ESC Annual Report 2019

Poverty Solutions
VISION: A thriving community of neighbors
that is free from poverty
MISSION: To provide comprehensive services that instill
hope and share opportunities to eliminate the conditions
of poverty and help neighbors achieve self-sufficiency
Community Action changes people’s lives,
embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities
and makes America a better place to live. We care about
the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping
people help themselves and each other.
This project/program is funded 25% at $1,024.75 by federal funds and 75% at
$3,074.25 by other governmental sources for a total amount of $4,099.00. The federal
funds are received from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division.
Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area
(ESC), a Community Action Agency, is part of
America’s Poverty Fightning Network, a 1,000 member
Community Action Partnership. ESC modernized and
refreshed their strategic plan for 2018-2021. Their
goal is a thriving community of neighbors that is free
from poverty in Barton, Jasper, Newton and McDonald
counties in Southwest Missouri.
Our professional Community Action staff has offered
hope, opportunity and local community growth for
54 years. Economic Security Corporation mobilizes a
multitude of community and family strategies designed
to instill hope, share opportunities to eliminate the
conditions of poverty and help neighbors achieve selfsufficiency,
as well as innovative approaches to solving
poverty in Southwest Missouri communities.
Economic Security Corporation’s Community Action
professionals are trusted by our local communities. ESC’s
Strategic Plan addresses the Board’s Goals: Children
are ready for school, Families are ready to engage, the
Agency is ready to support and the Community is ready
to Invest. This emphasizes our agency’s responsibility
in ensuring we have the resources necessary to address
these local conditions.
Instilling Hope through Opportunities
in our Neighborhoods
We will offer insight into Economic Security Corporation’s
current undertaking to provide resolution to poverty that
families and our local communities are experiencing.
Our agency works hard utilizing continuous quality
improvement processes to analyze, evaluate, plan,
implement and gather data in order to bring about
changes that will then affect the many causes and
conditions of poverty. Individuals and families that live
in our local communities have improved their quality of
life. As can be seen in the 2018 census data, 3 of our 4
counties have seen a reduction in poverty.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
President’s Message .....2
Board of Directors ......3
CEO’s Message .........4
Local Theory of Change ..5
Children are Ready
for School ..........6
Families are Ready
to Engage .........16
The Agency is Ready
to Support ........28
The Community is Ready
to Invest. ..........32
Funding Resources .....40
Locations & Contact
Information ........41
1

A Message from Our President
Board of Directors
Henry Lopez, ESC Board President
Promise Kept! This was a whirlwind year of Early Head Start
Child Care Partnership achievements. We celebrated this past
September, after adding ten new Southwest Missouri Child Care
centers, finishing up at our newest location, the John C. Joines
Midtown Head Start and Early Head Start center in Joplin. It has
been a tough year as well, the loss of ESC’s Women’s Health
Clinic in May was a difficult decision to make after providing
Family Planning for over 40 years. During that time we were
proud to provide well women annuals to over 30,000 women.
We are, however, extremely pleased that The Community Clinic is
continuing to serve uninsured women in Southwest Missouri.
Economic Security Corporation (ESC) is
governed by up to twenty-four members on
the Board of Directors. At least one-third
of the board is comprised of community
members who are currently living on
lower incomes. These seats provide our
customers with direct voices in shaping
Economic Security Corporation’s policies,
programs and governance to reflect low
income needs. One-third of the Board
must be local elected officials and the
remaining members are part of the public
interest groups. These representatives give
freely of their time to further the impact,
and assure the effectiveness of Economic
Security Corporation’s vision, mission
and goals. We applaud them for their
dedication to improving living conditions
for our low-income families and developing
independence in our communities.
Henry Lopez
President
Our Board was tasked with ESC’s Strategic Planning process this
past year. It was a great inclusive process that utilized the Results
Oriented Management and Accountability principles. Everyone was excited to introduce a new mission, vision
statement and ESC’s Theory of Change to navigate our agency for the next 3 years.
We were awarded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 32 mainstream vouchers to help
families and persons with a disability become housed. Reducing homelessness in Southwest Missouri. Working
with the City of Joplin and Vecino Group we were able to bring 20 more housing units to the Joplin area. These
will help with seniors and to re-house homeless Veterans. Weatherization has been able to complete energy
retro-fits to over 70 homes in Southwest Missouri. Home Repair has been able to update and make safe over 20
homes in Southwest Missouri for mainly seniors, allowing them to continue to live in their own homes.
Chandler Edward
Head Start Liaison
Darieus Adams
Karen Buckman
Paula Carsel
Becky Crane
Cleo Crosby
Community Development has been very busy this year. Over 421 households were able to maintain heat this
past winter and be cool in the summer. We guided 226 families toward their Family Self-Sufficiency goals
resulting in over 43% of these families increasing their overall household income. We provided permanent
housing to over 51 households, resulting in safe and stable housing, kept 13 at-risk youth attending high school
with the goal of achieving their high school diploma. We received a new grant “Skill-up” from the State of
Missouri, Department of Social Services to provide services to families receiving SNAP or Temporary Assistance
to lead them out of Poverty.
Joe Crosthwait
Commissioner
Mike Davis
Randy Evans
Doris Fast
David Halloway
Jim Jackson
Head Start and Early Head Start received a new grant award from Missouri Department of Natural Resources to
provide resilient playground surface materials in two locations. Watching the children play on this new and safe
playground was very gratifying.
Kevin Johnson
Melissa Kennon
Bethany Knoll
Phillip Knott
Melissa Lance
Chester Neel
Thanks to everyone this year that supported Economic Security Corporation and the Board of Directors.
Henry Lopez
ESC Board President
Yanet Pacheco
Irwin Stanscheit
Jenny Sullivan
Nikki Tappana
Joy Williams
Thomas Wilson
2
3

From Our Chief Executive Officer
A Year In Review
It is once again the time of year to share with our funding sources, our
board members, our community partners, our staff and all other interested
parties information about the undertakings of Economic Security
Corporation of Southwest Area (ESC). And, it is truly my pleasure to say
thank you to all of those who have helped us to ensure that we meet our
mission of “working within our communities to alleviate the conditions of
poverty and provide individuals and families with opportunities that will
enable them to achieve economic security.”
Let’s Talk Finances
The state of our agency remains strong. Funding resources for 10/1/17
through 9/30/18 totaled $18,522,968. ESC operates some 38 different
programs utilizing approximately 40 funding sources.
Of Particular Interest
Although the number of programs we administer is large, of particular
interest has been the implementation of our new Early Head Start Child
Care Partnership (CCP) grant, our United States Housing and Urban
Development Grant designed to construct 20 apartments to provide permanent housing for homeless veterans and seniors
with disabilities, and our purchase of 13 new school buses to transport Early Head Start children. In addition, it appears
that this year will result in additional funds to continue to provide services to even more individuals and families in need.
A Message Previously Stated
A few years ago I wrote to you about a book that I read by Pulitzer Prize winning author David K. Shipler, titled “The
Working Poor.” What he had to say was so important that I want to share with you, again, the way Mr. Shipler characterized
a typical slip into poverty.
For practically every family the ingredients of poverty are part financial and part psychological, part personal and
societal, part past and part present. Every problem magnifies the impact of the others, and are so tightly interlocked
that one reversal can produce a chain reaction with results far distant from the original cause. A run-down apartment
can exacerbate a child’s asthma, which leads to a call for an ambulance, which generates a medical bill that cannot
be paid, which ruins a credit record, which hikes the interest rate on an auto loan, which forces the purchase of an
unreliable used car, which jeopardizes a mother’s punctuality at work, which limits her promotions and earning capacity,
which confines her to poor housing. If she or any other impoverished working parent added up all of her individual
problems, the whole would be equal to more than the sum of its parts. It isn’t that individuals want to be in poverty, it
isn’t that people are lazy; rather, it is that problems are interlocking.
As Mr. Shipler says, a job alone is not enough. Medical insurance alone is not enough. Good housing alone is not enough.
Reliable transportation, careful family budgeting, effective parenting, effective schooling is not enough when each is
achieved in isolation from the rest. There is no single variable that can be altered to help working people move away from
the edge of poverty. Only where the full array of assistance is taken into consideration can America fulfill its promise.
Summary
In addition to the new programs I outlined above, I am happy to report that ESC received increases this past year in virtually
every program that it administers on behalf of low-income individuals and families. It is with boundless gratitude that we
commend our legislators at the state and Federal levels for their understanding and willingness to help those less fortunate
and those unable to help themselves.
Economic Security Corporation
Local Theory of Change
BROAD AGENCY GOALS:
Children
are ready
for school
SERVICES/
STRATEGIES:
Families
are ready
to engage
FAMILY
• Increased engagement
child development
• Increased engagement
in community
• Sufficient income to
support needs
• Insured and equipped with
medical payment options
The agency is
ready
to support
OUTCOMES:
AGENCY
• Increased knowledge
of agency programs
internally and externally
• Higher employee wages
• Increased flexible
funding
• Established
communication
strategy
Early Head Start
Head Start
Asset Development
Rental Assistance
Housing Assistance
Employment Assistance
Case Management
Utility Assistance
Agency Capacity Building
The community
is ready
to invest
COMMUNITY
• Increased reliable
transportation options
• Increased affordable/
quality childcare options
• More living wage
employment
opportunities
• Additional safe, healthy,
affordable, energyefficient
housing units
Resource Development
Communication Strategy
Poverty Simulations
Weatherization
Home Repair
Housing Development
Job Creation
Leadership
Training
We look forward to continuing to provide innovative, as well as time tested, programs that will meet our client’s needs.
John Joines, CCAP
Chief Executive Officer
4
COMMUNITY
ACTION CORE
PRINCIPLES
PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT
5

