Columbia Boys and Girls Town

Each year hundreds of thousands of children experience abuse or neglect in this country. While government does all it can to identify these cases and help bring the perpetrators to justice, it does not have the capacity to alleviate the emotional damage of the victims. That is why I am grateful for organizations such as the Boys and Girls Town of Missouri. The Boys and Girls Town of Missouri helps adolescent children by creating a safe community for them. The students live and attend school on the campus. They are supervised at all times by caring adults and have access to professionals who offer onsite therapy. The Boys and Girls Town of Missouri has created an exceptional program that no government agency can duplicate.

I recently had the opportunity to visit with the students at the Columbia Campus of Boys and Girls Town of Missouri. While some of the students were engaged in creative activities to learn about history and government, others worked on valentines for family and friends. I found the students to be kind, respectful, and in good spirits. No one would have ever guessed the dreadful things they had endured before they came to Boys and Girls Town.

Last year through the generosity of Missourians, the Boys and Girls Town of Missouri touched the lives of over 4,000 children in our state. Each year Columbia businesses and citizens make donations to the Columbia campus because they believe in the good work the Boys and Girls Town of Missouri is doing. Board members and staff spend countless hours working to empower these children to reach their God-given potential by growing up in a safe environment and preparing them to become responsible adults. I feel blessed to have seen firsthand the success stories and commend the Boys and Girls Town staff, volunteers and supporters for their participation in such a noble program.

To learn more about how you can help the Boys and Girls Town of Missouri, visit their website at http://www.bgtm.org/.

See photos from this event stored in the Photo Gallery.