93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Officials from Columbia’s Rainbow House are praising the Veterans United Foundation for its $1-million gift to the facility, saying they plan to expand services and to remodel the current building on Towne drive.
Rainbow House development director Richie Vanskike notes the Rainbow House has a children’s emergency shelter and a child advocacy center (CAC) that serves children and families in 11 mid-Missouri counties.
“And we could not be more appreciative to Veterans United Foundation for providing an unbelievable first step that will enable Rainbow House to continue in its mission to keep mid-Missouri kids safe, and to enhance the lives in the communities we serve,” Vanskike says.
The CAC works to make makes children and families feel safe during their visit to the facility. A child is brought to the Rainbow House when it’s believed abuse has occurred. The child speaks with a trained interviewer. The facility opened in 1986.
Mr. Vanskike tells 939 the Eagle that the Rainbow House has a children’s emergency shelter, which provides a safe and loving home for children in crisis.
“In the children’s emergency shelter, this will provide a significant expansion because we now have one wing where all of the rooms are. This will provide a second wing, and we can have a boys and a girls wing,” says Vanskike.
When children need a safe place to live during a family crisis or after experiencing abuse or neglect in the home, the emergency shelter can provide a safe haven for children from birth to 18. Vanskike also praises Kathy Hughes, who started the Rainbow House in 1986.