Children are Ready for School
HEAD START/
EARLY HEAD START
Children from lower income families can have many
barriers to school readiness. In the Head Start and
Early Head Start programs, children and families
receive child development education, family support,
health, dental, mental health & nutrition services
and transportation. Early Head Start serves prenatal
women and children ages 0-3 years old. Each family
is assigned a home visitor who provides weekly, biweekly,
or monthly home visits, based on the program
option the family has chosen. Children are assessed
in all areas of development and growth. All services
are provided in conjunction with the child’s parents.
Early Head Start also offers free or reduced fee full-day
childcare opportunities for parents who are working
and/or going to school full-time.
individualized information and experiences to assist
the child’s growth and the parent’s competence
and confidence in their understanding of child
development and the five essential early learning
domains: Language, Cognitive, Approaches,
Social-Emotional and Physical.
ESC’s Early Head Start Center-Based
2017/2018 Final School Readiness Results
that we have assessed children specifically on
mathematics.
The focus for the current program year is on
genuine conversations with infants and toddlers to
increase their use and understanding of language.
The Head Start and Early
Head Start’s Effort to Prepare
Children for Kindergarten
School readiness goals mean the expectations
of children’s status and progress across domains
of language and literacy development, cognition
and general knowledge, approaches to learning,
physical well-being and motor development,
and social and emotional development that
will improve their readiness for kindergarten.
Economic Security Corporation Head Start and
Early Head Start assesses children at regular
intervals throughout the year. The data is then
aggregated to analyze results and make informed
decisions regarding adjustments to individual
child, classroom and program strategies.
Mathematics , 82%
Literacy , 91%
Social-Emotional, 91%
Physical, 98%
Early Head Start Home-Based School Readiness Results
Cognitive , 98%
Language , 89%
Results of the Early Head Start School Readiness
Assessment for the 2017/2018 program
year in the home-based option show
that over 90% of the children enrolled
maintained or increased their rate
of development to that of age
expected level or above. These
6
results exceed our target goal of seeing 90%
of children performing at age expected level or
above in each of the EHS developmental domains.
In the home-based option, we continue to
support parents as their child’s first and most
important teacher through weekly visits, sharing
Results of the final Early Head Start school
readiness assessment for the 2017/2018 school
year shows that at least 90% of the infants,
toddlers, and twos enrolled in our center-based
option meet or exceed widely held expectations
for their age in 4 of the 6 domains.
There were 2 domains where the infants, toddlers,
and twos fell below our 90% goal. The overall
language results show that 89% of the children
meet or exceed widely held expectations and
the overall mathematics results show that 82%
of the children meet or exceed the widely held
expectations.
This is the first assessment that was completed
using TEACHING STRATEGIES Gold. In addition,
this is the first time language results have been
reported separate from literacy and the first time
Exploring the Environment
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL SKILLS:
Emily had a great time exploring the boxes
made for play, trying things that might fit in
the holes, exploring with her brother, and
MAKING NEW FRIENDS!
7

Children are Ready for School
This 2017-2018 school year began with implementing
Teaching Strategies (TS) Gold to its fullest! We purchased
Creative Curriculum Kits and TS Gold Online to capture
school readiness in a natural setting/environment…
our classrooms! The scores above reflect children who
met and/or exceeded widely held expectations based
on research and child development. To gain further
clarification, we brought in a professional Creative
Curriculum-TS Gold trainer to train our staff on the
assessment process. We learned typically in the 1st
year of using TS Gold School Readiness Assessment
teachers tend to assess higher. Since training, 91%
of our teaching staff have achieved Interrater Reliable
Certification and the remainder will be certified by the
8
Head Start School Readiness Summary 2017-2018
2017-2018 Creative Curriculum Teaching - Strategies GOLD
School Readiness
SE PHY LAN COG LIT MATH
FALL 2017 42% 40% 42% 38% 42% 35%
WINTER 73% 83% 77% 79% 84% 73%
SPRING 2018 90% 99% 89% 90% 86% 84%
We are Trusted in our Community.
end of the year! In addition, we have purchased TS
Gold Plus Digital Curriculum for all our teachers, which
will be a huge help and time saver in data collection.
It is our hope and program goal for all our children to
be ready for school. We want to see 90% or more of
all children going on to Kindergarten achieving 90% or
higher academically in each domain. We made it in the
domains of Social Emotional, Physical and Cognitive
falling only 1% below in Language! We feel the
lower scores of the other domains reflect adjustments
teachers made in their data collection due to the
effects of the TS Gold training and are optimistic for
the upcoming year.
Head Start has been very beneficial to our family. In the four months that Brooklyn has been
going to Head Start we have seen her come a long ways. With the help from Head Start we
were able to get her potty-trained in two weeks. Brooklyn has also learned letters, numbers,
colors, shapes, and she is continuing to learn how to share and have compassion for her friends.
Head Start encourages children to be more independent and we have been able to see that at
home also. We have incorporated the family style dinner at home which helped us with more
family time.
Brooklyn has also learned how to make friends and be more social. She has learned to use her words
when needed in a situation to express her feelings. We as a family have been involved in the Head
Start program as well, which helps us have a greater family bond. We attend the systemic training for
effective parenting or STEP meetings and any other events that are available. Thank you!
Children are Ready to Learn,
Families are Ready to Engage and
the Community Invests!
This is a great example of how we help children get
ready to learn. Preschool transitions are hard for
families, and it can be even harder if the children are
really attached to mom. At the beginning of the Head
Start school year, ESC had a 3-year-old child that was
having a difficult time detaching from mom. She was
a stay at home mom so the child was always with her.
On the first day of school the child did not want to get
on the bus and when mom brought him in, he cried and
then she would take him back home. This happened
for three consecutive days. We knew we would need
to do something different, so we met with mom and
let her know that we could figure out something that
would be successful for her and the child, making for
a smoother transition plan. We explained to her that
she could bring him to school, eat breakfast with him,
then he could stay at school for thirty minutes, and
then come and pick him up. Next step, we extended
Making a Difference in our Lives.
My name is Katelyn Collins and I want to tell you about ESC’s Early
Head Start and the difference this is making in our lives. My son
attends Lamar’s Early Head Start (EHS), it gives him a way to socialize
with other kids. Early Head Start has helped me by giving me the
opportunity to continue my education and Early Head Start has
even offered me a job when I turn 18. It’s such a great program! The
teachers and everyone are there for you no matter what is going on
in your life. They are such supportive people, I’m truly blessed to
have them in my son’s life and mine.
The STEP parenting classes are a great thing that this EHS offers. I love
learning all kinds of new things and I love learning about conscious
discipline. I love being able to get together with other parents from
EHS and Head Start and learn different parenting styles. I want to learn the best ways to raise my son
and they offer a lot of resources for me.
Without this program, I wouldn’t be able to finish high school and even start college. These people
and this program are something that I put all of my trust into. I trust that they will care for my child
while I am away, I trust them to make the right decisions for the classroom to keep everyone safe,
and I trust them to protect my child while I am away. This program has never made me question
putting my trust in them, not once.
the time from thirty minutes to an hour. We continued
adding time till the child was able to stay the whole
day. We did this transition plan for one week, and then
the next week he was riding the bus and completing
the school day. Mom was so happy and proud.
Head Start’s focus is on children, family and community.
For this family the next step was engagement. During
a Head Start home visit, ESC was setting family goals.
Mom mentioned she wanted to find a morning job,
but needed to be at home in the afternoons when
her children were out of school. But mom wanted to
work, what could we do to help her with these goals?
We were able to encourage her employment goal
which lead to her applying for three different jobs.
She then was able to interview and then she got a job
working morning shifts. She was still able to spend the
afternoon with her children. In addition, she has time
to attend Head Start parent activities and all
of this makes her family very happy! Our
community invested in this mother by
offering her a chance to work and still
be available for her family.
9

Children are Ready for School
Head Start Strong, Sherri Rhuems, Alumni Head Start Parent
All three of my children attended Head Start when they were young. I was a single mother of three and
like many young moms, I clearly had no idea what I was doing. My parents divorced when I was 9 and life
from that point on was quite turbulent. I was required to have an overwhelming amount of responsibility
as a child and although being responsible and having a good work ethic were great qualities I needed
more resources to raise children.
I don’t recall how I learned about the program, but I do remember attending workshops and volunteering
at Head Start. Consults with the Head Start teachers were provided to assist me with parenting advice
and ways to prepare my children for kindergarten. So as my children were learning, I was too.
Head Start provided an assortment of assessments to gauge the children’s development and as a result
of those assessments we discovered my oldest had a significant hearing loss. Through the program we
were able to have access to opportunities the kids and I might not have known about. I also utilized the
program as a resource for child care. At one point I was working 12 hour shifts from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., I
remember the two oldest children being picked up in the morning, they were fed breakfast and would
return home after lunch. This gave me a few hours to lay down with my youngest child and get a couple
of hours sleep before doing it all again the next day. Once I figured out I couldn’t keep doing that forever,
I enrolled in college. I leveraged the Head Start resources with state assisted child care in order to have
full-time quality training and child care for
my children while I attended college and
worked part-time.
Currently, I am the Executive Director of
the Workforce Investment Board of SW
MO. Part of my job is interacting with
the multiple partners in our seven-county
region including community agencies and
state and local government. Through
these partnerships we are able to identify
our strengths and weaknesses within our
organizations in order to coordinate service
for the clients we serve. Our organization
works with Economic Security Corporation’s
Head Start programs by working together
to leverage resources for the clients we
serve. We also provide the linkage for Child
Care Development training for some of our clients that have eventually become Head Start staff. I’m
fortunate to be able to assist in creating effective programs for individuals with barriers to employment.
I’m motivated by helping others find success in accomplishing their goals.
My children have become amazing adults with children of their own. After High School they all three
received training through either a Community College, Trade School or University and are successful
business owners in the community. I’m very proud of the adults they have become, but more
importantly I’m proud of how they are raising my grandchildren.
I would recommend Head Start for any child that has the opportunity. The program provides
families with early childhood education, parenting, nutrition and health resources to prepare
for a better future.
Economic Security Corporation can help resolve
some of these issues through outreach, intake,
assessment and referrals to organizations who can
stretch Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) or by assisting families’ access SNAP.
Two of ESC’s Counties have some significant food
insecurities noted:
• Barton County has 24.49% of their children under
the age of 18 report being food insecure.
• In McDonald County over 24.51% of their children
under the age of 18 report being food insecure.
Nutrition Experiences
ESC’s Head Start and Early Head Start receive funding
for meals and snacks through the United States
Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Food
Program. This program supports the nutritious foods we
serve during meals. Nutrition experiences take place in
the Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms every
third Thursday, we have a book of approved nutrition
Our Head Start Family has Always Been
There with Open Arms
When asked about her experience with the ESC’s Head Start
program, Tiffany replied,
“We started our journey with ESC’s Head Start around five
years ago with my oldest son Jasper, who is now 7 and in
second grade! My daughter Roxanne who is 6 and currently
in Kindergarten went to Head Start and Turner who is one
is currently in Early Head Start! Since the beginning, we’ve
experienced many obstacles in our lives. With each of these
obstacles our Head Start family has always been there with
open arms and no judgment whatsoever!! I hope to be able to become a part of the Head Start family
in the near future and to be able to help parents like myself be able to overcome the toughest of
obstacles and take life by the horns and improve their relationships with their children! I believe that
Head Start has helped me become a better parent and learn how to communicate with my children
better! I want to thank each and everyone at ESC’s Anderson Head Start and Early Head Start who
has come into our lives I appreciate each and everyone of you!”
FOOD & NUTRITION
Southwest
Missourians Southwest SNAP
Benefits Missourians Southwest (annually) SNAP
Benefits Missourians (annually) SNAP
$44,762,463
Benefits (annually)
$44,762,463
$44,762,463
SW Missouri Households receive SNAP Benefits
10 11
13,751
13,751
13,751
SW Missouri Households receive SNAP Benefits
SW Missouri Households receive SNAP Benefits
$277
$277
$277
SW Missouri average monthly SNAP Benefit
SW Missouri average monthly SNAP Benefit
SW Missouri average monthly SNAP Benefit

