A local nonprofit is planning transitional homes in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — A nonprofit is getting help from the community to get up and running.

Vita Nova Village is raising funds to build several transitional homes.

“Vita Nova Village was born out of the idea of creating something to provide the next step to homeless people once they were ready to leave the shelters,” said Rhonda Thompson, Co-founder of Vita Nova Village.

Saturday night Vita Nova Village hosted a chili and pie tasting fundraiser at the Joplin Greenhouse and Garden Center.

“Our plan is to provide targeted training and education along with their own private living space their own individual home with no connecting walls. So they can go in and lock their door at night and like we do every night be at home,” said Thompson.

The village will consist of six, one bedroom homes that are 430 square feet.

“It sounds super tiny, but when you walk in one you would be amazed at how spacious they look and how homey they feel,” said Thompson.

Four Joplin residents came up with the idea last fall as a way to help curb the homeless population.

“I was homeless for a few years in this town and I was on drugs for a long time and I was lucky. I was able to go to a welding school and be able to utilize that program. I’m just hoping we can pull some of these other people that are less fortunate and have the same opportunity to get where I’m today,” said William Hillegus, Co-founder of Vita Nova Village.

The nonprofit is looking for several acres to build the village along with volunteers and sponsors to build each $35,000 home.

“There is a way out. And we will help to show you the way. It’s really up to them is to how much they want to pursue it. But we will show them and give them the tools to hopefully never be homeless again,” said Hillegus.

Transitional home for expectant mothers opens

JOPLIN, Mo. — A nonprofit that gives young homeless women a safe place to stay is unveiling its newest addition.

LovinGrace held a ribbon cutting and tour this afternoon for its second transitional home called Doris House.

It’s a maternity home that has accommodations for seven young expectant mothers and their babies.

The facility has been in the works for three years and helps women ages 17 to 24.

“We have chores here and so that really helps with life skills. and then having all these friends here. We become friends and we’re like a family. They’ve helped me get a job,” Brooklyn Hollis, Doris House Resident.

“We’re hoping that they have a home to go to a stable home. That they have healthy boundaries. And the sense of community and people that are out there to help them and the tools they need to succeed,” said Melissa Thomas, LovinGrace Executive Director.

LovinGrace also offers parenting classes and helps women get their GED.

Joplin's H.E.A.T., Homeless Emergency Action Team, takes initiative

JOPLIN, Mo. — Individuals experiencing homelessness face many hardships, and extreme winter and summer temperatures can be deadly. Following winter’s below freezing weather, locals recognized the need to have a plan in place to aid Joplin’s homeless population when crises strike.

In February 2021, H.E.A.T. — the Homeless Emergency Action Team of Joplin — was formed to assemble that plan. The group is taking charge to provide emergency response and temporary shelter for the homeless community during extreme temperatures.

But providing emergency response during critical weather isn’t the only thing the group will do, H.E.A.T. will also offer year-round Street Teams to assist the unhoused and meet their immediate needs.

Emergency response during critical weather

H.E.A.T. will have a dedicated storage facility housing the supplies needed to open an emergency shelter. During a crisis, those supplies will be transported to a temporary shelter where H.E.A.T. will set up the facility.

H.E.A.T. volunteers will be needed to make the temporary shelter possible.

Volunteers will be trained to:

  • Provide emergency medical services, security for the facility and more.
  • Offer transportation for guests as needed.
  • Check guests in, issue supplies to guests and keep track of the census.
  • Acquire and serve meals to guests.

General volunteers will help in these various areas.

The location of the temporary shelter is to be decided before summer, when cooling stations will be necessary. H.E.A.T Director Joe Johnson says it should be located in Downtown Joplin where the majority of the homeless population is located.

Year-round Street Teams

Street Team members will have a year-round presence in the community. They will provide “on the spot” services to homeless citizens, refer local resources and provide transportation on an emergency basis.

“We’re not trying to start a [permanent] homeless shelter… We’re more interested in meeting the immediate needs of the folks,” said Johnson.

“We’re going to be going around and actively seeking homeless folks… In our vehicles will be supplies. There will be water, sunscreen, rain ponchos, first aid, whatever is necessary to help that person out in that moment,” he said.

But the H.E.A.T. Street Teams plan to take it even further when it comes to caring for the unhoused. Johnson says the biggest issue facing our homeless community is addiction, and that they need help from others to overcome it.

“For them to be able to get the motivation to go check themselves into a program, it’s difficult, it’s almost impossible because they have no support system. We want to be that support system,” he said. “All of us need that in our lives.”

The Street Teams will help homeless individuals get checked into recovery facilities. They will also come visit throughout their stay and provide support, helping them feel like “people care with no expectations.”

These outings will take place whenever volunteers are available.

Background

When last winter’s emergency temperatures occurred, churches and agencies like Minnie Hackney in Joplin offered warming stations for certain periods of time. Many volunteers, groups and businesses came together to meet the homeless population’s needs.

“Something life changing happened to me,” said Johnson about his time volunteering at Minnie Hackney.

But some issues, like transportation to emergency shelters and security within shelters occurred. H.E.A.T. wants to address these issues and others like capacity and fire safety when it comes to their temporary shelter.

“The next time something like that happens we need to be prepared. The city doesn’t have a contingency plan for that,” said Johnson.

Also, most agencies rely on homeless individuals to come to them for help and that presents an issue.

