May 08, 2008 07:36 pm
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By Mike Pound
Globe columnist
mpound@joplinglobe.com
Not long ago, Tony Atkins, director of Turnaround Ranch, was in Jefferson City for some meetings when a familiar voice called out his name.
The voice belonged to a young woman who some years earlier had been a client at Turnaround Ranch. The woman was in Jefferson City to give a speech. She had gone into social work. She had, in effect, turned her life around. It was a chance meeting that had Tony on cloud nine for quite a while.
See, that’s what Turnaround Ranch does. It, as Ozark Center CEO Paula Baker says, “gives kid a chance.”
Under the direction of Ozark Center, Turnaround Ranch has been working to give kids a chance since 1981. Most of the kids who go to the ranch are victims of some sort of physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse or neglect. In any given year, about 70 to 75 kids will pass through Turnaround Ranch. The average stay is six to nine months, although some kids, depending on their situation, may stay longer. While at the ranch, the children — who range in age from 10 to nearly 18 — attend school and take part in extensive therapy. The program is designed to bring structure to the lives of teenagers who likely have never had much structure.
On Wednesday, I spent part of the afternoon talking to some Carl Junction High School kids who soon will take part in the Destination Imagination Global Finals in Knoxville, Tenn. I know the parents of some of the kids, so I knew that, for the most part, the kids had been dealt a pretty good hand, life-wise. On Thursday, I spent part of the morning talking to Paula and Tony about the kids at Turnaround Ranch. Most of the kids there weren’t dealt such a good hand. The goal of the dedicated staff at Turnaround Ranch, I figure, is to try and reshuffle the deck and deal those kids a better hand, which is a pretty noble goal.
Jerrod Hogan is a member of the 2008 Leadership Joplin class. Jerrod, who also was at the ranch Thursday morning, said the 37 members of the class, which is sponsored by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, picked Turnaround Ranch as the recipient of their fund-raising project. Each year, the leadership group is asked to select a not-for-profit group for which to raise funds.
Jerrod told me that his class split up into six groups. Each group selected an organization, researched it and made a presentation to try to persuade the entire class to select the origination. Once the presentations were made, the class members voted for organization they deemed most deserving. Thirty-five out of 37 class members voted for Turnaround Ranch.
“That’s how strongly we believe in what they are doing out here,” Jerrod said.
The Leadership Joplin class put together a two-step plan to benefit Turnaround Ranch. The first thing the class members did was schedule two work days at the ranch. On two Saturdays in a row, the leadership folks showed up early and painted two entire dormitories. The chamber class provided all the materials, supplies and, of course, the labor.
Paula said as much as she appreciated the efforts of Jerrod and his classmates, she thinks the most important thing they did was to interact with the kids at the ranch while they worked.
“The were role models for the kids,” Paula said.
See, some of the kids at the ranch haven’t seen much in the way of positive role models.
The second step of the group’s fund-raising effort is a little more ambitious.
The Leadership Joplin class, with some major help from the people at the Route 66 Carousel Park, 3500 W. Seventh St., is sponsoring a Go-Kart Stampede on Tuesday at the Carousel Park. The 37 class members, who will take part in the race, have been out selling sponsorships and tickets to the stampede. The goal is to raise $25,000 that will go toward much-needed renovations at Turnaround Ranch.
Tickets to the stampede, which gets under way at 5:30 p.m., are $5 and $10. With the $10 ticket, you get a hot dog, chips and a drink, plus access to the rides at the park. The $5 ticket gets you the hot dog, chips and drink. Tickets are available from any Leadership Joplin member or at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, 320 E. Fourth St.
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