Oregon High Desert Classics benefits many

The 2015 Oregon High Desert Classics presented by the Oxford Hotel began Wednesday and continues next week. Horses, people and thousands of dollars flow into the event and the region every year.

The ODHC has raised more than $2.5 million over the past 10 years for J Bar J Youth Services.

J Bar J Ranch in Bend hosts the event. One of the agency’s programs is the Cascade Youth and Family Center, which benefits youth and their families in times of need.

“My mom was homeless, and I knew that moving into it,” 18-year-old Alette Lind said Friday when speaking about moving to Oregon from Minnesota to be closer to her family. “I didn’t know the circumstances were that bad.”

Lind found herself facing a challenge many teens never dream of — starting at a new school and helping her mother.

“I was a full-time student in a new place, and I was also working,” Lind said. “It was hard to carry all that, because I was working to support my mom and I.”

Her high school counselor suggested she look at Cascade Youth and Family Center’s services. Lind spent six months at the LOFT (Living Options for Teens) – a youth transitional housing center.

“If they would not have gave the things they gave me, then I wouldn’t have been able to be here today and doing the things I want to do,” Lind said.

To learn more: http://www.jbarj.org/