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Park Friends Good Samaritan Boys Ranch

Good Samaritan Boys Ranch

Good Samaritan Boys Ranch LogoGroups of young men provided hours of volunteer assistance to the Friends of the Garden during the summer of 2010 on many project throughout the park. They assisted with the development of the Dwarf Conifer and Redbud Gardens plus worked in other gardens that needed maintenance. They plan to return this summer.

Giving a troubled boy the opportunity for a betterlife through personalized treatment and education.

The Good Samaritan Boys Ranch is a long-term treatment facility for boys who have been abandoned, abused, neglected or suffer from complex psychological disorders.

Serving Missouri for over 50 years, the Ranch provides a home, and a loving environment to live, learn and grow.

Good Samaritan Boys Ranch Website

Summer at the Ranch

Tuesday, 23 August 2011 11:58 Written by Julie Conway

Article by Julie Conway

Despite the long, hot days this summer the boys have been keeping busy with a variety of activities to enrich their stay at Good Samaritan Boys Ranch.....

Boys have been volunteering again this summer for Friends of the Garden at Nathanael Greene Park in Springfield. They are spreading mulch and building rock walls in areas including the hosta, azalea, dwarf conifer and flowering shrub gardens. “We consider it an invaluable partnership,” says George Deatz, Friends of the Garden President. “The boys are a great asset and very hard workers. They really help us keep things in shape at the gardens in summer.” The partnership began last summer and a group from the Ranch volunteers each week at the park all season.

Note From George Deatz: Summer at the gardens for the boys ended yesterday when the group finished this season's trips to Close Gardens. After a mornings work, laying stone for the new wedding area in the Dwarf Conifer Garden, the boys were treated to lunch from "Ruby's Sandwich Shop" prepared by Ruby Miller.

Thanks to the young men and staff of Good Samaritan Boys Ranch for their many hours of productive time working in the gardens this season, Ruby and Ed Miller for assisting when asked, Bob Childress for working with the ranch volunteers, and Debra Barnhart, a ranch director, for helping establish this relationship last year. Now it's back to school for the boys!