The mission of Service and Ministry of InterServ..... 

Provide for the basic needs of people; food, shelter, housing, inclusion, access to health care.

Develop comprehensive services to seniors and those who provide for their care.

Help children & youth be successful in school and in life.

Address unmet community needs through collaboration and innovation

In 2018, InterServ remained committed to the organizational goals above. Through the support of generous donors and committed, dedicated volunteers and staff, we have been able to provide vital services to thousands of people in the community and the greater St. Joseph area.  

A major accomplishment from significant contributions of faithfully serving people helped us to build a new InterServ Community Center – which is a gift for our community for generations to come. We were able to move in to our new facility in July 2018 and the former Wesley Center, built by the United Methodist Women in 1926 and served the community well for over 90 years, received a fitting retirement and was razed last October.

In early 2018, after 20 years of service, I announced my retirement to the board of directors, so they could begin that important work of planning for the transition of leadership of the organization. We know that change is good, a part of our lives, and yet it is important to know the aspects about InterServ that won’t change, which is a commitment to the values in the social teaching of the Gospel - those beliefs and values which persevere over time and remain relevant in all seasons.  They will continue to give meaning, energy and guidance to this mission of service and to the work of staff and volunteers in their role as; the compassionate and willing servant, the advocate for the voiceless and convener of the faithful.  And I remain mindful and grateful to you, for the support, prayers and commitment to this mission throughout my time in leadership of this organization.

Through your support InterServ remains a strong human services organization to address the social challenges of our day which impact families and communities and allows us to help families and communities … so that all may live their lives more fully and more capably.

Peace.

+ Let us continue to pray for one another

Sincerely, 

David G. Howery, LCSW

Executive Director

MEALS ON WHEELS BRING OUT THE BEST IN EVERYONE

This voicemail from a Meals on Wheels client was recently received by InterServ during one of our
numerous snow storms this winter.

“I get my meals three times a week and I am just calling, basically, this is supposed to be a very dangerous week regarding this weather. I am concerned about the people getting out in this terrible, terrible weather. I am concerned for their well-being. And I do have some food here. I don’t want them coming out for my sake and endangering their lives.
I guess basically why I am calling is I want you to know that I will be OK if they can’t make it. But, I know that there are some people that just have to have it. Maybe they have nothing at all, not even a cracker and they are going to need their food. But, I am just worried about these guys. I asked my little guy today “Where are your gloves?” Those little hands get cold.
You know they are just really wonderful volunteers. And, I want you to know that I just appreciate this and their efforts.”
Compassion for our fellow human beings exsists on both sides of the delivery bag. Our clients are also compassionate and caring for those who serve them as well.

We are in a new facility

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” Mark 11:24

Dear Friends;
We are now in a new facility, new space - formally named the “InterServ Community Center” at a new address 5400 King Hill Avenue.
With this move comes many changes and many opportunities for us to serve this community. And we remain mindful that this new center is from the dreams and prayers of so many people over the years who have helped this next place become a reality, and home for the next 100 years. It has been that expressed confidence in prayer, as reflected in the Gospel of Mark above, which continues to guide the work of InterServ.
Even with the major changes for us, what remains steady and unchanging is our purpose - creating ways for faithfully serving people to respond to God’s call to serve those in need, especially those with the fewest alternatives in life, “...so that all may live more fully, more capably.”
Your involvement in InterServ as volunteer and donor, in actions and prayers, is vital in addressing the social ills of our day, to lessen the impact those conditions have on the human family. In other words you are answer to prayers which will mentor youth in the after-school program; nurture infant and child in early care centers; give care and comfort to isolated homebound seniors; welcome and be voice for the refugee and immigrant families seeking a better life; provide aid and assurance to families facing crisis.
It is through your acts of compassion that we fulfill InterServ’s Vision of being judged by others as “friend to the poor and vulnerable.” Please drop by the new InterServ Community Center for a visit and tour.
On behalf of the board, staff and persons served we thank you for your support that has given us this new foundation of a building and a steadfast mission. Your generous support helps us address the challenges that people face each day.
And because of you as we reflect on our rich history and in contemplating our future, we remain confident in the knowledge that God’s goodness prevails.

