Seeing your impact on our young men!

Last year, our Case Manager sat with a 17-year-old resident and his mother as they discussed his plans to return home. Both had worked hard to reach this milestone. After years apart, he had earned his GED, and she had achieved sobriety. This moment captures everything Bald Ridge Lodge strives for with your help.

2025 started with a goal of helping more young men move toward permanency and stability in their lives. For their long-term wellbeing, our young men need positive and permanent adult connections. Whether voluntarily exiting as an adult to a sustainable living situation, moving to a foster family setting, or going to live with a parent or other family member, our goal is to see our young men embraced by supportive family.

Our vision continued to become a reality in 2025. We celebrated nine successful discharges, nearly double the number from the previous year. Among them were two reunifications with parents and three placements with relatives, meaning that five young people returned to the care of family. Three more residents transitioned to foster homes, taking important steps toward permanency and stability.

Our commitment to these young men doesn't end at discharge. Through our Aftercare Program, we continue supporting former residents as they transition to independent living or reunify with family. Our staff stay connected through phone calls, texts, and in-person visits, offering coaching, guidance, and access to critical resources to help maintain stability and prevent crises. We also work proactively with caregivers of current residents, monitoring family visits, coaching parents in behavior management, and fostering strong relationships, to ensure that when reunification happens, families are truly prepared for long-term success.

These outcomes reflect a year of significant growth and impact. In 2025, we served 24 residents, a 33% increase from 2024, and we successfully supported them through faster transitions to appropriate next steps. While this increased activity meant we faced more challenges (including four residents who needed a different level of care than we could provide) we remained focused on our mission: preparing young people for successful futures in less restrictive, more permanent settings.

As we enter 2026, I'm grateful for the dedication of our staff, the trust of our partners, and the resilience of every young person who walks through our doors. Each resident carries their own story of struggle and strength, and it is our honor to be part of their journey toward a changed life and a new future.

Thank you for your continued support of Bald Ridge Lodge.

Gratefully,
Angela Dikes
Executive Director