Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency

Mission To assist individuals, families and communities achieve their greatest potential.

VisionThe vision of Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency is a better way of life!

Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency or NMCAA--Established in 1965--Located in Northeast Missouri

Serving *Five counties: Adair Clark Knox Schuyler Scotland

--Non-for-profit agency, funded through State and Federal grant allotments--Operating budget of approximately four million dollars a year --Provides services through fourteen NMCAA Service/Head Start Centers --118 personnel--Governed by a fifteen member Board of Directors--Head Start is additionally governed by a 9 member Policy Council --Direct and Indirect services (community partnerships and referral networks) to low income populations.

*NMCAA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program provides direct services to seven additional counties in northeast Missouri including Macon, Marion, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Shelby, and Sullivan.

Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency

NMCAA Organizational Structure

Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency(NMCAA)

Head Start

Early Head Start 0-3

Prenatal

Head Start3-5

Child and

Adult Care Food

Program

(CACFP)

Outreach

Emergency

Services

Dollar

More

Lewis

County ElectricMissouri

Housing Trus

t Fun

d (MHTF

)Emergenc

y Shelter Grant

Program (ESGP)Federal Emergenc

y Management Agency (FEMA

)Homeless Challenge

Clean

Slate

ProgramHomeless Prevention and Rapid

Re-Housing (HPRR)Keeping

Current

(LIHEAP)

Low Incom

e Heati

ng Energ

y Assistance

Program

Energy Assistance

(EA)

Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP)

Community Servic

es Block Grant (CSGB

)

Community Coordination/Resource Development Initiatives(CCRD)

Family Development CredentialingCommunity GardensTransportation SupportsEnhanced GED SupportsExtended Childhood Intervention

Family Development Initiatives (FD)

Intake/Assessment/Referrals (IAR's)Family Supports (Case management)Family Crisis ResponseLife SkillsBack To School Readiness Fairs

HousingWeatherizatio

n (WX)

Direct Services• Head Start

• Promoting the growth and development of children, parents and staff• Comprehensive educational and social service programs for 322 children from birth to age five and their families (Including Prenatal) • Developmental screenings and assessments, medical and dental exams and follow-up, home visits

• The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) • Nutrition program established to improve the quality of meals and snacks served in childcare settings• NMCAA’s CACFP initiative provides support for 39 licensed or registered day care homes with approximately 700 children benefiting

from healthy, nutritious meal service

• Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)– Energy Assistance (EA)

• NMCAA provides approximately 1900 households with support each year through the energy assistance program

– Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) • NMCAA provides support for approximately 1200 families in Northeast Missouri through the ECIP program annually• NMCAA’s ECIP program provides, at no cost, up to 50 air condition units per year to households in need

• Emergency Services– Dollar More

• Households can receive a maximum of $600 per year though the Dollar More program. NMCAA supports approximately 35 households per year

Direct Services• Emergency Services

– Dollar More • Households can receive a maximum of $600 per year though the Dollar More program• NMCAA supports approximately 35 households per year

– Lewis County Rural Electric Cooperative • Onetime utility support to low-income Lewis County REC customers up to a maximum of $600 per program year• NMCAA has utilized this program each year to assist 40 households.

– Missouri Housing Trust Fund (MHTF) • Provide eligible program participants with rent or utility deposits for establishing a new residence (Homeless or Evection)• NMCAA uses the MHTF program to support between 18-20 individuals and families per year

– Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESGP)• Provides assistance to households that are homeless or in threat of becoming homeless• ESGP funds are available in Clark, Knox, Schuyler, and Scotland counties• NMCAA helps on average 45-50 individuals and families per year through the ESGP program.

– Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)• Eviction prevention program designed to provide eligible program participants with emergency rent/mortgage assistance, rent

payments, and utility assistance• NMCAA assist between 25-30 households per year by utilizing FEMA funding.

– Keeping Current• The program will be funded by AmerenUE shareholders and its customers• The pilot program provides for tiered bill credits, arrearage forgiveness and a requirement for eligible customers to apply for available

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and weatherization assistance.• NMCAA expects to assist 20 to 25 households through the Keeping Current program

Direct Services• Weatherization

• provided to households in an effort to reduce energy use and expenses by installing cost effective, energy efficient measures that result in safer, healthier, and more comfortable homes

• NMCAA’s weatherization crews deliver these services yearly to 55 single family, multi-family, and mobile homes across Northeast Missouri.