Children are Ready for School
experiences and staff can request other ideas or recipes.
Nutrition experiences must be low in salt, sugar and fat.
ESC’s Head Start and Early Head Start are Missouri Eat
Smart certified. These guidelines are a set of nutritional
recommendations for child care facilities and schools to
improve the health of Missouri’s children.
Economic Security Corporation can help resolve some
of these issues through outreach, intake, assessment
and referrals to organizations who can stretch
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or
by assisting families’ access SNAP.
Two of ESC’s Counties have some
significant food insecurities noted:
Barton County has 24.49%
of their children under the age of
18 report being food insecure.
In McDonald County over
24.51% of their children
under the age of 18
report being food insecure.
there was a “sharing table” that the children could take
from, items usually provided: half pints of milk, yogurt,
fresh fruit and vegetables.
Head Start and Early Head Start nutrition experiences
introduces new colors, textures, flavors and cultures that
children may not get to experience at home. Pictured
below are children at ESC’s Head Start in Lamar trying
a new recipe, taco soup. The thumbs up is the way the
kids always approve a new dish.
Summer
Food Program
Summer Food Service Program
New this year selected locations of Head Start and
Early Head Start Centers received the United States
Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service
Program (SFSP). Our agency felt it was important for
children to continue to receive nutritious meals when
school is not in session. When school is out, Summer
Food Service provides free meals to kids and teens
in low-income areas. This past summer, we had three
Head Start locations open every Monday, Wednesday
and Friday from June 4th to July 20th to serve any low
income child a nutritious meal. We had one location in
McDonald County, Anderson Head Start, and
two locations in Jasper County, Carthage
Head Start and North Joplin Head Start.
We were open for 20 days and served
512 meals to low income children. Children receiving
meals were always encouraged to take seconds and
Breakfast
with Dads
12 13

Children are Ready for School
HEAD START AND EARLY
HEAD START‘S MEDICAL
AND DENTAL SERVICES
Children in Head Start and Early Head Start receive
many preventative health services. When children
are healthy they are ready to learn. First, we ensure
each family has a medical and dental home within their
local community. If follow-up needs are identified,
HS/EHS works to ensure the family has no barriers to
obtaining those follow-up services. The charts below
show the results of medical and dental services for
Early Head Start (EHS), Head Start (HS) and Child Care
Partnerships (CCP).
Because a healthy child is more likely to succeed
academically, Head Start and Early Head Start
(HS/EHS) ensures prenatal women and children
receive preventative medical and dental care. HS/
EHS conducts several health screenings within the
program, such as hearing & vision, health & nutrition,
and oral health screenings.
Children who are up-to-date
on their health care and Health
immunization schedules Care Immunizations
Early Head Start 100% 100%
Head Start 100% 100%
Child Care Partnerships 100% 100%
Dental Exams
EHS EHS-CCP
Number of children with
ongoing access to dental care 98% 98%
Dental Treatment
Percent of Head Start children
with ongoing access to dental care 100%
Percent of Head Start children
needing dental treatment 21%
Percent who received dental treatment 90%
Working with the Community
for One Child’s Health
This is how ESC’s Head Start provides comprehensive services.
In this example, the child had severe dental issues. Our Head
Start worked within the community to arrange for prompt care
for the child.
ESC’s Early Head Start staff, Marine Crejudo was working with Ms.
Maryli Gallardo-Gamino through our prenatal mom home visitor
program and Ms. Samantha Nunez in her Early Head Start (EHS)
home base program and we had Gema Nunez in Noel Head
Start. The family was really struggling with dental care for Gema,
when they found out their rent was increasing. Ms. Crejudo
helped locate and direct the family to a new affordable place
to live in Southwest City. ESC helped get Gema to Springfield’s
Jordan Valley Dental Clinic to get Gema an evaluation. Jordan
Valley gave them a dental work estimate. This is when ESC’s
Head Start started working on figuring out with the family how
to get the financial support for this important dental treatment.
What we didn’t know at the beginning was Gema did not qualify
for Missouri Medicaid and the family had no other insurance.
The family was struggling to come up with the $1,500 for
her treatment. We reached out to our Head Start Health
Coordinator, who felt this was important to the child’s
wellness, so she reached out the Head Start Director to see
if we could help with this much needed healthcare. ESC’s
Head Start was able to assist with some financial funds.
When we explained to Maryli that we were going to be able
to pay for her treatment, she cried because she knew how
much pain Gema was experiencing with her teeth in their
current condition. ESC contacted Jordan Valley and made
the financial arrangements. Our timing couldn’t have been
any better. When we called them, they had just received a call from someone that had canceled their
appointment. They said Gema could have that appointment, then she could have her surgery next
week. ESC’s Head Start was able to take Gema and her mom to get a required physical done the next
day, we faxed it to Jordan Valley, and the surgery was scheduled. The family moved over the weekend
and Gema had her surgery the next Tuesday. Maryli said ”Thank you for helping my little girl feel
better and making the pain go away so she smiles again.”
Head Start helped two children in the McDonald County Area pay for extensive dental treatments.
One of Head Start and Early Head Start’s program goals is that “children are ready to learn.”
It is difficult to do that when you are suffering from cavities and mouth pain every single
day. With the help of Head Start we were able to repair over 36 cavities. These children
can now fully participate in classroom activities and savor the delicious food that we
prepare out of our centers.
14 15

Families are Ready to Engage
Our neighbors living in our communities deserve quality
jobs and education which provide economic stability.
Our agency can navigate our neighbors through a mix
of available community and agency resources which
leads to an improved wellness.
CHANCE
Many low income people have barriers to finding
work. When a person is homeless those barriers can
be even greater. Economic Security Corporation’s
Comprehensive Homeless Assistance for New Career
Employment (CHANCE) provides a supportive and safe
environment coupled with a comprehensive approach
to helping individuals who are literally homeless to
come to terms with their personal barriers, develop
coping mechanisms, obtain full-time employment and
finally a home of their own. CHANCE offers a unique,
safe and accepting environment for people who have
had a difficult time making connections.
During the 2018 program year,
ESC provided this “CHANCE”
opportunity to 41 individuals.
Of those individuals, 70%
obtained full time employment
with 73% maintaining it
for 90 days. Also, 34% of
participants obtained permanent
housing while in the program.
ESC’s role is to connect the most vulnerable with other
community and public resources to ensure quality of
life, which included SNAP and Medicaid. Partnerships
with employers, landlords, and professionals that
help with many needs assures that most of the needs
and supports are met for the CHANCE participants,
creating the most opportunities for the best success.
When CHANCE participants enter the workforce they
become tax paying citizens and support the community
with their own purchasing power.
CHANCE is the connectivity that some of our citizens are
needing at the most vulnerable point in their lives. The
wide array of social support that is individually tailored
to best assist each person’s needs and strengths makes
taking a CHANCE worthwhile.
FAMILY SELF SUFFICIENCY
Is it time for a New Beginning?
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development Housing Choice Voucher’s (HCV)
Family Self Sufficiency (FSS), which Economic Security
Corporation of Southwest Area doing business as
Jasper County Public Housing Agency (JCPHA) gives
working families who are currently receiving HCV
rental assistance an additional boost to reduce their
dependence on outside resources to make ends meet.
Those enrolled in the program work with FSS staff to set
achievable goals toward their family’s self-sufficiency.
For some those goals may be employment related
and for others it may be education or housing. It may
even be all three of these and something else uniquely
identified by the family’s circumstances. Whatever
goals are developed, FSS staff then stays in touch with
periodic follow-up meetings to encourage and support
the family meet their targeted goals.
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE
HOUSING – Working Smarter
to End Local Homelessness
ESC’s Permanent Supportive Housing Program is a
rental subsidy based program supported in partnership
with The Homeless Coalition of Jasper and Newton
Counties, Missouri Department of Mental Health,
Jasper County Public Housing Agency and U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. This
past year, we were able to stably re-house 64 homeless
individuals or families with a disability. ESC’s families
can end their homelessness. They pay 30% of income
toward their rent and our funds enable them to bridge
the gap so that private landlords receive fair market
value of their home. The average monthly cost to
keep someone stably and safely housed is $414. ESC’s
Housing works closely with local service providers,
private landlords and the family to establish a strong
partnership. Communication plays a vital roleallowing
them to be successful at increasing their skills and/or
income and maintain permanent housing. Our goal
is to help our families’ re-join the neighborhood and
become productive citizens.
The U.S. Department of Housing And Urban
Development recently put out Performance
Measurement scores for all FSS programs in the
country. ESC’s JCPHA FSS program received a score of
1.The highest scored Public Housing Agencies (PHA)
received a 1 and the lowest scored Public Housing
Agencies received a 4.
To put some perspective
on this, there are 723
programs across the country and
only 143 PHA’s received a
rating of 1. ESC is in the
TOP 20% in the nation and
the only PHA in Missouri that
received a rating of 1.
Helping
One Man
Stand Tall
This past January,
Trevor, who
struggles with
addiction, anxiety
and stress was
having a difficult
time being
successful. When
he came to us
in 2018, he had
been recently
granted his Social
Security Disability,
was sober, working on his sobriety daily and
trying to get back on his feet. We were able to
connect him with a great landlord
and he is now living in a nice
one bedroom rental and
standing tall on his own.
16
17

