing for that position), the parents of the first residents will be taking turns living at the lodge and being the temporary house parents. I think we’re all a bit jealous of our children and want to live at the beautiful lodge ourselves!