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About Us
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OUR
MISSION-OUR VISION
We are very excited about how
the Lord is opening doors to further His ministry. |
Calicinto
is committed to reaching children of
prisoners |
- Our Mission:
Giving Children a life changing experience.
- Our Vision:
To break the cycles of at-risk youth of incarcerated
parents.
- Our
Goal: Redirecting lives-Prevent Crime.
- Our
Hope: Together, we can reach lives-help out
communities, families, schools and our country.
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Anger Resolution
The Children are lavished with love, kindness, respect,
and positive words. They are encouraged to be forgiving
and merciful. The Mentors pave the way for these children
by being good examples and giving up their rights to
have their way.
Calicinto uses the Nationally recognized program 2nd
Step to teach problem solving and anger resolution. |
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Character Building
We teach the kids Character Counts (Internationally Accredited
Program) and use many of the animal stories from Character
First (Nationally Recognized Program). As the children
hear how a deer shows attentiveness, they quickly relate
and understand how they too can demonstrate attentiveness. |
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Authority Restoration
A California Highway Patrol Officer comes and speaks to
the children about his responsibility to protect and serve
them and the community. He shares how to be good citizens,
and he explains the importance of obeying the laws and
knowing the consequences. For the first time many
of these children are able to approach an officer without
hate, fear, or anger. |
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Direction and Motivation
The excitement and enthusiastic attitudes the children
demonstrate as they move from one activity
to another, is quite a joy to witness. Some of these
activities are: Riding horses, enjoying healthy all you
can eat homemade meals, cooling off in the swimming pool,
making crafts, playing basketball and volleyball, holding
little farm animals, and playing a whole lot of country
games. The children are shown how to carry these same
attitudes over in other areas of their lives such as:
writing letters of gratefulness, keeping things clean
and tidy, and making right choices. They learn the value
of respect and teamwork. They develop a relationship with
a wholesome mentor, and for many of them, they experience
a safe nights sleep! |
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Hope and Purpose
Our hope is to redirect children's lives so they will
start new traditions and will break the cycle of crime
that was set before them. To give them hope for a fulfilled,
productive life so they can make a difference in their
families, schools, and communities. These children are
shown "remodeling through modeling." |
Our target population
is children, ages seven to fifteen, of incarcerated
parents. There are over 70,000 of these
victims in Southern California, and statistics
show that these children are five times more likely
to end up in prison (The Barna Research Group).
The founding family chose to serve this population
because of a child's cry to God in a Sunday school classroom
for his Daddy that was taken away to prison. Sunday
school teacher Sophia Pirelli shared with her family
how this little boy touched her heart! That day the
Lord put a desire and passion in the hearts of the family
to serve and minister to these vulnerable children,
and at that point the family chose to dedicate the family
ranch to these high-risk forgotten hurting and needy
victims.
As the family began to research what services, ministries,
and programs were available for these children, they
came across some staggering statistics. According to
the justice system experts they found these children
were seven times more likely to become involved in the
juvenile justice system than their peers. They suffer
from depression, substance abuse, bursts of aggression,
disruptive behavior, eating and sleeping disorders,
diminished academic performance, and feelings of abandonment,
loneliness, shame, guilt, and resentment. The family
decided to respond by giving these children a Calicinto
Ranch Camping Experience!
Calicinto Ranch welcomes children from
any and all cities in the 10 Southern California Counties.
The majority of these children are coming from Los Angeles,
Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Orange Counties.
In 2004, children with one or both parents in prison
came from 69 cities, representing 6 counties.
When these children come out to the ranch, we abundantly
pour out to them love, food, and fun activities.
The western setting with horses, hayrides, campfires,
archery, swimming, and farm animals takes them out of
their city environment and allows them to relax, have
fun, and experience encouragement, "Character First"
instruction, and role model presentations. |
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| Statistics
for Children of prisoners |
Facts:
- There are 2.3 million children
of prisoners.
- 7.3 million children have
a parent under some form of correctional supervision.
- 22% of children with a
parent in prison are under 5 years old; 58% of children
are under 10; the average age is 8 years old.
- One in five children is
present at their mother's arrest.
- Children of prisoners are
6 times more likely to go to prison than their peers; they
are 7 times more likely to be involved in the criminal justice
system.
- Children of prisoners are
labeled the most AT RISK children in the nation.
- In California if the child
isn't reading on a 4th grade level when tested they will
plan to budget building another jail cell.
- 93% of imprisoned parents
are male and predominately held in state prisons, rather
than federal facilities.
- The number of minor children
with an imprisoned father rose 58% from 1991 through 1999,
compared to a 98% increase during the same period in the
number of minors with an imprisoned mother.
- 40% of imprisoned fathers
and 60% of the mothers reported weekly contact with their
children by phone, mail or visit. However, a majority of
both fathers (57%) and mother (54%) reported never having
had a personal visit with their children since their admission
to state prison.
- More than 60% of parents
in state prisons reported being held more than 100 miles
from their last place of residence.
- About 14% reported a mental
illness, and 70 % did not have a high school diploma.
- At the time of their most
recent arrest, 27% of the fathers and 50% of the mothers
in state prisons were unemployed. In the month prior to
their arrest, 46% of the parents said they had income of
at least $1000 a month, and 27% said their income derived
form illegal activities.
- Mothers in state prisons were twice
as likely as fathers to say they had been homeless in the
year before their arrest.
(US Department of
Justice) |
Positive Facts:
- Children who are mentored
are:
- 46% less likely to
use Drugs
- 27% less likely to
begin drinking
- 52% less likely to
skip school
- 33% less likely to
engage in violence
( Big Brothers
and Sisters research statistics)
Calicinto Ranch
is a proven solution to restoring
HOPE to the children of prisoners |
Proven
Facts:
Through these programs
at Calicinto, kids are better equipped to serve the community
by being:
- More Responsible in their family
structure
- Better Citizens and respectful
to the public
- Able to Excel in Academic and Athletic
Activities
- Thereby less likely to participate
in Gang Activities
- Better Able to Relate and Connect
with others
- Linked with a Church of their choice
in Their Community
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Building More Prisons is NOT the Answer
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| The efforts of the ministry at Calicinto Ranch have given
these young lives direction, reconciliation, and restoration.
It has connected them and their families to a local church and
formed lasting mentoring relationships with Christian, Community,
and Civic Role Models. They are given hope for a different lifestyle
reshaping and redirecting their lives. |
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