PAWNEE ROCK — The Hoisington High School Student Council recently spent the day at Praise Ranch in Pawnee Rock in a service learning project. Twelve students and Principal Meg Wilson assisted with clean up of the gymnasium at the old Pawnee Rock Elementary School.
Praise Ranch is a not for profit facility owned by Anita and Ted Di Tello who settled in Pawnee Rock after time in Hawaii and Arizona. Student Council Treasurer Lexi Sanders and Gordin Greer reported on the service project at a recent Hoisington Chamber of Commerce coffee.
“They are taking volunteers to help clean up,” said Sanders. “It’s their home.”
The Di Tellos plan to adopt 20 kids or as many as possible. They also plan to take in widows, serving a 50 mile radius of Pawnee Rock. They hope to adopt two children in the near future.
They have been remodeling the facility for four years with the assistance of volunteers with that goal in mind. Plans are for Christian movies and other Christian activities to be held at the gym, which has a theater-size screen that was donated.
“It’s a really neat organization,” said Sanders. The students were the first non-Christian group to assist the couple who have lived in the school while remodeling has taken place.
Anita and Ted have five children of their own. Two are adopted. The children are home schooled by Anita as well as volunteer teachers who instruct the children on such things as sewing and music.
Everyone at the ranch works and there are milking cows, horses and chickens for eggs. They will live a simple life close to nature.
The couple also has plans for a prayer and community garden where people can come and get produce if they are in need. “Their faith is unreal,” said Sanders.
The students came away from the experience full of enthusiasm and admiration for Praise Ranch.
“We went into this not really realizing what’s there,” said Wilson. “They did a lot of work.”
HHS includes service learning as part of  Social-Emotional Character Development, which is integrated cross curriculum.