By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
John Rodgers on Wednesday found information about educational opportunities at the Project Homeless Connect event at Joplin’s Memorial Hall.
“My goal is I want to go back to school,” said Rodgers, 40. “I’m tired of a job. I want a career.”
Rodgers said he has been homeless since losing his job on the night shift at Butterball Turkey Co., in Carthage, where he worked for 4 1/2 years.
“It’s the first time I’ve been put in a situation where I’m homeless,” Rodgers said. “I’m not proud of it.”
He said he has been staying at Souls Harbor.
“It’s a struggle every day,” he said.
‘Great venue’
Wednesday’s event was the third Project Homeless Connect session presented by the Homeless Coalition of Jasper and Newton Counties. Jennifer Pliler, chairwoman of the event, said it brings together agencies and groups in a single location to offer services to homeless people.
Pliler said some people who have been helped at previous events were volunteering to help others on Wednesday. She said about 35 vendors had signed up to participate.
“Our ultimate goal is to allow people to get more stability so they can move to permanent housing,” Pliler said.
Barbie Bilton, executive director of the Joplin Community Clinic, said it was the clinic’s first appearance at Project Homeless Connect.
“We’ve had an awesome response,” Bilton said. “This is really, really where we want to be — helping people who need our services. This is really a great venue for us.”
Bilton said she was surprised by the number of homeless people who weren’t aware of the clinic. She said the event also was convenient, with the clinic just a block away.
“We’re sending them directly to the clinic,” she said.
She said many homeless people don’t seek treatment for ailments until they reach late stages. She said one man arrived with a walnut-sized tumor on his face, and he was sent immediately to the clinic.
Free haircuts offered by Reed’s Barber and Beauty Salon also were popular.
“I think we’ll be pretty tied up today,” said Michael Reed. Also cutting hair were his wife, Tanisha Reed, and his uncle, David Reed.
Michael Reed said they believe it’s better to give than to receive, and anything they can do to help those who are less fortunate benefits society. He said their visitors were grateful.
“It gives us a lot of joy to make a difference in their lives,” he said.
Increased demand
Pete Miller, pantry coordinator for Crosslines Churches, and Kathleen Newberry, coordinator for St. Peter’s Outreach House, said demand for their services has increased dramatically in the past two years. Both services offer food and clothing to families in need, and both had tables at Project Homeless Connect.
A Jan. 27 count of homeless people by the Homeless Coalition found 418 people in shelters, on the streets or in encampments. A January 2009 count found 355 homeless people, and a count in January 2008 found 318 homeless in the two counties.
Linda Dishman and Kathleen Hall were staffing a table for Missouri Adult Education and Literacy.
Dishman, the coordinator, said the agency offers free high-school equivalency classes. She said it also allows people who want to transition to college to take classes to brush up on their math skills.
Hall, the instructor, and Dishman said literacy and education are essential elements in the competitive job market.
Other participants
Other vendors at Project Homeless Connect included St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Legal Aid of Western Missouri, the Social Security Administration, the Missouri Career Center, Ozark Center and the Joplin School District.