+Let us continue to pray for one another

Peace

David G. Howery, LCSW
Executive Director

Annual Report

         In 2016 InterServ completed a monumental and worthy undertaking, raising $5 million in the “Building InterServ” capital campaign with the help of the community and our loyal donors. We recognized this blessed journey with our interfaith gathering this past October when the ground was blessed, building designs were shown, and close to 10-years of planning, fundraising and prayer had been finalized with work to begin construction of a new InterServ Community Center.
And now as witnessed at the corner of King Hill Avenue and Cherokee Street, we are in the initial construction phase of building the 24,000 square-foot community center which will serve this community with vital services that promote the common good.
But this was not the only facility and programming works that were completed in 2016.
As part of our construction plans it was necessary to relocate two programs. InterServ moved the Free Clothing Store to the 8th Street Drop-In Center – 625 8th Street – and we relocated our Southside Early Care and Education program to a renovated home - 125 Illinois Ave - after being housed at the Wesley Center for more than 90 years.
In regard to addressing the crucial need for affordable decent housing for seniors – the renovation of St. Francis Apartments and King Hill Apartments totaling over 160 units of senior housing were completed, making them viable for the next 25-years.  And, King Hill Addition, 24 units located in the south side, will see their improvements completed in 2017.
And while these improvements and new facilities highlight 2016, we continue to celebrate the ongoing success of an organization that InterServ helped form 14 years ago. Community Missions began with the formulation of a cold weather shelter and resulted in the development of permanent supportive housing resources; St. Joseph’s Haven and Juda House. Today, Community Missions has a separate board, viable funding sources and named a new executive director.
Currently, we are seeing increases of persons experiencing the effects of poverty, a growing percentage of aging in the population, disparities in rich and poor, and prejudice and discrimination. InterServ continues to enhance our supportive services to address and counter those impacted by social ills of our day, just as this mission of service has done for over the past 100 years.
Some enhanced programming in 2016 includes after-school meals for our youth program, slight increase of state funds so we are able to provide a greater and more effective response to families in crisis. New programming includes the acquisition of a home care organization, Crossroads Home Care, which we now manage more clients and the work of InterServ staff to accomplish objectives that better addresses the needs of our workforce, remaining cost-effective in the services we provide.
And we are always mindful of our partnerships in this blessed endeavor, support from United Way of Greater St. Joseph, United Methodist Women, Heartland Presbytery, United Church of Christ and many other faith-based and community organizations that also see the need in our community and look to address those needs.
Each year thousands of people are served.  We as staff, board and volunteers remain grateful and mindful of your support that makes this compassionate response to people in need possible. We also know that the future always holds opportunities and challenges. And now with the start of construction we envision opportunities in a complex where faithfully serving people provide leadership, compassion and examples of the servant and advocate to meet the challenges faced. It is the advocate that calls us to be mindful of and guided by the social teaching of the gospel - and the servant always working in the knowledge that God’s goodness prevails.

Changes for the Better

“Perception is everything” – Pete Chapman – former MWSU Director of Athletics.
This was one of many mantras that Mr. Chapman wanted to instill in every part of Western athletics during his tenure as the lead man. He used this saying as motivation to achieve objectives and goals.
However, in some cases perceptions are skewed. Such is the case I came across at St. Joseph’s Haven.
I first caught a glimpse of him at the ripe age of 14 in 1984. I was a freshman hot-shot playing shortstop for my local high school and he was my opposite number, but a seasoned junior instead of a gangly freshman. When it wasn’t my turn at the plate, I watched him play intently. I gathered up as much visual information as I could from someone that was obviously better than I was.
Over the years we played against each other both in high school and summer ball. We also competed after the school years were over in a local softball league. I always thought he was a good athlete and ball player. He never said a whole lot, but also didn’t come across as someone you would not want to get to talk with at any time.
Fast-forward to October 2016. While working an event at St. Joseph’s Haven, I spotted him again. For the first time in 20 years, the guy that I competed against and watched intently from a distance was here. But why?
I turned to Dee Ann Stamper, assistant at the Haven and posed the question. “What’s (name withheld) doing here?“ She replied,“he got approved last week and moved in.” She then informed me that he has memory issues and what doctors feel are the initial symptoms of Alzheimer’s’ Disease. He has been bouncing around from place to place, not remembering where he was, where he worked, and sometimes what time of day it is.
My heart sunk a bit.
I had always heard the saying “life is fragile,” but didn’t really understand that until watching him get in line for food at the Haven. Again, as I did 20 years ago, I found myself watching him, this time from a homeless shelter. I could have walked up to him, slapped him on the back and said “Hello.” But, would he remember me? Would he know that we competed on the same field? Would he even care?
The perception of those with mental illness and or disabilities varies from person to person. Those who work in those fields, such as our caregivers at CMC, know how mental illness and disabilities can affect people and work on a daily basis to provide supportive services for them. But for someone like me, who only knows how it affects me personally, needs an education on mental illness and the disabled and how sometimes it renders them homeless.
To start the learning process, sometimes you need your heart to sink a little bit to really understand. It happened to me.
Brett King

Thank You!

