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We Care Fair of Neosho...
The back to school fair was held Saturday, August 1st from 1-5pm. We had planned on serving about 635 students with jeans, coats, shoes and supplies. The success of the fair far exceeded our expectations with well over 1,000 students in attendance! If adults are counted, an estimated 2,000 people attended the fair!
Unfortunately, the supplies and clothing were not enough to meet the demand. Many businesses who were previously unaware of the fair learned about it in the newspaper following the event. Many of them contacted Abundant Life Church afterward and let them know that they were interested in helping financially and physically next year. This is fantastic news. A survey was sent out to those involved in the fair and a meeting will be held later regarding how we might improve next year's fair. Hopefully it will be an even bigger success!
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Joplin Project Homeless Connect!
 The Homeless Coalitions of Jasper and Newton Counties co-hosted their second Joplin Area Project Homeless Connect on Wed., August 12th at Memorial Hall. There were 22 vendors participating in the event.
A total of 128 adults attended during the day. Of those, 73 reported being homeless, 22 were precariously housed, 32 were not homeless and 1 was unknown. Drawings were done throughout the day for door prizes. Many items were available as giveaways to those attending as well.
Some of the services that were available at the event included: medical services, mental health services, substance abuse information and treatment services, housing providers, Head Start, Legal Aid, Social Security Administration, veterans benefits and service providers, and supplies including coats and toiletries.
The event was a success with more families assisted than at the first Project Homeless Connect. We are looking forward to assisting even more people at the next event.
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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 at 417-781-0352, Sally McAffrey at 417-451-2206, Marcia Denny at 417-845-6011 or Sharon Havens at 417-451-2206.
September 9th-
NEOSHO: Budgeting from 8:30-12:30
JOPLIN: Budgeting from 8:00-noon
September 10th-
ANDERSON: Budgeting from 8:30-12:30
September 22nd-
JOPLIN: Budgeting from 1:00-5:00
September 23rd-
NEOSHO: Budgeting from 8:30-12:30
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ESC Blood Drives a Success!
In August, ESC hosted blood drives at four of our locations. A total of 29 pints of blood were collected. We would like to give a big thank you to all who helped with the drive and to everyone who donated.
Those who donated were entered into a drawing to win a free day off. The winners are....
Joplin donation site: Charity Oakes
Neosho donation site: Cindy Powers
Carthage donation site: Joseph DeGonia
Lamar donation site: Wes Barbee
We will be hosting blood drives again in May for Community Action Month, so if you didn't participate this time, we hope you will consider making a donation at that drive!
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The Apple of a Father's Eye
 Many fathers know what it is to have a child that is the "apple of his eye". Head Start father Wilson Padilla is one of those fathers. Wilson lives in Noel, Missouri where he works and raises his family.
"This fantastic dad is a Head Start dad", explains Lisa Fellows, Noel FRS. She goes on to say, "Wilson is a dad who has stepped out and up to make a positive impact of love and a continuing support system for his family, especially his son Emmanuel."
"I watch eagerly from my desk near the front door every morning. Wilson makes his daily appearance with Emmanuel as they continue to Mrs. Cooks classroom. They both seem happy, sharing warm hellos and ready to face the day." Lisa adds, "After Wilson leaves in the morning, like clockwork he returns in the afternoon to help on the playground with his energetic son."
When asked about the best qualities of Emmanuel's dad, Lisa notes, "Wilson displays qualities of fatherhood that other children dream about... devotion and loyalty are two qualities that most readily come to mind. As these qualities are lived out by Wilson on a daily basis, his son, Emmanuel, will be able to impact the lives of those he has contact with."
As we close our focus on Wilson and Emmanuel, Lisa wanted you to know, "It's the little things, like seeds, in our everyday routines, when planted by a father's love and watered by a caring father's attention, that makes all the difference in a young life."
We can plant those seeds of love in the lives of our children. Make a decision to plant "seeds of worth and love" in your children so they grow into the "apple of your eye".
From the Head Start Man to Man News
September 2009 issue |
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Now it's Illegal to Text and Drive
On August 28, 2009, a new Missouri law was put into place that prohibits drivers 21 years of age or younger from sending, reading or writing an electronic message while driving.
"Young people will be forced to at least keep their fingers off their keyboards while they drive," said Leanna Depue, director of Highway Safety at the Missouri Department of Transportation. "The law is a small step toward counteracting some of the distracted driving that causes crashes in Missouri."
According to a recent study by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, distracted driving is the leading cause of traffic crashes in Missouri and nationwide. Eighty percent of crashes involve some form of driver distraction, and teens admit texting is the number one thing that diverts their attention while driving. Half of all teen drivers say they send text messages while driving.
Studies show texting drivers spend up to 400 percent more time with their eyes off the road. "With cars traveling at 70 mph, it is horrifying to realize so many young, inexperienced drivers don't have their eyes on the road," said Depue.
Legislation encouraging these types of laws which ban texting have been encouraged at the federal level with proposals saying states who didn't ban texting could risk losing federal highway funding.
Missouri is the 23rd state to ban texting while driving, but is one of the only nine to single out a particular age group. The fine for texting while driving under Missouri's new law is $200. The bill's sponsor was Senator Ryan McKenna.
MoDOT Press Release
August 26, 2009
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| 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. |
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