It Sure Makes a Difference When You Know Someone Cares

It Sure Makes a Difference When You Know Someone Cares

 (Billings, Mont.) May 17, 2018 – “It sure makes a difference when you know someone cares” has been Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) motto for over 60 years, devised by founder Franklin Robbie. Franklin used the motto to describe the work YBGR does for youth in need. Times have changed, but the need to help youth has not, and this motto still rings true today.

YBGR’s Community Based Services (CBS) provides many programs and services to help youth in communities around the state of Montana. I would like to introduce you to a charming and delightful young man named Benjaymn from Billings. Ben and his family are clients of CBS’s Case Management program. Ben who has autism and suffers from a medical condition that has caused a lot of stress and pain on his nine year old body. He has had six kidney surgeries already and the possibility of having more. Ben has poor circulation and is very apparent in his little feet, they are cold and purple. Due to his medical issues and surgeries it’s hard for Ben to get a good nights of sleep.

YBGR recently teamed up with two other local non-profits, Slumberland’s 40 Winks and Blankets & Bears to make a huge but simple difference in some YBGR children’s lives by providing new mattresses and bedding. Ben received a new Tempur-Pedic bed and special NFL bedding. The whole house was abuzz with excitement and joy that Ben was finally going to be able to rest peacefully and have a really cool comforter set with his favorite football team, the Minnesota Vikings!

There were so many tears of gratitude from Ben’s family, but the most touching moment was Ben’s concern when his mom began to cry. Ben grabbed his mother’s hand and looked deep into her eyes and asked her “Momma why are you crying?” and “Momma what’s wrong?” he didn’t realize that her tears were not tears of pain but of happiness. His mother Heather, explained gently to him “These are tears of happiness, momma is alright” as she hugged him to ease his fears and comfort him.  Benjaymn has the most emphatic soul you will ever meet. What an absolute joy he is.

If you would like to help children like Benjaymn, please contact YBGR Foundation at 406-656-8772 or visit www.yellowstonefoundation.org.  Blankets & Bears can be reached at 406-696-4308, blanketsandbears4kids@yahoo.com, or visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/BlanketsandBearsMt