“I know that sounds like that’s not asking much on their part, but it’s not showing an awareness of where the mindset is with these folks,” said Johnson.

The few homeless shelters in Joplin also have rules and restrictions individuals must follow to be let in. Commonly, shelters will turn away individuals that have any alcohol in their system and sometimes guests must adhere to “certain religious principles.”

“Not saying it’s good or bad… We need to recognize they need help first and then the other stuff we can worry about later,” said Johnson. “I don’t want to enable someone to not get better, but building that relationship first is important.”

What the community can do

Johnson encourages Joplin citizens to consider giving to the homeless population in any way they can.

“The number one thing I think paralyzes people from giving is that people don’t feel like they have enough to give… Anything given out of love or empathy is going to blossom,” he said.

Locals can help monetarily or by giving their time and support. Johnson says that this is a chance to be part of something positive in a time of divisiveness.

“If we just let somebody else take care of it and ignore it, we’re also denying the ability to be part of something bigger,” he said. “Our mental health as a community needs it.”

Johnson hopes to have the community’s support. He wants the way Joplin treats its homeless population to serve as a template for surrounding communities.

“We’re hoping that, not just the city of Joplin, but the community sees that we’re having a positive effect… We are going to need the support of the community to make this happen, even if it’s just not going against us,” said Johnson. “Wouldn’t it be great if one of the things Joplin was known for was taking care of our homeless citizens?”

But Johnson explains that this initiative is a two-way street.

“What the homeless folks have to understand is that if they want their quality of life to improve, they’re going to have to give as well and by give I mean be willing to become more community oriented with one another,” he said.

Upcoming events

The next H.E.A.T. meeting is April 14 at 7 p.m., located at 420 S Grand Ave. in Joplin. Chief Furgerson of the Joplin Fire Department and Chief Rowland of the Joplin Police Department will be in attendance to help further plan the type of structure needed to operate the emergency shelter out of.

The group is also planning a local march and party to be held in this spring. They plan to walk then have a get together with elements like music, food, haircuts and medical assessments.

“Our guests of honor will be our homeless folks,” said Johnson.

To stay up to date with H.E.A.T. or get involved, join the H.E.A.T. Facebook group.

Warming centers setup across the Four-States

JOPLIN, Mo. – With the bitterly cold temperatures there are some warming centers opening in the area.

One of those is the Byers Avenue United Methodist Church in Joplin. Officials say they can only have ten people at the most due to COVID restrictions.

They’ve had a number of items donated to help those that are in need of shelter including food and blankets. The church will also be providing snacks and a to-go treat bag for people in the morning when they leave.

“I think about others,” said organizer Jamie Hammond. “Like I think what if that was me? What if I was out in the cold tonight? I have a child. What if me and my child were out in the cold? would someone help us? So I want to be that person who helps other people because I can.”

The shelter is open from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and is located at the corner of 17th and Byers in Joplin. The church is also providing masks, hand sanitizer and even showers if needed.

There several other warming stations in the Four-State area offering similar services.

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church – Joplin, Mo.

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on West 26th street in Joplin is open from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will open at that time each day Monday – Friday.

Minnie Hackney Community Center – Joplin, Mo.

Also in Joplin, the Minnie Hackney Community Center at 110 South Main is open as a warming center. They’re providing hot food and drinks, as well as warm sleeping quarters for anyone in need. They’ll be open all day through Tuesday.

Lamar Memorial Hall – Lamar, Mo.

In the City of Lamar, they’re opening the Lamar Memorial Hall at 11th and Broadway from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. They ask that you do not bring animals to the warming center. For more information on that shelter, you’re asked to call the Lamar Fire Department.

New Hope Christian Church – Miami, Okla.

In Miami, the New Hope Christian Church at 2221 Rockdale is open now until the need passes. They are providing food, cots, blankets and clothes to those who come in for shelter.

Area organizations team up to help the homeless

SOUTHWEST MISSOURI — Two local companies are working on a project to combat homelessness.

Nate Schlueter, Chief Visionary Officer at Eden Village, said, “We think that homes alone will solve homelessness, and the reality is the root cause of homelessness is the catastrophic loss of family.”

Eden Village in Springfield is building communities for those who have lived on the streets for a year. They are working with Village Home Builders in Neosho and Center Creek Teardrops in Carl Junction to make permanent and temporary housing for the homeless.

“We cannot build communities quick enough to meet the demand of people that could afford our housing and be good neighbors. We have 170 people on our waiting list.”

So they turned to Center Creek Teardrops in Carl Junction for a temporary housing solution for the homeless.

Julie Ware, Co-Owner of Center Creek Teardrops, said, “It was exciting to be able to create a space that would a safe, dry place for someone to stay overnight. This gave a person a place that they could get into they could lock themselves in and go ahead and get a really good night sleep in their own space.”

They are creating 22 trailers which are solar powered and can withstand heat and cold temperatures. Meanwhile Village Home Builder in Neosho is putting the finishing touches on their 24th and final tiny house for Eden Village.

Vickie Boyt, Village Home Builders, said, “One of the great things about these houses and the vision of Eden Village is to put people into houses that feel like real homes. When you walk into one you’ll feel a sense of space with the vaulted ceilings and the way they’re laid out I think help to provide integrity to the people who are living there.”

Village Home Builders hopes to deliver the last home in mid-March.