Thank you for making 2016 yet another remarkable year for The InterServ Foundation! This past June marked a decade of nonprofit service for The Foundation. Our loyal and dedicated staff has done an incredible job at expanding our outreach while strengthening our relationships with donors and volunteers.

Once again, you have helped us to assure funding for InterServ and Community Missions Corporation. This year, we are well on our way to providing $541,000 in support for the people who rely on InterServ and CMC every month, for help with meeting their own basic needs and providing for their families. To date, among the many accomplishments enjoyed by The Foundation are:

• Food Drives in schools, businesses, and churches that have allowed us to put food on the tables of more than 2,800 households;

• Procuring donations that have helped feed nearly 300 seniors more than 33,000 meals in their homes and at our congregate meals sites;

• Grants and contracts that allow more than 200 seniors and persons with disabilities the luxury of aging gracefully in the homes of their own choosing;

• Corporate sponsorships that allowed 800 youths to play in summer basketball and volleyballs leagues that support a youth program that offers recreational activities, mentoring and tutoring for nearly 200 school-aged children and youths;

• Special events and donations that permit early care and educational programming for more than 200 young children, regardless of their ability to pay, setting them up to enjoy success in school and in life;

• Support for volunteers of all ages, in their pursuit of giving back to a community that has been good to them by helping others to live better lives;

• Support to a mid-town campus that provides a home to formerly chronically homeless men and a 3-month winter shelter to those who remain on the streets.

And all of this while in the midst of a multi-million dollar capital campaign to build a new community center! We are truly blessed.

Our goal is to be financially earnest while increasing our impact in the community. You truly make this possible! The InterServ Foundation is stronger than ever due to our continually-expanding list of friends who come together to donate time, resources, and talent in support of our important mission. Our Board is hard at work, building relationships with donors and assuring that the assets of InterServ are working for us.

Thank you for being a part of The InterServ Foundation’s mission of support. We are eternally grateful for everything you do that makes our mission a reality!

From the Capital Campaign

I am happy to announce the InterServ Capital Campaign has reached 80% of its $5,000,000 goal. This is a significant threshold and the Campaign Committee is very grateful for all the support it has received from the community. The Committee and the InterServ Foundation staff continue to explore and seek out other sources of funding for the new building complex.

In early January, we were elated to learn the campaign had been awarded $250,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program Tax Credits. Qualifying donors will receive a 50% Missouri Income Tax Credit. In addition, you may be entitled to a charitable contribution deduction on your federal and state tax returns.

A sample of how the Tax Credits work has been included in this newsletter. Anyone interested in the Tax Credits should contact either Bridget Supple, or Brett King, at the Foundation office, as soon as possible, since they are only available as long as they last.

Although we have made great progress in the campaign, we still have a steep road ahead of us in raising another $1,000,000 to achieve our goal. Therefore, we are asking for everyone to please consider a gift to the campaign, or provide us with any prospects. Gifts can be made payable over several years and through various payment options.

InterServ has long served the needs of the community and has been an anchor for the South Side. It is our hope to conclude the campaign by June 30. But, we need your help. If you have not already made a contribution, please consider one. Through your generosity, we will be able to build a better future for the community, as well as strengthening and sustaining our services to the South Side.

Over the last 107 years, InterServ has always been there for us, now is the time for us to be there for InterServ.

Joe K. Houts
Building InterServ Capital Campaign chair

This season of thanksgiving, extending over the next two months, is busy and rewarding for InterServ. We witness people, in word and deed – through their workplace, places of worship, schools and in their homes – radiate the definition of community as a gathering of people who care about one another.

One could say that from those expressions of goodwill and generosity that we can better carry out the work of the organization to effectively address difficult social issues; hunger, homelessness, isolation, discrimination, poverty. Yet your sharing that supports InterServ is about the compassion of faithfully serving people extending hope, connectedness and sense of community to those in need, especially to those facing hardships, distress or brokenness or as the Old Testament defines, as the caring for the widow, the orphan and the stranger.