Families are Ready to Engage
HOUSING FIRST,
RAPID REHOUSING
According to the United States
Interagency Council on Homelessness,
Housing First is a proven method of
ending all types of homelessness
and is the most effective evidencedbased
approach to ending chronic
homelessness in America. Housing
First offers individuals and families
experiencing homelessness immediate
access to permanent affordable or
supportive housing.
18
Safe and Comfortable Housing for the Best Chance at Success
Jarrod was referred to our program in 2016. His disability often prevented him from holding a regular
and steady employment. Jarrod was referred to us through The Homeless Coalition’s Coordinated
Entry “Housing Connect” because ESC’s Permanent Housing program had an opening. Jarrod and
his Ozark Center case manager, one of ESC’s partnering agencies met and located a one bedroom
apartment. Unfortunately, the neighborhood was not one that made him feel safe. He soon
learned that there appeared to be alleged criminal activities and other types of behaviors that made
his anxiety and depression worse. At the same time, he was having difficulties with Medicaid, which
meant he wasn’t always able to stay on his prescribed medication that helped him keep himself safe.
So his housing team and landlord met to discuss potential options, because
everyone wanted Jarrod to be successful. His landlord agreed to allow him
out of lease early without penalties because of the way this was affecting
Jarrod’s health. Then Jarrod’s Housing team went to work and was able
to find another landlord that had a one bedroom house that was more
private, in a quiet neighborhood where Jarrod felt safer. The importance
of these housing opportunities is that the family must be able to choose
where they would like to live. He is now very happy and works
regularly with his Ozark Center case worker on remaining stable
and other quality of life goals.
Last year, ESC assisted with rapidly
rehousing 20 literally homeless families
into permanent housing. Of the 20
families we were able to rehouse,
20% were in recovery from addiction,
80% reported having
mental health difficulties and 45%
had a chronic illness, physical disability
or developmental disability. The
Homeless Coalition’s 10 year homeless
trend is showing a 13% decrease in
homelessness in Southwest Missouri.
Easing Fears, Offering Hope
Moving to Southwest Missouri was a no
brainer for Tom and Shelly. They wanted to
be closer to their grandchildren. It seemed
to be working out well until there was a job
change and a move that would not allow Tom
and Shelly to follow. They eventually ended
up living in their car with no way for Tom to
charge his portable oxygen tank or to get a
decent night’s sleep. These events all took
place when the daytime temperatures were
reaching 100 degrees which caused Tom’s
health to be deteriorate daily.
Thanks to the ESC’s rental assistance which
allows for short term placement, we as a team
searched for suitable living arrangements that
would be a more permanent solution. ESC was
able to pay deposits and rent while the couple
got on their feet establishing a life in a freshly
remodeled, fully-accessible, maintenance free
apartment with all new appliances, flooring and
paint. ESC was able to bundle these services
utilizing the Missouri Housing Trust fund’s
Housing Assistance, Community Services
Block Grant’s Housing Case Management,
immediately. Then the ESC staff worker
began the process of getting the couple on
the waiting list for ESC’s Housing Choice
Voucher program and helped them make an
application for summer energy assistance
for their utilities. Being able to bundle ESC’s
services into an effective combination for Tom
and Shelly has greatly decreased their stress
levels and they know that Community Action
Agencies will always have their back.
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
A Housing Solution
for Homeless
Families with Children
Intensive case management and support for attaining
employment, education and housing goals are just
some of the services offered in ESC’s Transitional
Housing Program for Homeless Families with
Children. All homeless families are referred to the
Transitional Housing program through The Homeless
Coalition’s Coordinated Entry process. Families are
selected for this housing option that meet the criteria
of hard to house based on certain barriers and need
for intensive case management.
Economic Security Corporation currently owns two
2-bedroom duplexes in Joplin and these are the
units dedicated to our Transitional Housing Program.
Participants pay rent based on their income (30%)
and pay utilities.
Local partnerships with area churches who “adopt”
some of our families while they are working on
improving their family’s life is valuable in building
social capital. Many close relationships have
developed as a result of these relationships. Other
partnerships include: early childhood development
specialists such as Head Start, Early Head Start,
Parents as Teachers, First Steps and The Alliance of
Southwest Missouri.
2018
6
Families
in the
Program
2
Moved to
Permanent
Housing
4
Remain
in the
Program
Of those who needed to obtain employment (two had
employment at the beginning of the year) 3 or 50 %
obtained full-time employment and 33% maintained
full-time employment for 90 days. Transitional Housing
offers a great deal of on-going support and guidance
through case management, community connectivity
and building relationships with partnerships in the
community. The end results are permanent housing
and well-being for families.
19

Families are Ready to Engage
HOUSING CHOICE
VOUCHER – Choosing A
Home in a Neighborhood
Having safe, affordable housing can be a difficult task
for many of the Economic Security Corporation of
Southwest Area’s clients. Often homes that meet the
needs of their family and circumstances are out of reach
for them financially, even those fortunate enough to be
working full-time. Homes they can afford may be in
poor condition, located too far from work or services,
or not adequate for them and their family. The Housing
Choice Voucher (HCV) program helps bridge that gap
with rental assistance.
This year was a stellar year for ESC’s Jasper County
Public Housing Authority (JCPHA), who received a High
Performing rating from U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development Section Eight Management
Assessment Program score. In addition, our JCPHA
audit had no findings or recommendations, we are
considered a low-risk agency. This is really important to
the administration and monitoring of these programs.
“Choice” is the key word in the title Housing Choice
Voucher (HCV). They are free to take that voucher
anywhere within our service area and find a home they
want. Families or individuals pay 30% of their income
toward rent and utilities, ESC’s Jasper County Public
Housing Agency then bridges the difference. Over 371
households received the HCV rental assistance that
provides a safe, secure and affordable place to live.
A very important element to the HCV program is what
we refer to as Portability. This allows participants “to
port” or “move to” other housing authorities across
the nation. This helps when a family is job searching
or when a family member is needing help. One past
Claudia
Claudia is a participant who came onto the
HCV program after living in a camper in her
family member’s backyard. Claudia now has a
home of her own and says that she is forever
grateful for the HCV program enabling her to
feel more independent.
example of “portability” was a father whose son was
serving in the Army in Afghanistan. He was injured
severely and was at Walter Reed Hospital, Washington
DC. The Veterans Administration told our customer, his
son would need a lot of rehabilitation for more than
one year and that he needed to come immediately to
help his son. He contacted us, but he told us he wasn’t
sure how he would afford housing on his social security
benefits. We explained the “portability” option to him
and within the week we had him on his way to help with
his son’s recuperation.
AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME
$12,655
(Federal Poverty Guidelines
for family of 2 is $22,700
in Jasper and Newton Counties)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
AVERAGE MONTHLY
HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENT
$291
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING
HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENT
DURING 2018
371
(received safe secure
and affordable housing)
Frank
Frank came onto the program struggling to make
ends meet with his fixed income. Frank had rent,
utilities, and a hefty medication bill each month
and at times had to sacrifice for living expenses.
With rental assistance Frank is now able to afford
his medications and have a safe place to call home.
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT
ACCOUNTS – Local Neighbors
Helping Others Live The
American Dream
According to Forbes 2016, “Why Homeownership
Matters” by Lawrence Yu, “homeownership provides
social benefits beyond pure financial and economic
benefits. Research on the subject has found that, other
things being equal, children of homeowners do better
in school (higher test scores and lower anti-social
behaviors). Lower crime and lower drug usage were
among the findings for the children of homeowners.
Sustainable homeownership has provided for wealth
accumulation for owners.” These are just a few of the
benefits of homeownership.
ESC’s Individual Development Accounts create new
homeowners in our community’s neighborhoods.
This enables us to support families with the
aspirations of homeownership.
Here is one prime example of how this works locally.
Mark and Roseann, the parents to three daughters,
dreamt of owning their own home. They had heard
about ESC’s Individual Development Account program
three years ago. During the past three years, they
worked hard to save $2,000 for closing costs and
completed their homeownership education, which
included financial literacy education hours too. They
both participated in one-on-one individualized family
strengthening, which included education goals that
lead to increasing their future income.
Both Mark and Roseann achieved licensing for escort
driving services that assists with wide load transport.
This is the impressive part of this couple, they didn’t
stop there, and Mark continued on with his education
and received a level one welding license and Roseann
passed her Licensed Practicing Nurse (LPN) state
boards. Roseann is now working towards her Registered
Nursing degree.
This past June, Mark and Roseann closed on their first
home. Congratulations! But we would be remiss if we
didn’t share that we had lots of help! We engaged
many partners and we bundled our agency’s services
to help this family become self-sufficient. ESC
coordinates these services to ensure their success,
Individual Development Account, individualized case
management, utility assistance and Head Start. The
partnerships developed to help with this family’s dream
were: US Bank, WACO Title Company, The United
States Department of Agriculture and the Missouri
Community Action Network. A total of $7,691.00 of
Federal funds were invested and helped leverage an
asset of $134,000. So for every $1 that was invested
$17 was leveraged. But even better, there is a new
neighbor in the neighborhood.
20 21

Families are Ready to Engage
MO PROPERTY TAX CREDIT
Creating New Income Options
for Missouri Seniors
The Missouri Property Tax Credit claim provides to low
income senior citizens and 100% disabled individuals a
portion of their paid real estate taxes or rent for the tax
year that could be returned to them. Many seniors live
on very low incomes so any additional income can help
their budget’s stretch.
ESC helps seniors who are unable to complete the
required Missouri tax paperwork necessary to receive this
rebate. In addition, we are able to couple this with other
agency services or community
resources that might be
helpful to the senior’s needs.
ESC partners with the Area
Agency on Aging, Joplin
and their Senior Meal Sites
throughout Barton, Newton
and McDonald Counties.
MOBILE OUTREACH
Watch for Us in Your Hometown!
Service delivery has changed over the years and
customers don’t need to come to an office location
because they can access applications via their smart
phones or at a public library. Technology has made it
easier than ever to apply for most of ESC’s resources
or to ask questions using websites or social media. A
new strategy identified this year, was the need to be
out in our local communities more often. We wanted
to reach out to areas where transportation makes it
difficult to access resources.
ESC’s response was to provide “Community Connect”
opportunities. It is simple, we leave our county office
to engage potential customers in communities within
Barton, Jasper, Newton and McDonald Counties. So
where do we go: local food pantries, city/county fairs,
Public Housing complexes, senior meal sites,
and other non-profit agencies. There is an
ESC’s mobile outreach calendar schedule.
In total 254 Property Tax and/
or Rent Rebates were processed
totaling approximately $126,457
in refunds for area seniors. Rebates
vary but can be up to $750, which
may assist them in purchasing
food, paying bills or purchasing
medications. A total of $6,000
in Federal funds were used to
support the program that helped
leverage $126,457 in refunds.
So for every $1 invested $21
was leveraged and these rebates
dollars are returned into our local
community’s economies.
Mobile outreach staff
are equipped to help
with ESC’s applications,
answer questions,
provide information and
resources. Over the past
fifteen months, ESC
has been to 116 mobile
outreach locations within
our four county service
area. Working smarter to
end poverty where
we live.
LIHEAP – Keeping Southwest
Missourians Healthy and Safe
ESC’s strength is taking an array of federal, state and
local energy resources that are available in southwest
Missouri and bundling them into any individual family’s
heating or cooling needs. This makes it more robust
and a more concise delivery method for our community.
Energy assistance is available to assist households with
low incomes, particularly those with the lowest incomes
that pay a high proportion of household income for
home energy, primarily in meeting their immediate
home energy needs.
Did you know?
Only 2.4%
(or 153 households)
received Energy Assistance
five of the last five years.
Of those households,
almost 80%
(or 122 households)
are considered our
most vulnerable neighbors
who are elderly, disabled
or young children.
In southwest Missouri, our poorest
neighbors often are paying on
average 28% of their income
toward their energy costs.
Economic Security Corporation assisted 5,305
households obtain or maintain utilities in their home
this past year. The majority of the households targeted
are considered to be very low income with households
having incomes at or below 75% of the Federal Poverty
guidelines. For example, a household of one would be
making less than $735.62 gross income per month.
22 23

