Second Story Foundation Launches Public Phase of Capital Campaign to Build Second Story Ranch Lodge and Residences
Campaign supports construction of a 7,000-square-foot lodge and recovery residence on a 68-acre ranch in south suburban Crete
CHICAGO - The Second Story Foundation today announced the launch of the public phase of its capital campaign to build the Second Story Ranch Lodge and Residences, a transformative recovery campus for men rebuilding their lives after severe substance use disorder. The campaign follows a successful quiet phase that secured early gifts and pledges and set the stage for broad community participation.
The project will create a 7,000-square-foot lodge and a dedicated residential building on the foundation’s 68-acre ranch in unincorporated south suburban Crete, Illinois. The ranch was purchased in partnership with IFF, supported by private donations and early program funding. It currently operates as a working horse farm and community service hub while preparing for the construction of the long-term residential program.
The Second Story Ranch will give men entering early recovery a safe home, a community to belong to, and the time they need to heal. This campaign supports a place where recovery becomes durable and where men can build lives filled with purpose, responsibility, and connection. Our quiet phase showed what is possible when people believe in this work. We are grateful for the early support and excited to open the door for wider participation.
-Jim O’Connor, executive director of the Second Story Foundation
A horse pulls a training sulky across open pasture during morning work at the Second Story Ranch in Crete, Illinois. (Credit: Catrina Rawson, Illinois Farm Bureau)
Eric “Cowboy” Christensen, operations manager of the Second Story Ranch, checks on one of the horses inside the barn in south suburban Crete, Illinois. (Credit: Catrina Rawson, Illinois Farm Bureau)
With a total project budget of $4.25 million, the foundation has secured nearly $500,000 in private donations and pledges and received $250,000 from the Will County Opioid Program, which qualified the ranch as an approved abatement use for Illinois Opioid Settlement capital dollars.
The project will deliver the 7,000-square-foot lodge, the men’s residence, and two 1,800-square-foot single-family homes designed to anchor the ranch’s leadership presence on the property. The campaign now seeks to raise the remaining funds needed for construction, furnishings, and required site work.
The ranch property was purchased in partnership with IFF, the Chicago-based Illinois Facilities Fund, which supports community development projects across the state. Detailed construction budgets for the lodge and residence were completed with The Aspen Group of Frankfort, the project’s design-build partner.
An interior rendering of the Lodge’s great room, featuring communal seating, a fireplace, and space for recovery programming and fellowship. (Credit: Aspen Group)
A rendering of the Lodge’s covered porch and outdoor gathering area, designed for group activities, meals, and community events. (Credit: Aspen Group)We are honored to support the Second Story Foundation in bringing this project to life. The lodge and residence were designed to give men in recovery a safe home, strong community spaces, and the practical resources they need to rebuild their lives. Our role is to deliver a clear, responsible construction plan that reflects the mission of the ranch and helps the foundation reach its next stage.”
-Derek DeGroot, president of Aspen Group
The lodge will include a large fellowship hall, a commercial kitchen, group meeting areas, and flexible space for educational programming, community events, peer support, and equine-assisted therapy. The residence will house up to 14 program participants, with shared rooms in the early phase of recovery and single rooms available once residents begin external employment. Both buildings will serve as the core of an intensive support recovery home, paired with the foundation’s Ranch Hands jobs program, medical and behavioral health partnerships, and long-term community integration services.
The ranch has already shown what becomes possible when people are given time, stability, and community. The lodge and residence will strengthen that work and allow more men to rebuild their lives with dignity. As we enter this next phase, we hope those who believe in recovery, service, and second chances will stand with us to help finish this project.
-Bruce Bere, board chair of the Second Story Foundation.
The Second Story Foundation has already secured bipartisan support in Will County, including local officials, community partners, and the Will County Mental Health Board. The ranch has hosted service events, volunteer days, and early programming that demonstrate the long-term vision for the site. In April 2025, the foundation received $88,000 from the Will County Community Mental Health Board for a community service partnership with the Recovery Community Center of Joliet, allowing participants in Problem Solving Courts to complete service hours at the ranch.
Construction timelines will be driven by fundraising progress. The foundation is pursuing county, state, and federal block grants while inviting support from individuals, companies, and charitable foundations. The organization is certified with SAM.gov and GATA and is working with multiple agencies to secure additional appropriations.
The Board Chair and community partners will be invited to join a series of site tours, briefings, and campaign events throughout 2026. To support the development of long-term recovery housing at the Second Story Ranch Lodge and Residences, visit 2ndStoryFoundation.org.
ABOUT THE SECOND STORY FOUNDATION
The Second Story Foundation is a nonprofit recovery housing and workforce organization serving men in early recovery from severe substance use disorder. The foundation operates transitional homes, a community-based jobs program, recovery support services, and the 68-acre Second Story Ranch in Crete, Illinois. Its mission is to provide long-term housing, work readiness, counseling, and community connection that support durable recovery and successful reintegration.
To support the development of long-term recovery housing at the Second Story Ranch Lodge and Residences, visit 2ndStoryFoundation.org.