Whether in volunteering or contributions, you are important to the mission of InterServ because of the caring and compassion that you make visible in our community through our service centers, in neighborhoods, in homes. The In-Sight newsletter provides opportunities to be a part of this holiday season and it gives wonderful examples of what your compassion looks like to the elderly and homebound senior, to the latchkey youth, to the young child in early care & education centers, to families seeking assistance with basic needs.

We are grateful for the gift that God has given us through Christ and the social teaching of the Gospel that shape and guide our work. And on behalf of the board of directors, staff, volunteers and those served, we give thanks for your support in word and deed in this blessed and holy season knowing that God’s love and compassion comes through each of us.

Angel Tree Brightens Christmas for Seniors

Six months ago she didn’t expect to make it to Christmas.  Yet, her name is one of those on our senior angel tree list this year.  He is has an extremely low income, and no family around to care for him.  Both of these people will have a little nicer Christmas this year, because they are on InterServ’s Senior Angel Tree.  We have approximately 30 more seniors to be adopted. 

Each year, InterServ helps its senior services clients who are in special need, due to low income or lack of family support, to have a better Christmas than they might otherwise have.  You can help by calling Laurie Piper at 816-238-4511 Ext. 129 or e-mail lpiper@inter-serv.org. 

As you begin to think about Christmas shopping, think about helping a senior on our angel tree list.

United Way Time!

InterServ staff and volunteers have been pounding the pavement at local United Way rallies held by businesses and corporations around the area recently.
The support that United Way gives InterServ is vital to our programming. As the largest recipient of UW funding, InterServ gladly promotes the UW campaign to raise a little over $3 million to support the 18 agencies and its 6 initiatives.
Please support the local United Way! The campaign runs through the end of October!

InterServ announces Building InterServ

$5 million capital campaign to replace wesley center

 

 

St. Joseph, Mo. _ After many years of exploration, information gathering and prayer, The InterServ
Foundation, in support of Interfaith Community Services, Inc., has announced a goal of $5 million to build a new health and wellness center in south St. Joseph.

The “Building InterServ” capital campaign was approved by both the InterServ Board of Directors and The InterServ Foundation Board of Directors during the summer of 2014 and a capital campaign committee was formed. This committee is chaired by Mr. Joseph K. Houts, Jr. and co-chaired by Mrs. Joyce Edwards.
 

The focus of the five-year plan is to secure funding to erect a new community center in support of

InterServ’s faithful commitment to our community that began in 1909. All campaign funding will support new construction at the corner of Cherokee and King Hill Avenue that will replace the Wesley Center and allow InterServ to continue operations in St. Joseph for another 100 years.
 

Through the combined efforts of leadership at both InterServ and The InterServ Foundation, $1,694,745 of the $5 million goal has been raised with total commitment by both InterServ boards, its administration and staff.

Ellison-Auxier Architects, Inc. will be the design firm for the project. Preliminary work on the design has been started and will continue over the next year, providing for a new gymnasium, commons area, fitness/weightroom, kitchen and food pantry.

 

For more information concerning “Building InterServ” contact The InterServ Foundation at (816) 238-4511, ext. 222 or at www.theinterservfoundation.org.

Mindful of and grateful for your compassion

Imagine having to choose between feeding your children or replacing the shoes they just grew out of. Imagine having to work late, knowing that your 9 year old will come home from school to an empty house, no dinner, and an evening alone in a neighborhood that’s a little rough. Now imagine that it’s Christmas. There’s no tree. And, even if there were, there’s no money for gifts to go under it. That a 9 year old is home every day for 2 weeks with very little food in the house and no heat, because the gas was disconnected in November.

Throughout its one hundred five year history, InterServ has relied on its partnerships with people of faith, services clubs, schools and businesses—its donors and volunteers—to assure that any person who needs help is able to get help. Each year, the generosity of thousands of people helps thousands of people in need to meet their own basic needs and to be fed—body, mind and spirit. As volunteers and donors, you are present and available, through InterServ, for youth who need guidance and supervision; families whose children need care so that parents can work during the day; elderly persons, as they age gracefully in their own homes; immigrants searching for a better life for themselves and their families; and people facing homelessness and hunger due to financial crises.