• Community Service Block Grant (CSBG)– Community Coordination/Resource Development (CCRD) Initiatives

• Gardening Communities– Low wage earners are engaged ,along with community partners, in all process of establishing and maintaining either a

community garden or an individual garden – Currently supporting Schuyler County and Adair County– Seeks to engage 50 participants in 2011

• General Education Diploma (GED)Supports– Providing GED preparation classes in communities where service are not available – Currently implemented in Clark County– 15 individuals are expected to receive their GED in 2011

• Extended Children Intervention Supports – Extending educational supports to children and low wage earning families into primary grade school systems– Schuyler and Adair Counties are being piloted for this project – Estimated that 30 households will receive supports service

• Transportation Supports– Focus is providing vehicle maintenance education and reduce vehicle maintenance cost for low wage earners – Currently implemented in Knox and Adair Counties– Hopes to assist 30 households in 2011

• Family Development Credentialing (FDC)– To enhance case management services provided to low wage earners in the region.– Year long FDC classes are provided to NMCAA employees and other social services agency employees– 12 NMCAA employees are targeted to receive their FDC certification in 2011.

Direct Services• Family Development Initiatives

– Intake/Assessment/Referrals (IAR) • comprehensive system used to provide low-income individuals and families with the appropriate supports needed to achieve their

greatest potential• IAR’s assist individuals and families in expediting emergency support services, identifying specific individual and family needs, and

referring individuals and families to appropriate agency and/or community resources to meet targeted goals• NMCAA supports 1200 customers each year though the Intakes/Assessment/Referral process.

– Family Supports• assists any low-income individual in achieving employment or educational goals that would improve employability• NMCAA can support an unlimited number of individuals through the Family Support initiative.

– Life Skills • provides, through a series of classes, useful information and skills development to low-income youth and adults• Information and skills that individuals can apply to daily living practices and use to attain personal goals• NMCAA provides life skills classes to 100 individuals, on average, each year

– Back to School Readiness • provides school age youth with school supplies, information, health screenings, and other related services to better prepare

participating youth and their families for the upcoming school year• NMCAA assist 300 youth each year through the Back to School Readiness initiative.

Indirect Services

• Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency has established indirect services through referral networks or community partnerships in Northeast Missouri.

Poverty Quiz

PowerPoint adapted from the Half in Ten ProjectHalf in Ten is a project of

www. Halfinten.org

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Assuming full-time, year-round employment, how much would a parent have to earn to rent a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent without spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing (the conventional standard for affordable housing)?

$7.25 per hour/$15,080 per year

$10.78 per hour/$22,422 per year

$15.22 per hour/$31,657 per year

$18.44 per hour/$38,360 per year

A parent would need to earn $18.44 per hour, more than double the federal minimum wage, to afford to rent a modest two-bedroom apartment at a fair market rent without exceeding their housing budget.

Regional Data

Household Income

County Average Hourly Wage ($) Average Annual Wage ($)

Adair 13.02 27,078

Clark 10.78 22,424

Knox 11.27 23,445

Schuyler 11.51 23,938

Scotland 11.94 24,844

Report Area 11.70 24,346

Statewide 19.24 40,024

Source: Missouri Department of Economic Development, Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, All Industries, Public and Private, data for calendar year 2009.

More than 40 million people received food stamp or SNAP benefits in 2009. What was the average daily benefit per household in 2009?

$30.00

$21.00

$15.00

$9.00

Households receiving SNAP benefits in 2009 received a benefit of less than $10.00 per day to meet their hunger and nutrition needs.

Regional Data

County Average Monthly Persons Receiving Benefits

Average Monthly Benefit Payment ($)

Total Benefits Issued ($)

Adair 3,081 70 2,581,181

Clark 984 64 760,746

Knox 449 66 358,194

Schuyler 543 66 429,887

Scotland 433 59 305,492

Report Area 1,098 65 4,435,500

Statewide 816,225 78 761,192,859

Source: Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division, Annual Data Report, Fiscal Year 2007.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps)

In rural Missouri, for example, a single parent with two preschool-age children would need more than $34,600 to pay for necessities like rent, food, and child care. What is the federal poverty line for a family of four?

$18,350

$22,350

$40,350

$60,350

Millions of families across the country struggle to pay for high-cost necessities like food, rent, and child care, but the poverty line is only $22,350 for a family of four. The official statistics showing 43.6 million Americans living in poverty severely underestimate the number of Americans struggling to make ends meet. In fact, 2009 data show that last year one in three Americans were “low income,” meaning they earned less than twice the poverty level.

Regional Data

County One Adult One Adult, One Child

Two Adults Two Adults, One Child

Two Adults, Two Children

Adair 6.71 13.74 10.79 17.80 23.35

Clark 6.47 13.40 10.56 17.49 23.03

Knox 6.47 13.40 10.56 17.49 23.03

Schuyler 6.47 13.40 10.56 17.49 23.03

Scotland 6.47 13.40 10.56 17.49 23.03

Report Area 6.52 13.47 10.61 17.55 23.09

Statewide 7.39 14.87 11.80 19.28 25.33

Source: Poverty in America, Living Wage Calculator, 2008. (© 2010 Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier and The Pennsylvania State University)

Living Wage Employment

How many children live in households struggling with hunger?

