Carl Junction Philanthropist is Father Figure to Many

By Heather Reynolds

Richard Housley, or Richie, has been a Carl Junction, Missouri, resident for over 5 years. He moved to Carl Junction from Parsons, Kansas, for the proximity to the amenities of Joplin and nearby cities. Since moving to Carl Junction, Richie has gained a reputation for being a bit of a philanthropist, working with such organizations as Children’s Haven, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and Shop with a Cop. Richie has raised funds, volunteered and donated to these organizations and it doesn’t look like he’ll be stopping any time soon. Over the last several years, Richie has become known as the go-to guy in Carl Junction for anything related to fundraising and helping children.  

“Ten years ago, I would have never imagined doing the things that I do. Like if no one is going to pay me, I’m not going to do it,“ said Richie.

It all began with Adopt-a-Highway. When Richie first moved to Carl Junction, he and his daughter, Mckinlee, picked up trash along the stretch of highway they adopted. From there, they continued to find new ways to help their community.  

“So we started with just the highway, then things just kind of kept going from there,” he said.  

He loves making the time he spends with Mckinlee to be time when they can help others.  

Even though Mckinlee, at age 14, is growing up, she and Richie volunteer together as much as they can. They volunteer with Shop with a Cop each year, taking kids Christmas shopping for $110 worth of goodies.    

“It’s great when I have my daughter with me since I’m just a man by myself. It’s nice to have her there to make the kids more comfortable.  

“She has always been by my side and has never missed a Shop with a Cop event.”    

Richie and Mckinlee have also volunteered at the Independence Zoo in Kansas, where they painted the buildings and Richie was asked to be Santa Claus for Christmas.  

Richie also volunteers with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization that builds beds and gives them to children who might not have them.  

“I volunteer with them and I’ve helped with every bed build event they’ve had. We’re up to about 60 beds now.

“These kids show up with a garbage bag, and that’s their belongings,” he said. “That’s what we’re going to do this year. We’re going to buy some new clothes and shoes to help these poor kids.”  

The love Richie has for children and for families is evident in everything he does for his community. Many people in the area have come to know Richie well. He often receives phone calls and messages from people he doesn’t know, asking him for help or thanking him for something he has done.  

“People will call and text me. I’m like, ‘I don’t know these people,’ or how they got my number.”  

Richie and Mckinlee also help animals in need. In the past, they grew pumpkins and asked the community to buy pumpkins to help raise funds for Joplin Humane Society.  

“We raised $250, then I became hooked on pumpkins, and I started studying how to fight bugs and how to grow different varieties. Then the next year I was ready.”  

During their second year of growing pumpkins, they raised funds for Children’s Haven in Joplin. Children’s Haven is a non-profit organization that helps families by taking care of their children free of charge during a time of crisis when they are unable to care for the children themselves.  

“The next year, we raised $1,000 for Children’s Haven,” Richie said.  

One of the reasons Richie is able to volunteer and give back to his community so much is because of his line of work. He works as a truck driver and operator and is able to have free time during certain weeks for all his volunteer work.

”My teachers always said I wouldn’t be able to make a living looking out a window; now here I am driving a truck, making a living looking out a window.”  

Richie loves being a part of Carl Junction. He has a close connection to his neighbors and to many others. He attends ball games and events for the local kids, cheering them on and giving them support.

“I’m always cheering them on,” Richie said. “When the town is sad, they get sad together, but when they celebrate, they all celebrate together.  

“My neighbors turned into family, but strangers turned into friends.”  

He is like a father to many kids who don’t have one. He once took in a boy for the summer, and he took him to a car show and shopping, and the boy told his friends how Richie was more of a dad to him in one day than anyone has in his whole life.  

Richie supports local kids in the things they do and teaches them things they might not know. He even promises to attend their high school graduations when they finish school.  

One time, Richie bought new basketballs and left them around at the park for kids to find and play with.  

“I was walking around Walmart and I saw these new basketballs, so I bought them and started dropping them off at the parks.”

Richie has an ongoing habit of taking on many projects. He restores bikes people donate to him and he gives them to kids who don’t have bikes. So far, he has rehomed 95 bicycles, including two bikes that were customized for kids with special needs.  

The bikes that are donated to him come from all around. He often receives phone calls and messages from people who want to donate to his cause.

“I’ll have strangers message me and tell me they have a bike for me. I’ll get donations of $300 mountain bikes and all kinds of bikes.”

Although he never pictured this as his future, Richie couldn’t see himself doing anything else with his free time.  

”I’m going to keep on doing what I’m doing. I’ll stay busy.”

Richie plans to continue working with his community and donating his time and money to the people around him. He hopes to spend a lot of his time over the next year working with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and building beds for the children.  

“That’s what we’re going to do next year, we are going to focus our time on building beds for those kids.”

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