In this season of faithful reflection, we remain mindful of and grateful for your compassion and support and the enormous difference it makes in the lives of people who turn to InterServ for assistance. Your kindness allows us, as a community, to respond in a way that reflects the social teaching of the Gospel, bringing awareness of a loving and compassionate God in all seasons.  Thank you.

“Through the sharing of God’s love, we seek out and assist those in need, so that all may live their lives more fully and more capably.”

Peace and joy,

 

Dave Howery

The Lessons of Leaves

Bridget Supple - The InterServ Foundation.

 

Reflecting back on the year, one thing that always strikes me is the number of loyal and steadfast supporters we have lost. Many were unexpected — sudden illness or accident — but just as many can be attributed to the cycle of life, finding the inevitable end of its path for many who believed in supporting the organizations that help other people.

Walking through my neighborhood recently, enjoying the last of the warmer weather and trying to judge how long the leaves still had before they were piles to rake, it occurred to me that we, as social workers, volunteers and donors who support the work of InterServ, often expect of humankind what we cannot and should not expect of anyone or anything. We want permanence, finality, an end to having to raise money for "the cause," an end to helping people dig out of messes, an end to human suffering, an end to everything we do. But, as we learn every year from the autumn leaves, that just isn’t nature’s way. The world does not trade in permanence, but in perpetual rebirth and renewal.

Nowhere is the circle of life more evident than it is in the ranks of volunteers and donors. InterServ and its Foundation are full of "servants." People — like you — who know how to make things happen. People who make sure that people who turn to InterServ in times of need get what they need and then some — a shoulder on which to cry; a kind word; a reassuring touch; a smile that tells them that it will be okay — maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually.

The people of InterServ — volunteer, employee and donor — don’t do the things they do for their own glory. They do their jobs — paid or unpaid — every day for someone else. They may not know who that "someone" is yet, but they know, without a doubt, that there will be a "someone" who needs their help. Their hearts are the hearts of servants, the hearts of caregivers. Their hearts know that what today brings will end and tomorrow will bring something else — a problem, a blessing, something.

This year, as every year, we have lost several of our most loyal and devoted "InterServants." As we reflect on them and their support of InterServ, our memories take us back to others we have known through this mission of faith and service. People we have lost in that never-ending circle of life. People who have shown us what it means to, truly, care for humankind. And in our reflections, we remember the legacy that each of those lost have left. Whether it was simply the example of caring for people by delivering meals or regular donations to support the mission of InterServ, memorials requested to InterServ or an estate gift upon death, each person who has cared about InterServ has left a mark on the hearts and lives of those touched by InterServ.

We are grateful to those who have passed through this mission of faith and service, for caring about InterServ and the work that InterServ does. And we are grateful to you for what you do for InterServ every day. What will your legacy be? You are writing your legacy in our hearts every single day. Thank you for your support.

Devoted donors for InterServ

When money gets tight or harder to find, it becomes much more important to plan how to continue to accomplish our mission. And that is exactly what the staff and board at InterServ have been discussing, in much more specific terms than we have in the past—“How will we continue to serve people in need in our community if available funds continue to decrease?”

As a nonprofit that has been particularly responsive to the needs of people as well as receptive to requests from other nonprofits, churches, government, etc., to “do something” about whatever problem has arisen at any given time, InterServ has made itself vulnerable to the “mood swings” of the economy. Fortunately, you and donors like you have made us strong enough to provide resources needed to address almost any emergency situation in the community. One way in which you have done that is to rise to the occasion—when InterServ puts out a call for volunteers, you come, in droves; when we need funding to help people displaced by flooding, you provide it; and when we ask for prayers to keep our staff and volunteers strong, you pray. But one way in which our donors and volunteers have kept us strong is something that we haven’t talked much about up to now.

Over the last year or so, a number of our very devoted donors and volunteers have passed away. In several instances, just as we became accustomed to not seeing or hearing from one of them, we received a letter, letting us know that this loyal servant had included us in his or her estate plan. It is an awe-inspiring and emotional occurrence, receiving that letter. It reminds us, every time, that we are here on earth for such a short while. When we are gone, the things about which we cared, so dearly, may still exist, but will be less without our support.

And so it goes with InterServ. We will continue to feed people. To care for children. To make sure that the youth of our community stay on the right path. To help families to help themselves. To assist the elderly and the infirmed in living where they want to live. And, thanks to the thoughtfulness and planning of the many people who remembered to name InterServ as beneficiaries in their wills, InterServ is stronger and more resilient to the financial highs and lows that so often damage nonprofits. The mission lives on.

