The Chicken Story

I want to share a story with you that captures the heart of what River Rose is becoming.

A while back, Lisa learned that Rosa had worked on a chicken farm in Arkansas before coming to River Rose. Almost casually, Lisa asked her:

“Would you teach me how to raise chickens?”

It wasn’t part of some strategic master plan. We weren’t trying to start a hatchery business. But the moment mattered because it gave Rosa something many people in difficult situations rarely experience:

The opportunity to be seen for what she could contribute instead of what she lacked.

That simple question changed the dynamic.

Instead of being the person receiving help, Lucy became the teacher. Little by little, caring for the chickens became part of a daily rhythm between Lisa and Lucy: feeding, learning, building routines, and sharing responsibility.

One of the things we continue to discover at River Rose is that healing often begins when people are trusted with something meaningful.

Then something unexpected happened.

Another member of our River Rose family knew an older gentleman who was downsizing and selling off his chicken coops and incubator equipment. After hearing about what we were doing, he generously donated all of it to us.

Suddenly, what started as a simple conversation became something much bigger.

To install the coops and hatchery equipment, we hired members of our team, including individuals recovering from addiction, former felons, and people working toward stability and self-support.

And somewhere in the middle of assembling chicken coops, cleaning equipment, feeding chickens, and showing up each day, something deeper began happening:

By reliably showing up, people are experiencing change.

Responsibility. Trust. Hope.

It continues to amaze me how often resources appear once you open a door and take a chance on people.

Your generosity helps make those doors possible.

And sometimes transformation begins with something as simple as: “You know how to do this. Will you teach me?”

Thank you for being part of this story.

With gratitude,

Lisa & Rex Miller
River Rose