Families are Ready to Engage
Of the 4.15% of ESC households that continue to receive assistance in the last five years, 78% are
elderly, disabled or families with young children – our community’s most vulnerable.
Many people are ready to make a positive change in
their lives but are not sure where to start. Through
Economic Security Corporation’s Intensive Case
Management, families are paired with professional
staff who work individually with them, assisting them
in setting realistic goals and a plan to begin working
towards achieving those goals. Typical goals include
obtaining employment, finding a better job, increasing
household income or increasing their education.
The program’s success revolves around the highly
experienced staff, their knowledge of community
resources and ESC’s comprehensive approach, which
include bundling of agency services wherever possible.
Success is measured by: the reduction in
the need for social service supports
such as food stamps and the increase
in overall household income.
24
The Little Things Can Make The Biggest Differences
in the Lives of Our Neighbors
Harriet called to check on her Energy Assistance application. She had been unable to reach a person
at THE WORK NUMBER to obtain missing employment pay information. In the meantime, ESC
had called the place where she was working through a temporary agency to obtain the missing
information and had completed her application on time. She was very grateful and relieved to hear
that her energy services weren’t in threat and she could spend Thanksgiving in a warm home over
a nice dinner with her son.
INTENSIVE CASE
MANAGEMENT RESULTS
ENERGY ASSISTANCE RESULTS:
6,186 receive energy assistance, of those 81% receive this on
a short-term basis (1-2 years), and are considered vulnerable
citizens, elderly, disabled or children under the age of 5.
59% of the vulnerable households include a member who is disabled.
87 Families Engaged
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
41% Gained Employment
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
31% Increased Their
Overall Household Income
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
33% of Families
Achieved a Degree
Individualized Family
Strengthening Works!
Kyle was unemployed and seeking
assistance with a resume. ESC
started out by assisting him with a
resume. His work history included
a wide range of different types
of jobs that usually only lasted a
couple of months. He wanted to
do something different but did not
think he was smart enough. His ESC
case manager researched available programs and
suggested he attend a meeting regarding paid on
the job training that was being held at the Neosho
location of the Missouri Career Center. Kyle was
accepted into the machinist training program. He
graduated with a CNC Machinist Certificate and
is currently participating in on the job training at
Cooper Gears. After his training period ends in
February 2019, he will be making $22.50 per hour.
He credits his success to the people that believed in
him, advised him and informed him of services that
could improve his life.
Roseann (3rd from the left), one of our Intensive Case
Management participants with her LPN clinical class.
Working Together in
our Community through
Coordination of Services
Within our Agency and
other Organizations
Rosa Reyes, mother of Dennis
Ordonez-Reyes who is in the Noel
Head Start program, explained to
ESC on a home visit last October that
she did not have a stove. She told us
she had been cooking meals using
her microwave and a Crockpot. We
started looking immediately for a stove
for her to purchase through buy, sell
and trade pages, local thrift stores or
flea markets. About two weeks later
ESC’s Tammy Walker, Community
Development Director, posted that the
City of Joplin Public Housing Authority
(JPHA) had some stoves to give away
to low-income families. We contacted
Tammy and she provided the JPHA’s
phone number to ESC. JPHA was able
to provide a stove.
Getting this stove from Joplin to Noel
was the next challenge. We spoke with
Leisa Harnar, Head Start and Early
Head Start Operations Director, to see
if it would be possible to have Garrett
with ESC’s Maintenance bring the stove
to Noel when they were working in the
area. Unfortunately, Rosa did not have a
car big enough to haul the stove to her
house. ESC’s Maintenance picked the
stove up from the JPHA and brought it
to Noel’s Head Start and then delivered
it to Rosa’s house. She arrived home
after work and was so happy to see
it. She was very thankful to
ESC and said they “had a
great Thanksgiving cooking
together as a family.”
25

Families are Ready to Engage
Head Start and Early Head Start Parent Involvement Activities Head Start and Early Head Start Parent Results for 2018
Head Start and Early Head Start are mandated to serve
the families in the community who are most in need.
The programs are identifying families with significant
obstacles to their well-being and helping them to
overcome those obstacles. Here are some of the needs
that were identified during assessments and by Head
Start and Early Head Start staff.
Family Resource Needs Identified Early Head Head Start Child Care
to Promote Family Well-Being Start Families Families Partnership
Families
Emergency/Crisis Intervention 40% 27% 38%
Housing Assistance 26% 10% 24%
Mental Health Services 21% 11% 18%
English as a Second Language (ESL) Training 11% 8% 17%
Adult Education 32% 14% 46%
Job Training 15% 6% 7%
Substance Abuse Prevention 7% 2% 7%
Substance Abuse Treatment 2% 2% 1%
Child Abuse and Neglect Services 6% 3% 5%
Domestic Violence Services 2% 1% 5%
Child Support Assistance 13% 2% 11%
Health Education 83% 94% 82%
Assistance to Families of Incarcerated Individuals 4% 1% 2%
Parenting Education 90% 98% 92%
Relationship/Marriage Education 15% 3% 6%
Financial Asset Building 22% 17% 26%
Families receiving food stamps 68% 71% 61%
Families receiving WIC 76% 48% 69%
Homeless families 7% 1% 3%
26
Last year, 601 EHS and 1,492 HS parents, guardians, and
family members spent time volunteering in program
activities. This commitment in time helps make the link
A Few Questions from 2017-2018 Parent Survey
between school and home. Our parent survey reported
the following information about family engagement:
Yes Results
Do you feel welcome at your EHS/HS center? 99%
Do you feel supported by the EHS/HS staff? 98%
Do you feel involved at your EHS/HS center? 98%
Head Start and Early Head Start Parental Program Impact for 2018
Reaching out to parents is an important part of our program’s impact. We have multiple goals related to
parent engagement.
• School Readiness means actively engaged parents will help children be ready for school
• In addition to other data shared in this narrative, 96% of HS/EHS parents reported that they were confident
that their child was ready for their transition into Kindergarten or Head Start respectively.
• We assess families’ progression in skills related to closing the achievement gap for their children. These skills
are called Family Life Practices and are made up of 4 parts: Family Routines, Experience-rich Environment,
Literacy Promotion and Positive Discipline.
• Program data includes the following:
Head Start and Early Head Start EHS EHS/HS
Parent Indicators Home Based Center Based
The staff encouraged me as my child’s first and best teacher. 99% 93%
I received info on parenting skills and knowledge that I used. 96% 95%
The program provided mental health, emotional support or 100% 95%
stress reduction info that I used.
I was encouraged to pursue my educational and employment goals. 96% 91%
The program gave me helpful info on getting my child ready for 98% 98%
Head Start or Kindergarten.
(Source: 2018 ESC’s HS/EHS parent surveys)
Actively engaged parents will ensure that children have a lifelong love of learning.
• 97% of parents reported their relationship with their child was improved after participating in the program.
• 97% of parents reported setting family and child development goals
• 95% of parents reported that they had improved their parenting skills and know more about what is appropriate
for their child’s age.
Actively engaged parents will be their child’s advocate when dealing with community
programs and organizations.
• 97% of parents reported increased awareness of services/agencies in the community
• 90% of parents reported they used resources in the community after the program gave
them a referral.
27

The Agency is Ready to Support
A THRIVING COMMUNITY
OF NEIGHBORS FREE
FROM POVERTY
Economic Security Corporation’s
Strategic Plan for 2018 to 2021
The purpose is to provide an opportunity for
strategic thinking and develop the next version of
ESC’s strategic plan. This strategic plan will sharpen
the organization’s focus and efforts and move
beyond incremental improvements over the
status quo. We wanted the process to create
a journey for ESC board members, staff,
customers and partners to review and commit
to a shared vision. The strategic planning
process created a conversation that helped
everyone think together about how to bring ESC’s
assets and talents collectively together in order for
the whole to be greater than its individual parts.
ESC’s strategic planning process produced a concise
vision and understandable mission. We were able
to identified high priority needs based on ESC’s
community needs assessment, completed a Strengths,
Weakness, Opportunities and Threat analysis (SWOT)
and assumptions. Through this process ESC developed
broad agency goals, a local Theory of Change and
Outcomes, Services and Strategies.
basis or as after-tax with a Roth. Our competitive
portfolio and ESC’s matches $1 for $1 up to 8% of
an employee’s salary. This generous match is 100%
vested immediately.
Agency Fiscal and Program Strengths
are trusted in our Communities
The Jasper County Public Housing Agency’s 2018
audit had no recommendations nor findings this past
audit year and has had a low-risk audit in excess of
22 years.
Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area’s
2018 audit had no recommendations nor findings this
past audit year and has had been a low-risk auditee for
the last 25 years.
The JCPHA’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program was
ranked this year a 1 out of 4, with 1 being the highest
ranking given, the only Missouri Family Self-Sufficiency
Program given this ranking, overall we are in the top
20% nationally.
Breastfeeding Friendly
Worksite Program
As an employer, ESC support of breastfeeding
friendly worksite provides many employer
and employee benefits. We provided breast
pumps and mini refrigerators at five locations
Anderson Community Center, Carthage
Head Start, Neosho Head Start, South Joplin
Head Start and Early Head Start and ESC’s
Central Office location. In an effort to better
this program and achieve
higher goals, five of our
locations are certified “Gold
Level” for a breastfeeding
friendly worksite. At these
five locations a lending
library full of breastfeeding
information is available for
our families to utilize.
An Explanation of Head Start and Early Head Start Budgetary Expenditures
and Proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year.
AGENCY SUPPORT
ESC’s Human Resources department has been very
busy this year due to the expansion of our Early Head
Start Child Care program which increased the number
of employment opportunities to approximately 50
new jobs for our communities. In addition, we started
the new year with a new insurance broker, Beimdiek
Insurance, who we had used in the past. We were very
satisfied with the service and we are glad to go back to
a local business for representation!
A challenge this year was recruitment and hiring for
so many new positions throughout our four
county area. We are having to become more
creative and utilize different recruiting
methods to attract new talent.
28
As part of the minimum wage conversation in our
Head Start and Early Head Start self-assessment
process and Employee Retention committees. ESC’s
Board of Directors approved a raise to our agency’s
base scale. We now have a minimum starting wage
of $10.00 per hour. We are receiving highly qualified
candidate applications and our turnover of employees
has decreased.
Looking Out for Our Employees’
Future … Retirement Years
The Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area
has a robust and an aggressive retirement opportunity
as an employee benefit. We offer a 403(b) retirement
plan which employees can enroll into immediately.
This plan can save employees on a tax-advantaged
Head Start has a budget of $6.32 million which includes
$75,130 in training and technical assistance funds.
Federal regulations cap
administrative costs at
15% of the total budget.
ESC’s administrative costs
are less than 9% leaving
additional money available
to be used toward
child and family services.
Staff salaries and fringe make up 80% of the expenses
in the services category; supporting over 200 Head
Start employees. The “Other” category supports
expenses such as facilities, transportation and child
health services. The “Indirect” category provides
funding to support the human resources, fiscal and
administrative aspects of the program. The program
will receive over $1.6 million in non-federal matching
funds to support the Head Start program.
Head Start and Early Head Start
All Staff Fall Training
29

