Before Great Circle set up an operation in Columbia, people in the community trying to help local abused and neglected children were near the end of their ropes. Mariel Liggett, the chair of the board of directors in Columbia, remembers how The Front Door, a home for troubled kids in the area, was running short on funds and seeing more severe cases coming in. The facility was so overwhelmed, the boys’ house was on the verge of being shut down.

Instead of closing its doors, The Front Door merged with Great Circle, then known as Boys and Girls Town. Liggett says the organization promised to bring effectiveness and professionalism to their cause and support the unsupported youth of Columbia.

“To this day, they have kept their promise and even more,” she says.

Rebranding a legacy

Great Circle was founded in 1949 by Lt. Bill James, who was inspired to give back to the community through his experiences in World War II. He decided to contribute by opening a residential facility in St. James, Mo., for boys with behavioral issues or troubles with the law. Then it was simply called Boys Town. When the organization became co-ed in 1989, the name was changed to Boys and Girls Town of Missouri.

During those 40 years in between, the organization was expanding. Two new centers in St. Louis and Springfield opened in 1988 and 1989, respectively. The merger with The Front Door in Columbia in 2001 made the reach of the organization even greater.

Then in 2009, Boys and Girls Town merged with Edgewood Children’s Center in St. Louis and officially became Great Circle. Susan Reeves, the regional director of advancement for Great Circle, says that because the program had expanded not only in size but also in terms of services and who received them, a name change made sense.

“We changed the name to Great Circle to be more reflective of who we truly are,” she says.

The change wasn’t widely known right away, Reeves says, because the organization was more focused on developing services and organizing programs for the kids. Now that the merger is complete, Reeves says she is hoping to get the word out about Great Circle to Columbians.

Columbia board member Randy Boehm says the organization was often confused with the Boys and Girls Club in the past, and he thinks the new name will ease that confusion and help name recognition in the future.

“Hopefully a few years from now when people say Great Circle, everyone will know what that is,” he says.

A commitment to the cause

Columbia’s residential campus is off Bearfield Road and currently houses 52 abused and neglected boys and girls. In addition to the campus, Great Circle also provides services to the parents of these children when applicable as well as to foster kids and parents. Reeves says one of the things she wants people to know most about Great Circle is that the organization goes way beyond campus services.

Some of these services include one of the only residential programs in the state specifically for autistic children and an outpatient program in which kids with less severe behavioral problems can go to the campus and receive group and individual therapy for themselves and their families.

Great Circle receives some funding from the state, but Reeves says more financial support is always needed and appreciated. Two of the organization’s biggest fundraisers are its Golf Classic for Kids, which will take place at the Columbia Country Club on Sept. 20, and Diamond Night at the Tiger Hotel on Nov. 7. Diamond Night is a gala event that features a live auction and drawing for pieces donated by local jewelers. Reeves says Great Circle uses the symbol of a diamond to signify its “commitment to the relationship with the kids.”

Mariel Liggett says commitment is apparent when alumni return to visit the Great Circle campus.

“It’s neat when they come back with kids,” Liggett says. “You know those kids will never be neglected or abused.”

Board Member Quotes

– Mary Ropp: “I did because I know how badly the kids need someone to stick with them. As a board member, the kids don’t know me, but I know them, and I know that I am not going to leave them.”

– John Rentschler: “There is a need to spread the word on the way the organization touches lives, the lives of children who are in need of help due to no fault of their own.”

– Dave Baugher: “For years Great Circle has operated perhaps a little below the radar for most people in Boone County. I’d love to see it gain the recognition it deserves as a tremendous asset to Columbia and Boone County.”

– Mariel Liggett: “Great Circle has been simply awesome in keeping every promise it made to us when it took over the program and in helping our community’s neglected and abused kids get a second chance at living life as it was intended.”

– Randy Boehm: “My most recent proud moment was attending the graduation ceremony on campus for 10 high school graduates. What a compliment to the staff that 10 of their ‘kids’ now have high school diplomas.”

– Ryan Bross: “The issues faced by the kids at Great Circle are so foreign from my own experiences growing up, and it has really given me perspective.”

– Scott Swain: “These kids need help, and oftentimes their age group gets overlooked.  Great Circle fills a very important role.”

– Alfredo Mubarah: “It’s very easy to help Great Circle; just ask how to help! They need a little bit of everything: gardeners, housekeepers, nannies, accountants, lawyers, fundraisers and event planners. There is something for everyone and for any amount of time you would like to donate.”

– Wendy Swetz: “I got involved with Great Circle’s first Diamond Night. I fell in love with the program and the kids. I wanted to dedicate my time to this fantastic organization.”

– Kelli Winarski: “There are many great causes to support in Columbia. Unlike many of those, the kids at Great Circle don’t go home at the end of the day. They need more support than many realize, and government funding doesn’t begin to touch their needs.”