Simply naming InterServ in your estate plan leaves behind not only a legacy of love and caring, but an answer to the question, “How will we continue to serve people in need?” Your legacy of love and caring for your neighbors is one of the most important gifts that you will ever give. InterServ promises, in return, to use your gift wisely, to help those most vulnerable among us to live their lives more fully and more capably.

We thank you for your partnership and support, but mostly we thank you for making life better for others.

A Full-Circle Connection

“…The service you provided to daddy during the recovery from his traumatic head injury brought full-circle the connection that we cherished with the “Wesley House” during our childhood and later years.  Daddy coached numerous teams of young boys and girls through baseball, softball, and basketball at Wesley House in league play.”

This excerpt is from a note we received recently from the family of one of our senior services clients.  We believe it demonstrates the interconnectedness that InterServ programming has had in the St. Joseph community for years.  Comprehensive services for seniors, families, children and youth help provide for the basic needs to people every day.   If you or a loved one is looking for ways to avoid nursing home placement, give InterServ Senior Services a call today at 232-8080 inside St. Joseph, or toll free 1-800-794-0007.

Volunteers with a vested interest

Dateline - June 30th, 2013
Place - Griffon Indoor Sports Complex
Scene - Closing of the 2013 National Youth Weightlifting Championships.

Not ten minutes after the final lift was performed at the 2013 National Youth Weightlifting Championships at MWSU did youth director Dennis Snethen get the joking question from a coach of a different team.

"When are you going to do this again?," he asked.

Dennis had been answering that question for most of the weekend due to the events success. Many parents of the lifters had been very impressed with the facility, set-up and logistics that had taken place that weekend with some of them finding Dennis and giving him good reviews.

But after getting the repeat question from that coach after the event, his answer was always the same and always started with the acknowledgment of a certain group of people.

"Let me tell you," Dennis said, "I couldn't have done this without our volunteers."

True that.

Through the years, Wesley Weightlifting parents and volunteers have had a vested interest in how the team performs and through those performances, how the young people who go through the program are shaped, molded and grow to become good citizens.

And to some of them it is more than a vested interest, it is something that they love to do and they love to do it for Dennis, his wife Becky, and all of the Wesley Weightlifters who have come and gone.

Sure, we could find their names and list them all here with their particular job descriptions they had over the weekend event - but some of them probably wouldn't care. Sure, I could tell you that they had volunteer meetings in each of the prior six months to the event to get organized - but that is just what they do. And, sure, I could tell you that I had personal interaction with at least five people (of over 30 volunteers) that had spent half the day Thursday and three 14-hour days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the event - but they probably didn't keep track.

And maybe one of these days Dennis will be approached by the USAW to host another of these national events that hosts over 350 lifters in a 3-day span.

And knowing Dennis, his first response will be "Sure, let me get my volunteers."

To all who have a vested interest in InterServ and helped with that event, InterServ thanks you!

Being Poor

I have to admit that I am addicted to blog-reading. One of my favorite things to do when I find myself with a few spare minutes is to open one of my regular blogs or search out a new one on a topic with which I am besotted at that particular time. There is something about reading another person's story that attracts me, as a member of the social service community, as a curious snooper, as a human being. Call it curiosity, call it prurience, call it eavesdropping, snooping, rubbernecking--I read blogs to assuage some curiosity I have about the lives of others--the human condition, as it were. And, every now and then, I come across a blogger whose writing or story--or both--touches that emotional part of me that, as one with very deep-running still waters, needs to be touched from time to time in order for me to feel human.

And so it was, as I typed the words "What does it mean to be poor?" into Google one day, in preparation for a presentation I was scheduled to do, that I came across a blog entry entitled "Being Poor," on a blog called "Whatever: They Were a Lifetime Together." Anticipating that it would be more of the same old research-based information that I had already come across, I almost passed it up. Then, something made me click the link. Soon, I was in tears, reading through a laundry list of things that just say "poor." I recognized myself in many of them and old friends and clients in others. In each, I saw a reality that many of us live or have lived each day. The shame of being poor; the reality of being poor; the tragedy of being poor in a country where so many have so much and so many have so little.

I share this with you in the hopes that you will find it as touching and thought-provoking as did I. I share this with you as an insight into why I do what I do for a living. I see a world where no one ever has to know what it feels like to be able to precisely and exactly define what it means to be poor.

