Situated on 260 acres in Hockley is the campus of a nonprofit organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged youths.

Boys and Girls Country raises children who come from troubled situations to become self-sustaining, contributing members to society. The reason children are placed there by their parent or guardian varies. Some come from parents who are addicted to drugs or from families where abuse is present. Others come from single parents who have multiple jobs trying to raise multiple kids. But all of them come from a situation that is less than ideal for a positive upbringing.

"These kids come to us not as bad kids, but as kids from bad circumstances," said Liz Bear, community outreach specialist for Boys and Girls Country.

Whatever the reason for being there, Boys and Girls Country gives them a place to live for a few years, or for some, a place to grow up. The children get a home, a bed, meals, clothing, structure, education, but most of all, Boys and Girls Country is giving these kids a chance.

"We provide a Christian home, we provide a safe place for the kids to live and be kids, and we provide a program that encourages them to be successful," Bear said. "I think the biggest thing that we do is we provide normalcy and stability for kids that that was never something they experienced before."

Boys and Girls Country is a level one care facility, meaning it does not accept kids with a history of drug or alcohol abuse, aggressive or suicidal behavior or who have legal issues, Bear said.

"We are really trying to get the kids in here before they make that first really bad decision," she said.

The campus in Hockley can house up to 88 children, ages 5 to 18 at any time. There are 11 cottages that house eight children each. Trained teaching parents also live in each of the cottages. These parents are married couples who live full time on the campus and act as parents to the children in their cottage. They raise them in a family atmosphere and teach the children how to be respectful and act like adults. The teaching parents work eight days on and four days off. During the off days a single teaching parent will run the household. This, Bear said, provides a level of consistency unparalleled to other organizations.

While living on the campus, the children attend Waller ISD schools. A strong emphasis is put on their education and behavior, Bear said. Outside of school children can participate in sports, clubs and other organizations. On campus there are tutoring and enrichment programs designed to help each child succeed and grow. The children grow up in a family environment in their cottage. They have chores, behavioral and educational goals set by their teaching parents, and rewards for accomplishing set goals.

Boys and Girls Country is not funded by any government programs, nor is it governed by any ruling body, Bear said. Because of this, kids do not age out after 18 and can be placed in the college and career program. The college and career program is on a separate campus off FM 2920 in Tomball. After graduation, kids can opt to move into this program where they live with mentors who help get them through their college, trade school or military careers.

"The college and career program is what makes us really, really different," Bear said. "There aren't any other children's homes, that I know about, that have something like this. We completely made up the college and career program here."

History:

Boys and Girls Country was founded in 1971 by T.A. and Jean Robertson and was established as a nonprofit Christian home for boys. Originally named Boys Country, it was on five acres of donated rice field and was composed of a few mobile homes. In 1980, construction began on a 40-acre facility for girls off FM 2920 named Girls Country. In 1993 the organization merged the two and changed the name. The 2920 facility is now used for the college and career program.

Fundraiser:

Boys and Girls Country is holding its 2013 annual Heritage Awards Dinner from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Hilton Americas, 1600 Lamar St., Houston. This year Johnie Schulte will be honored posthumously and famed comedian George Lopez will provide the entertainment. The Heritage Awards Dinner is the largest, single fundraising event put on by the nonprofit organization. The first dinner was held in 1992 and raised $85,000. For more information, visit the dinner website at www.heritagegala.org.