The Agency is Ready to Support
ESC receives just over $1.5 million in federal funds for
its Early Head Start (EHS) program. Operating with
low administrative costs, the program is able to spend
most of its dollars on services to prenatal women,
infants, toddlers and their families. The largest cost
category in EHS is staff salaries and fringe, supporting
approximately 35 employees. The next largest
category under services is “Contractual”. These funds
represent money paid directly to child care facilities we
contract within the local community to provide EHS
child development services for infant/toddler child
care. The program will receive over $380,000 in nonfederal
matching funds to support the Early Head Start
program.
Head Start and Early Head Start Enrollment
Month Head Start Early Head Start Total Enrolled Funded Slots %
Dec-17 549 192 741 742 100%
Jan-18 550 192 742 742 100%
Feb-18 552 192 744 742 100%
Mar-18 550 192 742 742 100%
Apr-18 550 192 742 742 100%
May-18 550 192 742 742 100%
Jun-18 Closed 184 184 742 25%
Jul-18 Closed 145 145 695 21%
Aug-18 550 145 695 695 100%
Sep-18 550 145 695 695 100%
Oct-18 550 145 695 695 100%
Nov-18 550 145 695 695 100%
The same requirements and procedures for full
enrollment apply to the Early Head Start Child Care
Partnerships grant. As this is a new grant, programs
are allowed a start-up period to remodel and license
facilities and achieve full enrollment. The chart below
shows the program achieved full enrollment for the
new program three months ahead of schedule.
The Head Start and Early Head Start
Results of the Most Recent Office of Head
Start Review and the Financial Audit.
The program received a Head Start Key Indicator –
Compliant (HSKI-C) Review in 2016. This review looks at
27 areas. If a program is non-compliant in any of these
areas, the program is placed into the full monitoring
schedule. ESC successfully completed the HSKI-C
review by being fully compliant in all 27 areas reviewed.
Head Start and Early Head Start
Enrollment
Over 1,000 children and families are served by the
program each year in the four county area.
The program maintains its full enrollment each month
within the Head Start requirements of the program. A
large waiting list of children is kept for any openings
that may occur. Data from our Community Assessment
indicates that ESC’s Head Start and Early Head Start
program serves just under 50% of the estimated eligible
population. The chart on
the next page shows the
enrollment for each month.
Early Head Start Child Care Partnership
Month Total Enrolled Funded slots % Comment
Dec-17 42 74 57% Start-up period
Jan-18 53 74 72% Start-up period
Feb-18 58 74 78% Start-up period
Mar-18 61 74 82% Start-up period
Apr-18 61 74 82% Start-up period
May-18 70 74 95% Start-up period
Jun-18 74 74 100% Start-up period, Fully Enrolled
Jul-18 74 74 100% Start-up period, Fully Enrolled
Aug-18 74 74 100% Start-up period, Fully Enrolled
Sep-18 74 74 100% Met Deadline of Full Enrollment 3 months in advance
Oct-18 74 74 100% Fully Enrolled
Nov-18 74 74 100% Fully Enrolled
The Head Start and Early Head Start Results of the Most Recent Office of Head Start
Review and the Financial Audit.
The program received a Head Start Key Indicator –
Compliant (HSKI-C) Review in 2016. This review looks at
27 areas. If a program is non-compliant in any of these
areas, the program is placed into the full monitoring
schedule. ESC successfully completed the HSKI-C
review by being fully compliant in all 27 areas reviewed.
programs past history of successful monitoring, the
Head Start program did not receive a federal review
during 2018.
The annual Agency audit was completed with a result of
The program received a Classroom Assessment Scoring
no findings. As the largest federal program
System Review in 2017 with no findings. Based on the
in the Agency, the Head Start program
programs past history of successful monitoring, the Head
The program received a Classroom Assessment Scoring receives additional scrutiny during the audit.
Start program did not receive a federal review during 2018.
System Review in 2017 with no findings. Based on the
30 31

Community is Ready to Invest
ESC strives to build community capacity by bringing community resources together to solve community problems
in a safe and productive environment. We are more effective together.
PROMISE KEPT, JOBS
CREATED, NEW CHILDCARE
SLOTS, AND PROFESSIONAL
TRAINING ACHIEVED
It Takes a Team
In March of 2017, ESC received a $6 million dollar grant
to expand Early Head Start (EHS) Childcare Partnership
(CCP) services in ESC’s four-county service area. With
this grant, we were able to open 11 classrooms for
children ages 0 to 3 years old, in Lamar, Carthage,
Joplin, Neosho, Southwest City, and Noel. Three
of these classrooms were opened with community
partners who either expanded their current childcare
centers or opened a new family childcare home.
The EHS-CCP grant allowed ESC to have an 18-month
start-up period to complete construction and
renovations at all sites. While other programs in
the country struggled to meet this deadline, the
work at ESC was completed and the program fully
enrolled with children within 12 months! A large part
of the credit has to go to the Construction Manager,
Matt Daniel, an ESC employee, who was working for
the Weatherization/Home Repair
programs. Matt was chosen to lead
the team that would either directly
complete some of the renovations or
to arrange for vendors to complete
certain projects. Matt and his team
worked on this project for a year,
using their knowledge and skills to
renovate and refurbish locations
that needed extensive work. Every
location was done quickly and
looked beautiful after completion.
While Matt and his
construction crew worked,
there were many other
employees at ESC working
behind the scenes. Each center/site has an assigned Area
Supervisor and they were tasked with the job of meeting
with Missouri Child Care Licensing Representatives,
Sanitation Inspectors, and the Fire Marshall. Each
agency requires specific materials, equipment, and
building schematics in order to ensure that children
are safe and well cared for at all times. The Area
Supervisors spent months working in collaboration with
Matt to ensure the buildings passed all inspections. At
the same time they were working to get their centers
ready for inspections, the Area Supervisors were hiring
new employees that would be responsible for the
everyday operations of the program.
One of the most important parts
to passing Child Care Licensing
inspections is ensuring the
presence of age-appropriate,
child development materials and
equipment. ESC’s Early Head Start
Education Staff spent numerous
hours purchasing, unpacking, and
setting up all 11 classrooms. This
same group of educators, along with
program Service Area Coordinators,
were also responsible for training
all of the new employees hired by
the Area Supervisors, in addition to
training the new community childcare
partners and their staff, totaling
over 50 people. A new teacher completes 93 hours of
new employee training before she is considered “fully
trained”. The teacher’s training consists of in-depth
information on child development and assessment,
health & safety measures, working with families from
all cultures, Head Start Performance Standards, Child
Care Licensing Rules, and many other topics necessary
to help children develop School Readiness Skills.
There were many other employees, ESC Board
members, Head Start Policy Council members and
members from our community who made this dream a
reality for ESC. Every person made a difference.
So what does all of this behind the scenes work mean
for our Community?
11 new high-quality, no-cost
child care classrooms in
Southwest Missouri communities,
74 child care slots for 0-3 year
olds, 50 new jobs created,
35 professional early childhood
employees trained, expansion
of 3 affordable licensed child
care centers and the opening
of 1 entrepreneurial family
child care business.
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT
OF NATURAL RESOURCES
PARTNERS WITH HEAD
START/EARLY HEAD START
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR)
Solid Waste Management provided Economic Security
Corporation a $30,000 grant award this year. The new
partnership with Missouri DNR, Region M District and
ESC made big changes to North Joplin Head Start
and South Joplin Early Head Start playgrounds. We
were able to use a recycled pour-in-place compound,
98% percent of the families have been able to keep
their jobs and continue to meet their employment and
education goals.
The program’s School Readiness reports show that
after only 6 months of childcare services, 85% of the
children enrolled are at or above age-expected range
in all areas of development. While our goal is to have
all children reach at least 90% in all areas, we believe
this is a very good start.
Promise Kept!
made of 100% recycled tires from Missouri,
to replace the current playground resilient
materials, which were previously grass and
wood chips.
One of the playground locations selected was
South Joplin Early Head Start where we had
32 33