Being poor is the problem and people like you--and I--are the answers. InterServ, and those like it, are simply the intermediaries. Only the passion and resources--time, money, talent--that you and I bring to the table will solve the problem. Thank you for ALL that YOU do to help end the tragedy of poverty.

from http://whatever.scalzi.com/2005/09/03/being-poor/

Being Poor

September 3, 2005 By John Scalzi

Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.

Being poor is getting angry at your kids for asking for all the crap they see on TV.

Being poor is having to keep buying $800 cars because they’re what you can afford, and then having the cars break down on you, because there’s not an $800 car in America that’s worth a damn.

Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.

Being poor is knowing your kid goes to friends’ houses but never has friends over to yours.

Being poor is going to the restroom before you get in the school lunch line so your friends will be ahead of you and won’t hear you say “I get free lunch” when you get to the cashier.

Being poor is living next to the freeway.

Being poor is coming back to the car with your children in the back seat, clutching that box of Raisin Bran you just bought and trying to think of a way to make the kids understand that the box has to last.

Being poor is wondering if your well-off sibling is lying when he says he doesn’t mind when you ask for help.

Being poor is off-brand toys.

Being poor is a heater in only one room of the house.

Being poor is knowing you can’t leave $5 on the coffee table when your friends are around.

Being poor is hoping your kids don’t have a growth spurt.

Being poor is stealing meat from the store, frying it up before your mom gets home and then telling her she doesn’t have make dinner tonight because you’re not hungry anyway.

Being poor is Goodwill underwear.

Being poor is not enough space for everyone who lives with you.

Being poor is feeling the glued soles tear off your supermarket shoes when you run around the playground.

Being poor is your kid’s school being the one with the 15-year-old textbooks and no air conditioning.

Being poor is thinking $8 an hour is a really good deal.

Being poor is relying on people who don’t give a damn about you.

Being poor is an overnight shift under florescent lights.

Being poor is finding the letter your mom wrote to your dad, begging him for the child support.

Being poor is a bathtub you have to empty into the toilet.

Being poor is stopping the car to take a lamp from a stranger’s trash.

Being poor is making lunch for your kid when a cockroach skitters over the bread, and you looking over to see if your kid saw.

Being poor is believing a GED actually makes a goddamned difference.

Being poor is people angry at you just for walking around in the mall.

Being poor is not taking the job because you can’t find someone you trust to watch your kids.

Being poor is the police busting into the apartment right next to yours.

Being poor is not talking to that girl because she’ll probably just laugh at your clothes.

Being poor is hoping you’ll be invited for dinner.

Being poor is a sidewalk with lots of brown glass on it.

Being poor is people thinking they know something about you by the way you talk.

Being poor is needing that 35-cent raise.

Being poor is your kid’s teacher assuming you don’t have any books in your home.

Being poor is six dollars short on the utility bill and no way to close the gap.

Being poor is crying when you drop the mac and cheese on the floor.

Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you’re not actually stupid.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you’re not actually lazy.

Being poor is a six-hour wait in an emergency room with a sick child asleep on your lap.

Being poor is never buying anything someone else hasn’t bought first.

Being poor is picking the 10 cent ramen instead of the 12 cent ramen because that’s two extra packages for every dollar.

Being poor is having to live with choices you didn’t know you made when you were 14 years old.

Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful.

Being poor is knowing you’re being judged.

Being poor is a box of crayons and a $1 coloring book from a community center Santa.

Being poor is checking the coin return slot of every soda machine you go by.

Being poor is deciding that it’s all right to base a relationship on shelter.

Being poor is knowing you really shouldn’t spend that buck on a Lotto ticket.

Being poor is hoping the register lady will spot you the dime.

Being poor is feeling helpless when your child makes the same mistakes you did, and won’t listen to you beg them against doing so.

Being poor is a cough that doesn’t go away.

Being poor is making sure you don’t spill on the couch, just in case you have to give it back before the lease is up.

Being poor is a $200 paycheck advance from a company that takes $250 when the paycheck comes in.

Being poor is four years of night classes for an Associates of Art degree.

Being poor is a lumpy futon bed.

Being poor is knowing where the shelter is.

Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.

Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.

Being poor is seeing how few options you have.

Being poor is running in place.

Being poor is people wondering why you didn’t leave.

 

What is it worth?

