By Voices Affiliate Mary Ropp (co-written by Hilary Ropp) – She Came, She Spoke, They Did It!

Not long ago, I asked Mariel Liggett to speak at our Voices Spotlight on Leadership Luncheon in November.

Mariel is a managing owner with Williams Keepers and a well-known and respected woman in the community. Mariel’s original answer to my invitation was, “But I’m not a public speaker,” – to which I responded, “That’s perfectly fine. Just be yourself.” I had hoped she would share her wisdom and expertise; what I did not know and could not have predicted was how much of an inspiration she would really be.

Mariel is an avid volunteer. One of her passions is Boys and Girls Town, an organization that provides residential care and treatment to children who have been removed from their homes due to some form of abuse. She wove this part of her life into her talk in November, as she was an integral part of the founding of Boys of Girls Town in Columbia, and truly inspired one of her listeners. Dr. Kelli Winarski, a chiropractor in Columbia, was that listener. As Mariel mentioned that Christmas was a particularly difficult time around the campus of Boys and Girls Town, Dr. Winarski had an idea.

She, together with her husband and their office staff, decided to hold a toy drive for these children to give them the Christmas they deserved. They asked Boys and Girls Town to give them a list of presents created by the children and were able to make every one of their dreams come true. Dr. Winarski then delivered the presents dressed in her Santa hat, with a personalized tag for each child. The staff of Boys and Girls Town spent Christmas morning with the children and later reported that it was the best Christmas they ever had on this campus.

I wanted to share this heart-warming story because we often do not understand how our actions, or our words, can impact those around us. Mariel Liggett, who was reluctant at first, came to speak at our luncheon about her business endeavors and her position in the community. We all had hoped we could learn a little something from it. However, it was her volunteer service at Boys and Girls Town that made the most difference. From mere words she was able to inspire Dr. Winarski and her staff to change the lives and especially the holidays for the most vulnerable members of our community. Their Christmas morning is not spent with family, not with loving parents and grandparents, not surrounded by mountains of presents and decorations, but for once, because of these two women it was full of joy and love.

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