Boys & Girls Town of Missouri Receives $210,000 Challenge Grant from the J.E and L.E. Mabee Foundation
Funds Will Help Boys & Girls Town Serve More Area Children
Columbia, Mo. (October. XX, 2007) – Boys & Girls Town of Missouri’s Central Missouri Campaign was awarded a $210,000 challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E Mabee Foundation, Inc. in support of phase two of the current Columbia Campus renovation and expansion plans. Completion of this campus will enable Boys & Girls Town to serve more children by renovating two additional residential cottages, a central dining facility and recreational areas . With a growing waiting list of area children who need assistance, there is an immediate need to expand and complete these renovation projects. The resulting improvements will double the number of children served at the Columbia Campus. To receive the challenge grant, Boys & Girls Town must successfully raise $210,000 by October 2008.
The State of Missouri has a waiting list of children who need treatment. Boys & Girls Town is addressing the shortage of facilities in Central Missouri to meet the needs of children who suffer from behavioral and emotional problems, particularly Level 4 facilities which treat children with the most severe needs. To date in 2007 the Boys & Girls Town in Columbia has been unable to respond to the needs of an additional 55 children due to lack of space.
Because youth on the waiting list are from the mid-Missouri area, providing residential treatment close to their families and homes is a high priority. When family members participate in the treatment of a child, they have a much higher chance of success. Boys & Girls Town’s goal is to make it as simple as possible for the family to access services. The result of this commitment is evident in the successes of the residents. Boys & Girls Town has an 84 percent success rate of reunifying children with their parent, a family member or transitioning into independent living within seven months of their arrival.
“Boys & Girls Town is grateful to the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation for its support,” said Paula Fleming, vice president of the Central region for Boys & Girls Town. “This challenge grant brings Boys & Girls Town another step closer to completing a three year campaign. We are proud of the support the children here receive from our community and are confident the community will continue to champion these children and we will be able to close the campaign and continue to provide the best services for the children in our care.”
In 2005, the Columbia campus relocated to a five-acre facility on Bearfield Road to accommodate expanding programs to serve more area children. Initial renovations enabled children and staff to move into two cottages and an administrative center. Currently, 24 children reside at the campus. When completed, the new campus will serve 48 residents and provide expanded community outreach programs.
In 2006, Boys & Girls Town Central Missouri Region Campus served 320 children and family members through a variety of programs. Sixty-five percent of those served in 2006 were from Boone and the surrounding counties including Audrain and Randolph. In 2006, Boys & Girls Town of Missouri served more than 5,200 children and family members. |