With much of the weekend soaked with cold and rain, the usual golf day (and probably season) was postponed, leaving the entertainment options scarce. Thus, I decided to head out with my girlfriend on one of her usual Saturday trips around the area to estate sale, garage sales and other sales in which people want to rid themselves of their personal belongings.

On this trip, we saw albums from the early 70’s and 80’s for sale, rusted tools, weed trimmers, books (tons of books), toys, dolls; you name it, it was probably for sale in the greater St. Joseph area on Saturday and Sunday.

At this particular estate sale it was fairly obvious that the person who owned the house was a senior citizen since most every item at the sale looked like it had been there quiet sometime. There were the above mentioned record albums from the 70’s, old-style silverware, tools that nobody uses anymore; you get the picture. And since I didn’t see any elderly people at the sale, I assumed that they had either passed away or were unable to live alone and were in a health facility for the elderly.

Going around the house I saw one item for sale that was questionable at best – in my opinion; it was a brand-new, right-out-of-the-box, state-of-the-art, never-been-used wheelchair. Price Tag? $100.

I stared at it quizzically, wondering a couple of different things - How much does a new one cost from a manufacturer?; Would someone actually purchase one at an estate sale? - Who came up with the price of $10? After going through these scenarios, the lasting question that I still have today is – How much was that wheelchair worth?

According to the person running the estate sale, it was worth $100 to them, but what about the lone senior struggling to get around in their own home or in public? What about those sons or daughters who have aging parents that need this piece of equipment to help their parents get around better but can’t afford it? What about the caregiver who sees seniors bedridden or unable to get around on a daily basis, knowing that if they could come up with this wheelchair that they could make more of a difference to one of their clients?

In leaving the sale, I had met with the folks running it, explained to them that I worked for InterServ and if they didn’t get the $100 they thought the wheelchair was worth at the time, and if they still had it, they could donate it to InterServ and we would find that senior, son or daughter, care-giver, who would think these pieces of aluminum, plastic and rubber were priceless at best.

Everyone Can Give

At first glance, the Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, located between Frederick Avenue and Faraon Avenue in St. Joseph, looks like any other correctional facility of its kind - brick, barbed-wire fencing at many different levels, metal detectors, visitor’s pass – you get the idea.

Wednesday afternoon was the first time I had ever visited a facility of this type. Oh yeah, I had driven by the correctional facilities in Cameron and Jefferson City a few times, but I had never stepped foot inside of one. So when InterServ received a call last week from the recreational director at the WRDCC and she stated that the “Restorative Justice” group had raised some money and wanted to give it to InterServ, I didn’t think anything of it really. I thought it would be a bunch of administrators who had formed a group, got the “tenants” of this facility to do a fundraiser and give the money to a local group for the good of humanity and I was to have a little talk about InterServ, accept the check and head back to my desk.

That was before the door opened up that led us through the “common area” from one building to the other – through a small mass of inmates that were heading in the same direction. What before was an uneventful Wednesday, became much more interesting as my attention to detail became keener even though it was explained to me that I would be among a group who were “close to getting out” and that there wouldn’t be a problem. My anxiety, and possibly stereotypical response, towards this situation was all for not as I learned more about the people in the group and addressed them about InterServ. I explained what we do, and how the money that they generously donated to InterServ would help a number of people. Everyone in the group was fixed on what I was saying. They were hungry to know that the funds they raised were helping people, especially the elderly people that InterServ interacts on a daily basis. They had seen television stories and read about the need to help seniors during the summer months due to heat and hunger issues.

I sat through the rest of their meeting, taking an obligatory “check presentation” picture at the end, shook hands with everyone and left them with a sense of camaraderie that I hadn’t felt in a while. The folks who live in this facility are just that – folks. Sure the majority of them had done something that they probably have regretted at one time or another to get in there, but they are folks, just like you and me, who at some point in their life felt that giving to others was more important than receiving.

The State of Missouri calls this “restorative justice” and to some extent it is a successful program fit for this type of facility, but to me it just seemed like people caring for the well-being of others, even if some are behind a bunch of barbed-wire.

Check out the Missouri Restorative Justice Coalition at http://associations.missouristate.edu/morjc.

Olympic Fever at InterServ

Youth Director Dennis Snethen shares his views on the upcoming Olympic Games in London. http://suddenlinkfyi.com/2012/07/20/wwybw-st-joseph-mo/