Community is Ready to Invest
used grass and portable mats on the playground for
infants and toddlers. Having this alternative resilient
material allowed for different types of climbing,
pushing, and riding toys that we weren’t being used
due to safety considerations. These types of toys are
helpful for the children’s gross motor development.
The other playground was located at North Joplin
Head Start. This large area encompassed a climber
and swings. We were using wood chips as the resilient
material at this center. The new pour-in-place surface
has allowed us to save funds we had been using on
the upkeep of this large space and has made the
playground more enjoyable for the children.
We were excited to share this event with our partners,
MO DNR and the Region M District and are thankful
for this opportunity to improve the quality of services
for children and families. Dedication and ribbon
cutting ceremonies for both playgrounds were held on
November 28, 2018.
1000 BOOKS BEFORE
KINDERGARTEN
Partnerships Working Together
To Enrich Our Communities
Literacy skills start developing as soon as your baby
is born. To help families with young children develop
their pre-literacy skills and gain access to books, the
Joplin Public Library (JPL) through a grant funded by
the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Frank
Fletcher, and Economic Security Corporation’s Early
Head Start launched an exciting new program to get
parents involved with reading to their babies, toddlers
and young children, who might not otherwise have
access to age appropriate books, on Early Head Start
home visits.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten provides families
with specially selected books which are pre-packaged
in library bags and are ready to be checked
out. Families make their way through 200
bags of 5 books each to reach the end
goal of reading 1000 books to their
Before
After
child before they enter Kindergarten! Along the way,
families can earn free books when certain milestones
are met. Frank Fletcher Toyota provided the monetary
donation to ensure that families would receive those
free books. For every 100 books a parent logs in and
reads to their child, Fletcher Toyota will provide that
family with their own book, which allows them to build
their own family library.
This year there have been 24,600
books read to Early Head Start
children and 246 books given to
families to keep for their home library.
This partnership has been so successful,
it will be continued in 2019!
ONE COMMUNITY WORKING TO
END HUNGER WHERE WE LIVE
One Joplin hosted a hunger banquet to raise awareness
about food insecurity in our community in July 2018.
Hunger is real in our community. More than 36,000
households lack consistent access to enough food to
live a healthy and active life in Jasper and Newton
Counties. Children are particularly vulnerable. The
vast majority of food insecure households with children
have an employed adult.
The Hunger Banquet is a deeply impacting event that
your community will never forget. Community members
are invited to attend a meal where they will learn about
local hunger. What they don’t know before the meal is
that they will be placed in randomly assigned groups.
A few will be classified as the rich. Some will be middle
class. Many will be poor.
Participants learned about the stigma of hunger, hunger
in our schools, hunger and the working poor and the
personnel impact of hunger. They also experienced
GETTING REALL WITH LOCAL
STUDENTS – Investing In Our
Community’s Future!
ESC partners with Community Schools or Youth
Organizations to hold REALL simulations. This year,
we hosted simulations with The Independent Living
Center’s youth and Liberal School District.
What is the REALL project? The Reality Enrichment
and Life Lessons project is a hands-on simulation
designed to challenge youth to think critically about
how choices and decisions made in adolescence may
have consequences in adulthood.
REALL addresses many of the competencies identified
by the Missouri State Board of Education:
4 Identify components and sources of income
4 Analyze how career choice, education, skills,
and economic conditions affect income and
goal attainment
food insecurity firsthand, hence the hunger banquet
and obstacles people face in obtaining adequate food
in our community.
Nearly 100 people representing the Joplin community,
social service agencies, Joplin City Council and state
representatives attended the seminar. The banquet
was supported by a grant from Empower Missouri.
Members of the One Joplin Poverty Focus Team and
Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area,
Access Family Care, Crosslines Ministries, Salvation
Army of Joplin, and Joplin Schools spearheaded
planning and execution of the seminar.
4 Relate taxes, government transfer payments, and
employee benefits to disposable income
4 Explain how financial resources affect the choices
people make.
Some of the student observations:
During the first month, which is referred to as “Reactive”
session, very few students thought to buy food, pay their
utilities or rent. They were not thinking about the basic
necessities of life. Students received shut-off notices
for their electricity, eviction notices for rent and hunger
cards if no groceries had been purchased. Many
were unemployed and couldn’t get jobs, due
to a lack of education. Some were receiving
Unemployment, but none of them picked
up their checks during the entire month,
so they were missing valuable income.
34 35

Community is Ready to Invest
The second month, it is called the
“Proactive” session. The students
were all skilled workers making a
lot more income and were able to
live more comfortably. Generally,
they had money left after paying
for their basic needs.
One participant who had 4 children
during the first session was so
happy to NOT have a house full
of kids during the second session.
Another statement made by one
of the students “it helped me see
what it feels like being an adult.
It tells me if I work hard enough I
could have a great future.”
REALL is designed as a tool for students as they
navigate their path to adulthood. Hopefully this
simulation will serve as an example of how making the
right choices will lead to a successful life for not only
this generation but for generations to come.
Despair - Youth Homelessness, and Yet our Most Precious Gift
The purpose of Community Action is to strengthen the community’s capacity for coordinating
the use of a broad range of Federal, State, local and other assistance, which includes private
funds related to elimination of poverty and to be responsive to local needs and conditions. So
when twenty-year-old Cameron found himself at Joplin’s Soul’s Harbor emergency shelter this
past April after having a fallout with the family where he lived, he was at a loss in his young life;
he lacked hope.
Lucky for us, Soul’s Harbor is a member of The Homeless Coalition (THC) and immediately
referred him to THC’s Housing Connect. From this one contact, he was enrolled in Economic
Security Corporation’s Homeless Employment Program. Cameron indicated to ESC that his five
year goal was to be a diesel mechanic, so during the employment workshop ESC connected him
with the Missouri Job Center’s Future Link, a program targeted for youth under the of age 25.
This was the first time that Cameron felt hopeful.
This has been a powerful career opportunity for Cameron, he has learned how to do some basic
services for Freightliner and the company will soon pay for him to go and get certified diesel
mechanic training. In the meantime, Cameron obtained his own car and moved into his own
home and was able to patch things up with his family.
THE HOMELESS COALITION
Local Collaboration Is the Key
For Our Communities
Change is hard to achieve without collaboration.
Economic Security Corporation actively participates
in The Homeless Coalition, a collaboration of local
organizations working together to deal with the issue
of homelessness in our area. Member organizations
include: Lafayette House, Ozark Center, Children’s
Haven, Salvation Army, Missouri Department of Mental
Health, H.O.U.S.E. Inc., Catholic Charities of Southwest
Missouri, Veterans’ Administration, Joplin Schools,
Joplin Public Housing Authority, Legal Aid of Western
Missouri, Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Jasper
County Public Housing Agency, Institute for Community
Alliances, The Community Clinic, Alliance of Southwest
Missouri and City of Joplin, among others.
Working together, ESC organizes an annual pointin-time
count of people who are experiencing
homelessness in Jasper and Newton Counties to get a
picture of the extent of the problem. The January
2018 count showed there were 55 individuals
living entirely unsheltered while another
155 were living in emergency shelters and
another 65 in transitional housing.
These numbers reflect a
13% decrease in homelessness
over the past 10 years.
# OF PEOPLE
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
10 YEARS OF
HOMELESSNESS TRENDS
2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
Emergency Shelter Transitional Housing Unsheltered
One of The Homeless Coalition’s biggest achievements
has been the creation and implementation of a
coordinated entry system which is referred to locally, as
Housing Connect. The purpose is one-stop for people
who are literally homeless. This includes standardize
access, assessment, referral and housing placement
for all people experiencing homelessness in Jasper
and Newton Counties. This community wide system
streamlines access to homeless housing resources and
decreases duplication.
HOME REPAIRS
Keeping Vulnerable Neighbors
Safe and Warm in Their Homes
ESC is fortunate to work with two home rehabilitation
programs. Both of these programs serve low to
moderate income individuals and families in Southwest
Missouri. Our HOME Repair Opportunity Program
(HeRO), which is funded by the Missouri Housing
Development Commission, serves homeowners in
Barton, Jasper, Newton, and McDonald Counties. Our
Joplin Consortium HOME Repair Program, which is
funded through the City of Joplin, serves homeowners
in Jasper County. ESC partners with our Weatherization
Department and other local agencies such as Habitat for
Humanity, Catholic Charities, and The Fuller Center in
order to better serve our community.
Our home rehabilitation programs operate in partnership
with a funding source to provide a forgivable loan to
eligible homeowners. These programs are designed to
offer much more than a forgivable loan, they provide
peace of mind in knowing that the right home repairs
are done and that they are completed in a timely
manner with quality craftsmanship. These programs are
intended to improve the basic livability of the home, as
well as making repairs to items affecting health, safety,
energy efficiency, accessibility, and code compliance,
thus prolonging the usefulness of the home.
Program guidelines allow our contractors to complete
a variety of repairs to the homes we work on. If an
eligible homeowner is selected, an inspection of their
home is performed to determine the needs of the
home. Typical repairs could include: major systems
repairs or replacement including roof and drainage,
electrical, fire and smoke protection, plumbing and
36 37
Before
After

