Rescue – Redeem – Restore
Young Lives
Help Us Unlock a $140,000 Matching Gift
A generous supporter has offered a $140,000 match, doubling every donation made to Sierra Nevada Teen Ranch up to $140,000.
Your $50 becomes $100. Your $100 becomes $200. Your $500 becomes $1,000 and so on.
1 gift accomplishes 2 purposes! This match will help us pay off our construction loan and move forward with the much-needed multipurpose building that will give our teens a safe place to learn, grow, and heal.
So, Give:
- First Fruits
- Sacrificially, and
- With a Cheerful Heart
Because God loves a cheerful giver, 2 Cor 9:7
Campaign runs from Ash Wednesday through Easter week 2/18/2026 – 4/10/2026
Tip: Choose ACH (e-check) at checkout so every dollar goes directly to the ranch.
Marvin Neal (BS Social Work, UNR; AS Business Mgmt., from TMCC) has dedicated his adult life to serving Nevada’s at-risk Youth. He served as Chaplain of our local juvenile detention center for over 25 years. Currently, he is President and Executive Director of Sierra Nevada Teen Ranch (SNTR), overseeing day-to-day operations. Marv’s own background is like many of the youth he encounters, and he feels uniquely equipped to share the life-changing power of God with at-risk kids.
Jan Neal: Jan has worked with both socially and economically disadvantaged youth as a vocational Instructor. Youth under her influence excelled in their endeavors.
SNTR’s mission is to Rescue, Redeem, and Restore Young Lives. We achieve this by providing housing, schooling, life skills, vocational exploration, therapy, and spiritual development in a ranch-like setting.
Our Mission
We are a local, nonprofit, faith-based organization that will serve Nevada’s at-risk youth. Sierra Nevada Teen Ranch brings a vision and message of hope. Everything we do is directed towards decreasing the gap between youth failing in relationships, in school, in the workplace, and in society, in order for them to anticipate and fulfill their dream of a vibrant, thriving, meaningful, and successful future.
Our programs and services to vulnerable youth between the ages of 9 and 17, will take place in a loving, nurturing, directing, and correcting family and relational environment that reflects positive interaction and proper societal behaviors. We expect that they will desire to grow into productive compassionate self-respecting members of our community who walk in their God-given value and potential. We expect our youth to be an inspiration to others.
The need
You’ve seen the evidence. The false refuges of drugs, alcohol, sex, teen pregnancy, crime, school dropouts, gang involvement. They are angry, lost, confused, and doing damage to themselves and others. They often disregard the value of other people and often display contempt for those who care.
Way too many of our youth are failing in life. They are failing in relationships at home, failing in school, failing in the workplace, and failing in society. Many of them are unequipped, unsupported, neglected, abused, underprivileged, homeless, or delinquent.
Do you realize that Nevada is in the TOP 5% in the nation for teen drug use, teen homelessness, teen incarceration, and teen pregnancy! And they also rank in the top 5% of all states with teens 16 – 19 who are not in school and are not working. Nevada also has the third-highest rate of youth suicide and youth addiction. Teenagers represent the only age group in our country where the death rate is actually going up.
While working with so many of our local youth over decades and often seeing the same kids over and over in juvenile detention – we understand and realize that most of them want to change and long for things to be different – very very different. They just need MORE.
Sierra Nevada Teen Ranch
brings a vision and message of hope to
“Rescue, Redeem, and Restore Young Lives.”
Our Purpose
Sierra Nevada Teen Ranch was founded by Jan and Marvin Neal and their desire to serve Northern Nevada’s at-risk-teens in a rural ranch-type setting. Most of Marvin’s adult life has been dedicated to serving Nevada’s at-risk youth. For over 25 years, he served as Chaplain at our local juvenile detention center. Over the years the Neals have opened their home to many kids providing a safe, nurturing environment with standards and guidelines for positive growth. They know first-hand through countless personal experiences just how great the need is.
SNTR provides 24/7 residential care in a ranch-like setting. OUR PROGRAMS will include but are not limited to, onsite education, vocational exploration, spiritual development, individual and group counseling, recreation, life skills, anger management, and gang awareness classes.