To nurture the human and spiritual potential of people who have learning disabilities through respectful relationships, living and working in an interdependent community, raising their self-esteem and making them valued citizens.
Special K Ranch provides family-oriented Christian homes, on a working ranch for adults who have developmental disabilities.
Special K Ranch (SKR) is a working ranch that provides lifelong homes for 35 adults who have intellectual challenges. Ranch residents enjoy a loving home-life, engage in a fun and encouraging social environment, and learn from the variety of activities they are doing every day. Residents receive 24-hour care from live-in home advisors who are either married couples or single individuals. Home advisors live and work on the ranch and supervise the vocational programs.
Vocational activities include a large bedding plant operation, a native seed and seedling program, livestock, produce production, and light assembly and manufacturing projects (a.k.a. service contracts for local businesses, including Montana Silversmiths and Merco Co.). Products from the ranch are sold by vendors throughout Montana. Through working on the ranch, residents enjoy educational and productive lives while feeling a great sense of accomplishment and self-worth. They take pride in their work, which is reflected in how happy they are and by the quality of products they produce. Residents are always learning new skills because the vocational programs encompass a wide variety of projects.
Between 30 and 40 adults who have cognitive challenges (prospective residents) must be kept on a waiting list because resident vacancy is very rare. This waiting list gets longer each year. It is a long-term goal of the ranch to add more resident homes while maintaining a non-institutional, family-oriented environment. SKR operates independently of government and United Way funding.
This year’s proceeds from MT Gives will be dedicated to a couple of needs for our vocational programs.
Testimonials
I’m so thankful that there is a place like Special K Ranch. Boots (my daughter) loves it here. It gives the residents a sense of purpose, works on their independence and is one great big family. I love everyone here. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the ranch. I am so proud of everyone and am glad to be associated with such a worthy organization. God Bless to all!!”
Diana Morelli (Boots’ mom)
Love this place. Loving environment for special needs persons to live and work in. my daughter Stephanie (Shorty) lives there.
Theresa Robinson
I absolutely love this Ranch. They have amazing plants and people! I’m glad I got to meet you guys. You supply some of our best products for us.
Crystal Murray
Dennis and I were already house parents in a Christian Ministry in Pennsylvania. We visited his parents who lived near SKR and they took us to the Ranch to meet Larry G. for a tour. SKR was small and everyone was vital to run the place. We were impressed with the ranch setting and wanted to be a part of a ministry where we could use our talents. SKR made a place in our hearts & after a few years away we were again ready to go back “home”. God has used us as a team of homes advisors combined with various other positions for the past 29 years.
Cathy Osgood (Home Advisor for Carla’s House, along with husband Dennis.)