One year later, children continue to find hope at the Be Brave Ranch

Albertans to thank for building a lasting legacy

EDMONTON, Oct. 14, 2015 /CNW/ - Today marks the first anniversary of the Little Warriors Be Brave Ranch, the first long-term treatment facility of its kind dedicated to helping children and their families heal from the damaging effects of child sexual abuse. It took seven years for founder Glori Meldrum to turn her vision for the Ranch into reality, with countless community supporters coming forth to donate, fundraise and give tremendous amounts of time and resources to this important cause — making this milestone all the more significant.

"When I first had the idea to open the Be Brave Ranch, I knew it was going to be a challenging journey," said Meldrum. "But what I couldn't have predicted was just how many people would be willing to join me in that journey. Thanks to the support of our community, survivors of child sexual abuse from across Canada have been given the opportunity to build a brighter, healthier future. And each and every Albertan who helped bring the Ranch to life is leaving behind an amazing legacy that we can all be very proud of."

The Be Brave Ranch offers a one-year combined on-site and outpatient program based on comprehensive scientific evidence and input from many leading academic and treatment experts. Although still in the clinical trials phase, the program's initial outcomes are promising. Already, the first cohort of children to complete the program have shown an improvement in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as increased self-esteem and enhanced ability to trust adults.

"Looking ahead, our aim is to welcome more children to the Be Brave Ranch and to carry on measuring the impact of treatment. Through Little Warriors and the Prevent It! workshop, we'll continue to educate adults on how to take a stand against child sexual abuse," Meldrum noted. "I'm so thankful for what we've been able to achieve after just one year in operation and I'm incredibly excited to see what we'll accomplish in the future. One thing's for certain — together with our community and dedicated staff, we have the power to help children find their inner hero and flourish into happy, healthy adults."

About Little Warriors and the Be Brave Ranch
Little Warriors is a national charitable organization committed to the awareness, prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse. The Be Brave Ranch is a long-term treatment center focused on helping children and their families heal from the damaging effects of child sexual abuse. For more information about Little Warriors, visit littlewarriors.ca. To find out how to apply to the Be Brave Ranch, visit http://bebraveranch.littlewarriors.ca/apply/.

SOURCE Little Warriors

Contact Brandy Horek, [email protected], 780-465-0682 ext 225