The "I CAN... Help My Child Be Healthy" is a health literacy program which was developed by the UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Health Care Institute. I CAN was designed to give parents a hands-on health care training which enables them to care for common childhood ailments at home, thus saving Medicaid millions of dollars each year.
ESC's Head Start program has gotten involved in the program in an effort to help our Head Start children become healthier, miss fewer days of school, improve school readiness outcomes and make their transition to school better as healthy and happy kids!
So far, ESC has recruited 35 Early Head Start families and 55 Head Start families for the program! Several local buisnesses are also jumping in to help with the program by making donations and sponsoring I CAN events.
We will be holding an "I CAN... Help My Child Be Healthy" Conference for 100 parents on May 7th, 2009. The evening conference will be held at Butcher's Block Banquet Center. At the conference, parent participants will receive the book What to Do When Your Child Gets Sick along with a tote bag full of products and other information. Many participants will also leave the event with great prizes and giveaways!
For more information about the event, please contact Nolan Head at 417-781-0352 ext. 221.
It's Picnic Time!
It is time once again for ESC's 5th Annual All-Staff Picnic! The event will be held May 21st at Landreth Park in Joplin and will include fun, games, raffles and great food!
The picnic is a fun-filled day of recognition for our employees. It is mandatory for all staff to attend, so be sure to mark your calendar. Watch for more information in upcoming weeks.
Life Skills Classes Available...
ESC's Life Skills Training continues to be successful and the Community Development division is excited to offer several more opportunities to join the class this month.
These classes help clients with skills such as budgeting, conserving energy and finding employment. Anyone can attend the trainings, but those wishing to attend must enroll in advance by contacting one of the following staff members: Joanna Watson, 417-781-0352 Sally McAffrey, 417-781-0352 Marcia Denny, 417-845-6011 Sharon Havens, 417-451-2206.
April 2nd-
ANDERSON: Budgeting from 9:00-1:00
April 8th-
NEOSHO: Budgeting from 10:00-2:00
April 9th-
JOPLIN: Food & Energy Savings from 8:30-12:30
April 15th-
JOPLIN: Budgeting from 8:30-12:30
April 21st-
JOPLIN: Budgeting from 1:00-5:00
April 23rd-
ANDERSON: Food & Energy Savings from 1:00-5:00
April 29th-
JOPLIN: Energy Savings from 1:00-3:00
JOPLIN: Food Savings from 3:00-5:00
Energy Assistance Wraps Up!
We are wrapping up our Winter Energy Assistance Program. This has been our biggest year to date having processed 6669 applications so far. The program operates from October 1st to March 31st to help our clients maintain their primary heating source. We are no longer handing out Energy Assistance applications at any of our outreach offices. However, we will continue to process applications which are hand delivered or received through the mail until April 14, 2009.
We would like to say thank you to all the staff members who helped to make this such a successful program year!
Project Help Applications Available
ESC is still accepting applications for Project Help. The program was created to meet the emergency energy-related expenses of the elderly and/or disabled residents in Empire District Electric Company's service area. For many of these people, protection against extreme heat or cold can be a matter of life or death.
ESC determines when an emergency need exists and will administers the use of available funds to meet those needs. To be eligible, applicants must be an Empire customer, be 55 years of age or older and/or be disabled. Complete eligibilty guidelines and an application can be found online at www.escswa.org
Donation Drive for Joplin Animals
ESC is hosting a donation drive to benefit the Joplin Humane Society Shelter. The shelter is in need of many supplies which help make life a little more comfortable for the animals sheltered there. Your contribution could also give them a better chance at being adopted.
Items needed include: Pet food, cleaning supplies, old towels and blankets, cat litter, bleach, toys, leashes, office supplies and cash contributions.
You can make a real difference in the lives of these animals and at little or no expense to you! Please bring your donations to Room 207 on the second floor of ESC's Central Office. Donations will be accepted through the end of April.
Housing Receives Funding
ESC has been notified of renewed funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care grants. Both the Shelter Plus Care, Rental Assistance Program and the Chronically Homeless programs were granted renewal funding for the upcoming year.
These programs help us to find permanent housing for homeless individuals with a disability. The funding will enable us to continue serving 24 households over the next twelve months in the program. In the past, we have been able to maintain permanent housing for the clients for 7 months or more.
Is there anything interesting going on in your department that you would like to share with our staff, board members and supporters? To have your information included in an upcoming issue of News from ESC, please contact Andrea Osiek at aosiek@escswa.org.
Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area (ESC) is a private non-profit Community Action Agency, which was created in October 1965 to serve the needs of low-income individuals and families. The mission of the agency is "to help families currently caught in poverty to find a way out, and to work in our communities to prevent the conditions of poverty from affecting future generations."
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