Community is Ready to Invest
fixtures, and heating/cooling. Repairs also could include
siding and window repair or replacement. Accessibility
modifications for persons with disabilities are designed
to increase the ability of the homeowner to function
effectively within the home.
In 2018, ESC’s Home Repair
Department had a successful year
rehabilitating 24 homes in our
four county service area.
ESC spent an average of
$23,363.25 on the homes
we rehabilitated in 2018.
38
A Collaborative Effort for Wilma’s House
All of the families who received these services now live
in safer and more energy efficient homes. Homeowners
can look forward to a warm and cozy home for the winter
and a cooler home this summer.
Before
After
As an elderly single homeowner, Wilma had struggled physically and financially to make the much
needed repairs to her home. Wilma had been selected for the HeRO Home Repair Program.
Before work could begin, Southern Newton County and Northern McDonald County had a historic
weekend of flooding. Then on Monday, they braced for the next deluge of rain. When the flood waters
finally crested, Wilma was one of the first people we were concerned about as we had received word
that her neighborhood had flooded.
Thank goodness she was fine, but she was devastated that she had lost everything. We were able
to get into her neighborhood to assess the damage to her home. It did not take long to determine
that she had truly lost everything. Wilma did have homeowners insurance, but she did not have flood
insurance, as she was not required to have it since she did not live in the flood zone.
ESC rapidly deployed into action and assisted Wilma with locating
temporary housing through our Community Development Department.
ESC’s Home Repair and Weatherization teamed up to assess the damage
to Wilma’s home.
With the support and approval from Missouri Housing Development
Commission, the Department of Economic Development/Division of
Energy, and Liberty Utilities Corporate Social Responsibility Fund, Wilma’s
home repairs were ready to move forward. Our community partners, Habitat
for Humanity, Lowes, and Ridout, also sprang into action with donations.
Wilma said, “I was so excited when the work started on my home and I
couldn’t wait each day to see the progress that they had made. They were
so patient with me with all of my questions. If it wasn’t for ESC, I could not
have made the repairs to my home and I would have been forced to move
to an apartment. Now I’m a homebody and I won’t hardly go anywhere! “
WEATHERIZATION
Home Weatherproofing
ESC’s Weatherization program
completed 82 homes during fiscal
year 2018. Through our energy
efficiency measures, families are able
to effectively heat and cool their
homes instead of letting that energy
seep outside. On average a family
these savings add up to more selfsufficiency
and less dependency on
other services such as utility assistance.
We accomplished these great savings by employing a
variety of energy conservation measures such as replacing
incandescent lighting with LED bulbs, adding insulation
to attic and walls, weather stripping, repairing windows,
general air sealing, duct sealing, water heater jackets,
pipe insulation, and repairing or replacing furnaces and
water heaters due to safety reasons. Approximately 22%
of our homes were found to be unsafe during the initial
inspection. Our neighbors enjoy a better quality of life
as a result of our Weatherization services.
Already highlighted Customers living
in our four county area who are at
50% or lower of the Poverty
Guidelines pay more than 28% of
their income toward energy burden.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
We spend an average of
$4,391.82 per home.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reduction of average energy seepage
by 31.05%.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
We support approximately 22 jobs
in our communities.
Our area is full of older drafty houses that were built
before energy efficiency was a common practice. These
structures are usually home to our low-income neighbors
who can’t afford to invest the funds to improve their
energy efficiency. Many are forced to choose between
paying for groceries, rent, medicine or paying high utility
bills every month. ESC’s Weatherization program lowers
energy bills, improves health and safety, and enables our
low-income neighbors to enjoy a better quality of life.
We are supported by local, state and federal funds
from the MO Department of Energy, MO Department
of Economic Development Division of Energy Center,
Spire, Liberty Utilities and Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program. Bundling the Low-Income
Weatherization Assistance Program with these partners
enables us to provide a more robust program.
One Way of Thanking A Veteran
for His Service to This Country!
Leon and Charlene applied for Weatherization in
the hopes of saving some money on their energy
bills and making their home more comfortable.
ESC was able to bundle other services to provide
Weatherproofing to their home.
The couple was no longer able to perform
maintenance on their home, built in 1884. We
were excited to be able to assist this Disabled
Veteran who bravely served our country. Thanks
to our utility partnership with Liberty Utilities, we
were able to make some much needed repairs
that otherwise would have made Leon and
Charlene’s home ineligible for Weatherization.
Our Liberty Utilities contributed $9,114 to help
Weatherize this home. It allowed us to replace
a window, repair the back portion of the roof,
install some sheetrock in a room, and upgrade
the electrical service for safety.
Leon and Charlene’s home had no heating system,
so we installed an energy efficient heat pump.
We replaced the front door with an insulated all
weather steel door, installed a carbon monoxide
detector, smoke detector, a dryer vent hood, and
LED light bulbs. We wrapped their water lines
with pipe wrap and repaired holes in the walls
and ceiling. We installed a vapor barrier in the
crawl space and floor insulation. We glazed all of
the windows and replaced 16 pieces of broken
glass. Through the bundling of resources which
included, Missouri Department of Energy and
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
grants, Leon and Charlene are now enjoying a
safer and more energy efficient home.
39

Financial Resources
40
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 2,227,337
Community Services Block Grant / MO Department of Social Services 686,152
Disaster Relief Grant / MO Housing Development Commission 8,626
Donations 1,343
Emergency Solutions Grant / MO Housing Development Commission 3,227
Energy Assistance / MO Department of Social Services 1,524,670
Transitional Housing / Client Payments 3,319
FAMILY PLANNING 121,196
Medicaid / MO Department of Social Services 7,061
Patient Fees / Patient Fees and Insurance Payments 32,628
Title X / US Department of Health and Human Services 81,507
HEAD START / EARLY HEAD START 13,902,015
Child Care Food Program / MO Department of Health 422,491
Client Payments 4,837
Donations 355
Early Head Start / US Department of Health and Human Services 1,223,873
Early Head Start Expansion Grant / US Department of Health and Human Services 2,068,267
Early Head Start-State / MO Department of Social Services 658,120
Full Start Childcare / MO Department of Social Services 6,255
Head Start / US Department of Health and Human Services 6,407,218
Head Start Fam Grant / US Department of Health and Human Services 400
In Kind / Private Donations 3,106,016
Miscellaneous Income 2,371
Summer Food Services / MO Department of Health 1,812
HOME REPAIR 543,069
Home Repair / City of Joplin 133,719
HOME Repair Opportunity / MO Housing Development Commission 409,350
HOUSING 2,427,131
Chronically Homeless / US Department of Housing and Urban Development 48,027
CoC Planning Grant / US Department of Housing and Urban Development 14,075
Coordinated Entry / City of Joplin 23,059
Coordinated Entry / MO Housing Development Commission 4,386
ESCDC Rental Units / Client Payments 38,406
Family Self Sufficiency / US Department of Housing and Urban Development 46,590
Housing Assistance Grant / MO Housing Development Commission 78,797
Housing Assistance Operating Grant / MO Housing Development Commission 136,182
Housing Choice Voucher / US Department of Housing and Urban Development 1,527,331
Interest 1,115
Miscellaneous Income 4,918
Rapid ReHousing / US Department of Housing and Urban Development 105,145
Rental Assistance Program / MO Department of Mental Health 10,065
Rental Assistance Program / US Department of Housing and Urban Development 88,491
Shelter Plus Care / MO Department of Mental Health 225,423
Shelter Plus Care / US Department of Housing and Urban Development 75,121
OTHER 33,025
Donations 489
Interest 8,349
Miscellaneous Income 2,417
Rent Income / Legal Aide, ACCESS Health 21,770
WEATHERIZATION 733,349
Donations 200
Miscellaneous Income 1,530
Weatherization Assistance Program / Empire District Electric 156,603
Weatherization Assistance Program / US Department of Energy 575,016
Grand Total 19,987,122
ESC is a private non-profit 501(c)3 corporation. The total expenditures for the October 2017 through September 2018 fiscal year were $19,987,121. There were
no findings for any program in the most current completed audit. Jasper County Public Housing Agency’s A-133 Audit also resulted in no area of deficiency or noncompliance.
Roberts, McKenzie, Mangan, and Cummings, a Certified Public Accounting firm from Springfield, MO performed both audits.
Locations & Contact Information
LOCATION COUNTY TYPE OF LOCATION
302 S. Joplin Ave., Joplin, MO 64801 Jasper Corporate Office, Outreach,
Phone: (417) 781-0352 | Fax: (417) 781-1234 or (417) 781-0563
Head Start/ Early Head Start
Housing Fax: (417) 627-2092
Administrative Office & Housing
712 S. Highway 59, Anderson, MO 64831 McDonald Outreach,
Outreach Phone: (417)845-6011 | Fax: (417) 845-6012
Anderson Head Start/Early
Head Start Phone: (417) 845-6644 | Fax: (417) 845-8219
Head Start Home Based
Early Head Start Child Care - 713 Anderson Street, Anderson, MO 64831
Early Head Start Phone: (417) 845-8971 | Fax: (417) 845-8972
206 Roney, Carl Junction, MO 64834 Jasper Carl Junction Head Start
Phone: (417) 649-5746 | Fax: (417) 649-7981
739 East 7th Street, Carthage, MO 64836 Jasper Carthage Early Head
Early Head Start Phone: (417) 313-8550 | Fax: (417) 313-8545
Start Home Visitors
Outreach Phone: (417) 388-7030 | Fax: (417) 313-8545
and Outreach
1810 S. Baker Boulevard, Carthage, MO 64836 Jasper Carthage Head Start
Head Start Phone: (417) 359-8870 or (417) 358-7273 | Fax: (417) 359-9168
706 Orchard St. | Carthage, MO 64836 Jasper Carthage Early Head Start
(417) 313-5144 | Fax: (417) 313-5136 Child Care Center
520 S. School Ave., Joplin, MO 64801 Jasper Ewert Park Early Head
(417) 952-2070 | Fax: (417) 952-2069 Start Child Care Center
1101 S. Illinois, Joplin, MO 64801 Jasper Midtown Head Start & Early Head
(417) 553-3530 | Fax: (417) 553-3565 Start Child Care Center
550 Fortune Teller Road, Granby, MO 64844 Newton Granby Head Start
Phone: (417) 472-7118 | Fax: (417) 472-7248
1924 W. 4th Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Jasper Home Repair &
Phone: (417) 781-4437 | Fax: (417) 781-1961
Weatherization
1706 East 4th Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Jasper North Joplin Early Head
Phone: (417) 726-5208 | Fax: (417) 726-5218
Start Home Visitors
1200 North Main Street, Joplin MO 64801 Jasper North Joplin Head Start
Head Start Phone: (417) 781-4497 | Fax: (417) 781-6660
4230 S. Richard Joseph Boulevard West, Joplin, MO 64804 Newton South Joplin Early Head
Head Start Phone: (417) 781-1179 | Fax: (417) 781-1187
Start Child Care Center
4302 S. Richard Joseph Boulevard West, Joplin, MO 64804 Newton South Joplin Head Start
Head Start Phone: (417) 781-5728 | Fax: (417) 206-3319
405 Walnut Street, Lamar, MO 64759 Barton Lamar Early Head Start Child
Early Head Start Classroom Phone: (417) 681-0066
Care Center, Early Head Start
Early Head Start Phone: (417) 682-0451 | Fax: (417) 681-0066
Outreach Phone: (417) 682-5591 | Fax: (417) 682-5592
Home Visitors & Outreach
1806 Hagny Street, Lamar, MO 648759 Barton Lamar Head Start
Head Start Phone: (417) 682-5744 | Fax: (417) 682-3880
16381 E. State Hwy. 76, Rocky Comfort, MO 64861 McDonald Longview Head Start
Phone: (417) 628-3200 | Fax: (417) 628-3233
116 N. Jefferson, Neosho, MO 64850 Newton Neosho Early Head Start
Outreach Phone: (417) 451-2206 | Fax: (417) 451-9626
Home Visitors and
Early Head Start Phone: (417) 451-5507 | Fax: (417) 451-4847
Outreach
750 National Guard Road, Neosho, MO 64850 Newton Neosho Head Start and
Head Start Phone: (417) 451-5709
Early Head Start
Early Head Start Phone: (417) 313-5144 | Fax: (417) 455-0885
628 Johnson Drive, Noel, MO 64854 McDonald County Noel Head Start & Early
Phone: (417) 475-6450 | Fax: (417) 475-7377
Head Start Child Care Center
719 N. Main Street, Southwest City, MO 64863 McDonald County Southwest City Early
Phone: (417) 762-3456 | Fax: (417) 762-3413
Head Start Child Care Center
101 North 17th Street, Sarcoxie, MO 64862 Jasper Sarcoxie Head Start
Phone: (417) 548-7325 | Fax: (417) 548-0012
300 North College, Webb City, MO 64870 Jasper Webb City Head Start
Phone: (417) 673-5967 | Fax: (417) 673-8041
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