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Donation Ensures Longevity of Counseling Center, Prompts Name Change

Emily McTavish
/
KSMU

The Ozarks Counseling Center on Tuesday unveiled a new name and logo in honor of Bobby Allison and his mother Betty. The center, which provides counseling for underserved and uninsured residents, is now the Betty and Bobby Allison Ozarks Counseling Center.

Local businessman and philanthropist Bobby Allison donated the funds to pay off the mortgage for the center, located in the Historic Day House on South Avenue.

Executive Director Andrea Bishop says the center had always been renting property in Springfield since it began in 1952.

“It was always a struggle before to find the money every year,” Bishop says. “This kind of support means we’ll be able to treat people for decades. It just ensures our longevity.”

Brittany Hopp, president of the counseling center, says this change will have an immediate impact on the community.

“This gift will allow us to reallocate funds that previously went to rent or mortgage, and that will pay for 94 hours of counseling each month,” Hopp says.

The center operates on a sliding fee scale, meaning no one is turned away regardless of income. There are a total of eight therapy rooms in the Day House, equipped for both adult and child treatment.

Bishop also calls the name change a “living memorial to Betty Allison,” Bobby Allison’s mother.

“We’re very proud to be taking their names as our own,” Bishop says. “From now on, every child that we treat to ease the pain of divorce, to communicate better with their peers, or survive grief will be helped in Mrs. Allison’s name and on her behalf.”

See their website for more details.

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