UPDATE: September 27, 2:11 p.m. CT
Willy said Rainbow House will accept donations from the public to support Child Advocacy Center services, and that enough donations could potentially "resurrect" the shelter side of the organization.
"I will say community support has been very overwhelming, and it's been very nice to see," Willy said. "It gives us a lot more hope. This community is pretty great."
PREVIOUSLY:
Rainbow House, a mid-Missouri children’s emergency shelter and advocacy center, is closing its shelter operations.
The organization made the announcement Wednesday. According to its website, the Rainbow House shelter temporarily houses children who are in foster care or homeless, and assists parents needing placement for their children during a crisis.
In news release, Rainbow House said it was "placed in a financially unsustainable position," following "high-level decisions" made outside of guidelines approved by its Board of Directors.
The organization's Child Advocacy Center services will remain open.
Rainbow House Board President Tyler Willy said several staff members will be impacted, but he does not have an exact number of expected layoffs. Rainbow House had previously expected to hire some of its former employees at the expanded facility, Willy said.
There are currently no families staying overnight at the shelter, so the closure will not leave anyone without a place to stay. Families will be able to access the shelter during the day through Monday.
Willy acknowledged that the closure presents a lapse in services, but said he hopes maintaining the Child Advocacy Center will “minimize that as much as possible.”
Little Dixie Construction takes over
To address its "financial distress," Rainbow House said it signed over the shelter property to Little Dixie Construction, the company tasked with building a multi-million dollar expansion to the shelter.
Rainbow House was in the process of completing a new wing that would double the shelter’s capacity from 18 to 36 children. The public campaign for the $2.6 million expansion, dubbed “Rebuild Our Rainbow,” had raised a total of $1.2 million. The Veterans United Foundation donated $1.1 million in 2021.
John States, a managing partner at Little Dixie Construction, told KOMU that much of the decision-making behind the closure stemmed from financial troubles around the expansion project. An LLC comprised of Little Dixie Construction members ultimately took control.
“During the construction project, they had missed several progress payments, so we had to take action,” States said. “We were able to acquire the facility and pay all of the contracts and complete the project.”
States told KOMU that they plan to sell the property.
Save the Rainbow House
Community members are already mobilizing to support the shelter with the "Save the Rainbow House" Facebook group. The group is gathering support and donations to bring the shelter back into business.
Nichol Gottman is an organizer of the group and said the call to action among family and friends was immediate.
"Just knowing what happens to these kids and how much help they need, we immediately felt like we had to do something right away to spread the word," Gottman said. "Maybe we could help save this place."
Through the Facebook group, she wants to organize residents and allow them to hear the stories of people whose lives the shelter has impacted.
"It gets people more involved, because they understand the dire need of this place," Gottman said. She has helped organize tables at Rainbow House events and donates Christmas presents to the shelter every year.
Gottman said she hopes that an outpouring of donations and advocacy will allow Rainbow House to continue helping families across mid-Missouri.
