Support 180 Ranch for better care of WV's foster children
The Issue
We are personally affected by the opioid crisis that has gripped West Virginia, a state that leads the nation with opioid overdose deaths, foster care placements, and separated siblings. This issue is very close to the hearts of all West Virginias as we have witnessed the profound impact it has had on our families and communities, leaving over 31,000 orphans in its wake and 500+ children housed daily out of state. This is a crisis that demands immediate action and substantial support.
One promising solution to this pressing issue is 180 Ranch, a West Virginia Continuum of Care Campus designed to provide foster care children with the nurturing environment they need. The initiative stands as a beacon of hope to the thousands of children who have been orphaned due to opioid-related tragedies. 180 Ranch has a revolutionary care model that combines educational, economical, recreational, and eternal solutions on one Christ-Centered campus. However, to turn this vision into reality, 180 Ranch requires the Direct Funding Grant from the WV First Foundation, which manages the opioid settlement dollars. These are not state or federal tax dollars - it's the blood money of the parents who are now dead or detained in the wake of our Appalachia 9/11 moment which did not come in the form of planes - it came in the form of pills from big pharma. The children of this tragedy deserve a home right here in these country roads.
Securing this grant is not just important—it is vital. West Virginia, with its alarming rate of 10,000 sons and daughters lost to the opioid crisis, is left with a systemic issue that places four times as many children in foster care compared to the national average. Our children are enduring unnecessary hardships, with siblings often being separated due to the lack of nearby homes. This not only harms the children, but it also strains our foster care system and disrupts familial bonds at a time when they are needed most.
The funding from the WV First Foundation will enable 180 Ranch to provide comprehensive care and support, addressing not only the immediate needs of these children but also offering long-term solutions by keeping siblings together and providing a stable, loving environment. This Campus will be a step towards healing for thousands of children in the state and will serve as a model of care that can be replicated both within West Virginia and nationwide. Imagine 257 acres of educational, economical, recreational, and eternal solutions surrounded by RENT-FREE single-family housing for our foster families, and 12 transitional housing homes for our aged-out foster youth ages 18-24. There is nothing like this in WV and very few models like it in the country.
We owe it to the children of West Virginia to offer them a future that is full of hope, stability, and love. By supporting this petition, you're advocating for a sustainable and profound solution that directly addresses the aftermath of the opioid crisis in our community.
Join us and the DOZENS of Federal & State Political, Business, Community, and Church leaders who have already sent letters of support in urging the WV First Foundation to support 180 Ranch with the Direct Funding Grant. Sign this petition and stand with us to usher in a new era of care and compassion for our children.
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The Issue
We are personally affected by the opioid crisis that has gripped West Virginia, a state that leads the nation with opioid overdose deaths, foster care placements, and separated siblings. This issue is very close to the hearts of all West Virginias as we have witnessed the profound impact it has had on our families and communities, leaving over 31,000 orphans in its wake and 500+ children housed daily out of state. This is a crisis that demands immediate action and substantial support.
One promising solution to this pressing issue is 180 Ranch, a West Virginia Continuum of Care Campus designed to provide foster care children with the nurturing environment they need. The initiative stands as a beacon of hope to the thousands of children who have been orphaned due to opioid-related tragedies. 180 Ranch has a revolutionary care model that combines educational, economical, recreational, and eternal solutions on one Christ-Centered campus. However, to turn this vision into reality, 180 Ranch requires the Direct Funding Grant from the WV First Foundation, which manages the opioid settlement dollars. These are not state or federal tax dollars - it's the blood money of the parents who are now dead or detained in the wake of our Appalachia 9/11 moment which did not come in the form of planes - it came in the form of pills from big pharma. The children of this tragedy deserve a home right here in these country roads.
Securing this grant is not just important—it is vital. West Virginia, with its alarming rate of 10,000 sons and daughters lost to the opioid crisis, is left with a systemic issue that places four times as many children in foster care compared to the national average. Our children are enduring unnecessary hardships, with siblings often being separated due to the lack of nearby homes. This not only harms the children, but it also strains our foster care system and disrupts familial bonds at a time when they are needed most.
The funding from the WV First Foundation will enable 180 Ranch to provide comprehensive care and support, addressing not only the immediate needs of these children but also offering long-term solutions by keeping siblings together and providing a stable, loving environment. This Campus will be a step towards healing for thousands of children in the state and will serve as a model of care that can be replicated both within West Virginia and nationwide. Imagine 257 acres of educational, economical, recreational, and eternal solutions surrounded by RENT-FREE single-family housing for our foster families, and 12 transitional housing homes for our aged-out foster youth ages 18-24. There is nothing like this in WV and very few models like it in the country.
We owe it to the children of West Virginia to offer them a future that is full of hope, stability, and love. By supporting this petition, you're advocating for a sustainable and profound solution that directly addresses the aftermath of the opioid crisis in our community.
Join us and the DOZENS of Federal & State Political, Business, Community, and Church leaders who have already sent letters of support in urging the WV First Foundation to support 180 Ranch with the Direct Funding Grant. Sign this petition and stand with us to usher in a new era of care and compassion for our children.
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Petition created on November 3, 2026