Cowboy Up! for Parks Youth Ranch

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~ Winston Churchill

At age 10, the late Sugar Land businessman and philanthropist Carl Favre was sent to live with his Aunt Amelia. “His father had divorced and wasn’t sure he could take care of Carl,” says Carl’s wife Mary. “His Aunt Amelia had spent time in her own childhood in an orphanage after her mother died, and she did not want the same for Carl…so she offered to take Carl in.”

Cowboy Up! 2016For both Carl and his Aunt Amelia, their period of homelessness—this time away from home—was temporary. Both moved back home a couple years later when their respective fathers remarried. Amelia and Carl remained close until her death, right before Carl’s death in 2015. Amelia never had kids of her own, and she always stressed to Carl and everyone around her the importance of giving back.

Perhaps it was these childhood experiences that made Parks Youth Ranch near and dear to Carl’s heart. Parks Youth Ranch is an emergency shelter right here in Fort Bend County that provides counseling and life changing services to at risk and homeless youth. “What we must realize and what Carl could empathize with,” says Mary, “is that many of these kids are going through trials and tribulations not of their own accord. Most are not drug-using, rebellious, bad teenagers. Like Carl and his Aunt Amelia, many just find themselves in this unfortunate current circumstance through no fault of their own. I was recently at the shelter and we were screening T-shirts. A beautiful blonde-hair blue-eyed twelve year old girl was screening a picture of a heart. She told me the heart was her five year old sister. Her sister that had died from cancer, and after her sister’s death, her parents couldn’t deal with her…so they sent her to PYR. We just can’t judge.”

Cowboy Up! 2016Carl served on the Parks Youth Ranch board until his death. Today, Mary takes his place on the board. All of the kids at Parks Youth Ranch attend FBISD schools…it was a happenstance meeting between Mary and FBISD superintendent Dr. Charles Dupre. “I saw Charles out and about and asked him what he knew about credit recovery,” says Mary. Credit recovery allows students to earn credit in subjects they previously failed or missed. Turns out, Dr. Charles Dupre knew a lot. “Charles was adopted at birth by a military family. But after his mother died, he went into foster care at age seven. Charles attended school as an orphan. Like Carl and so many others involved in Parks Youth Ranch, he understands and empathizes with the plights of these kids. And he made things happen. In a mere two months he visited the ranch and helped to significantly improve education services provided for our kids in FBISD schools. We were very blessed, as Dupre’s timing was right. He was put in this position at the exact right time that he could help us tremendously.”

Cowboy Up! 2016
One of Carl’s favorite Bible scriptures was Matthew 24:40. “…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” That’s what Parks Youth Ranch is all about. The people at Parks Youth Ranch are making a difference in the lives of thousands of kids that are homeless in our area…many through no fault of their own. They’re giving back. Visit www.parksyouthranch.org to see how you can help.

Cowboy Up! 2016Strap on your spurs and join us for Parks Youth Ranch annual fundraiser!
October 1st at 7pm
Tickets are $75 and sponsorship opportunities are available.
Includes scrumptious barbeque dinner, live concert performance, dancing and live auction.

For more information, visit
www.parksyouthranch.org/cowboy-up
or contact Shannon Bloesch at smbloesch@parksyouthranch.org.

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