The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians awarded River’s Edge Ranch—a Lucerne Valley nonprofit substance rehabilitation center for men—a $1.3-million grant to help with its expansion project.
The grant quadruples the $250,000 raised separately in 2021 during the River’s Edge Ranch’s G1VE FOR ONE capital campaign. On February 12, the center held a groundbreaking event to mark the start of the project, which will increase capacity from 30 men to more than 50 men. Phase 1 of the expansion will include a fully renovated kitchen, new bunk housing, new dining facilities and new office facilities.
“We are truly blessed to receive this generous gift from the Tribe that will allow us to restore hope, meaning and purpose to even more men,” said River’s Edge Ranch Board of Directors President Doug Whiteman. “It will position the Ranch for future growth and provide additional opportunities for those in recovery to positively impact their families, places of work and communities.”
River’s Edge Ranch is located in the Tribe’s ancestral high desert lands and has served hundreds of men seeking to recover from substance abuse since 2007. Its multi-purpose approach effectively integrates the use of manual labor, animal-assisted therapy, service to others, faith and mentoring support. After living on the Ranch for one year, the men have the option of moving into supervised transitional housing and work full-time jobs while continuing to rebuild their lives.