One in six

One in five

One in four

One in three

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly one in four children, or 23.3 percent, live in households struggling with hunger. Hunger and food insecurity affect educational performance and health outcomes. Under nutrition affects children's ability to learn. Chronic hunger therefore results in persistent learning difficulties, which has long-term impacts on children. Hunger also contributes to many health problems, including obesity.

Regional Data

County % Households food Uncertain

% HH w /children Food Uncertain

% Food Uncertain with Hunger

Adair 13.7 23.5 5.4

Clark 11.3 18.3 4.1

Knox 9.5 16.8 3.2

Schuyler 11.7 19.0 4.1

Scotland 12.8 19.5 4.5

Report Area 11.8 19.42 4.26

Statewide 15.8 23.4 7.2

Source: University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources 2010 Food Atlas

Adair Clark Knox Schuyler Scotland Region State0

5

10

15

20

25

HH w/Food UncertainHH w/Children Food UncertainFood Uncertain w/Hunger

Food Insecurity

How much does child poverty cost our economy every year?

$400 Million

$500 Billion

$600 Million

$700 Billion

A recent Half in Ten-commissioned report by Dr. Harry Holzer found that child poverty costs the economy more than $500 billion a year in lost productivity and increased health care and criminal justice expenditures.

Regional Data

Poverty Rates

County All Ages Age 0-17 Age 5-17

Number of Persons

Poverty Rate Number of Persons

Poverty Rate Number of Persons

Poverty Rate

Adair 6,057 27.3 1,070 23.4 632 19.9

Clark 1,081 15.4 388 24.4 257 22.4

Knox 669 17.0 265 29.2 172 25.6

Schuyler 783 19.4 272 32.2 186 29.6

Scotland 711 15.3 269 22.3 161 18.5

Report Area 9,301 22.2 2,264 24.8 1,408 21.7

Statewide 1,549,873 13.5 526,011 18.9 330,836 16.6

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), 2008.

Which racial-ethnic group has the largest number of people living in poverty?

White/Caucasian

African American

Asian American

Latino

The White/Caucasian group makes up the largest racial-ethnic group living in poverty today despite common (and inaccurate) stereotypes about the demographics of those in poverty. Following this group are African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. African Americans and Latinos, however, suffer disproportionate rates of poverty

State DataPoverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity, states (2008-2009), U.S. (2009)

 MO#

MO%

US#

US%

White 748,800 15% 26,494,800 13%

Black 221,500 34% 12,897,900 35%

Hispanic 73,600 43% 16,702,200 34%

Other 42,900 23% 4,844,100 23%

Total 1,086,700 18% 60,939,000 20%

Source: Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity - Kaiser State Health Facts

True or false: The number of poor people in the United States is greater than the population of Canada.

True

False

Canada's population is approximately 33.7 million people. The number of people living below the poverty line in the United States is 43.6 million, which far surpasses the entire population of Canada.

Regional Data

Households In

Poverty

County Total Households,

2000

Households in Poverty, 2000

% Households in Poverty,

2000

Total Households, 2006-2008

Households in Poverty, 2006-

2008

% Households in Poverty, 2006-2008

Adair 9,645 287 2.98 9,403 7 0.07

Clark 2,967 128 4.31 no data no data no data

Knox 1,794 199 11.09 no data no data no data

Schuyler 1,725 63 3.65 no data no data no data

Scotland 1,895 128 6.75 no data no data no data

Report Area 18,026 805 4.47

Statewide 2,197,214 39,097 1.78 2,317,739 11,537 0.50

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 1, 2000.; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008 Data Release, December 2009. Note: American Community Survey data only available for areas with 20,000 or more persons.

In which geographic area are numbers of poor residents rising fastest?

Urban

Suburban

Rural

A Center for American Progress report reveals that the largest increase of poor residents is in the nation's suburbs.

Regional DataRural Homelessness One of every four rural families pays too much for their housing, and 189 of the nation's 200 poorest counties are rural.

Rural minorities are disproportionately poor. The overall rural poverty rate is 14.6 %, while 33 % of African Americans, 27 % of Hispanics, and 30 % of Native Americans in rural areas are poor.

Nearly 30 % of non-metro households – more than 6.2 million – have at least one major housing problem.

Funding for federal rural housing programs has not kept pace with need.

The gap in median earnings between NY-14, the nation’s wealthiest congressional district, and NY-16, one of the country’s poorest districts (which is just a few subway stops away), is around…

$40,000

$30,000

$20,000

$10,000

According to the 2010-2011 American Human Development Report, the median earnings in one of the wealthiest districts (NY-14) was more than $60,000 in 2009 while the median earnings in one of the poorest districts (NY-16) was nearly $18,000 in 2009. The districts are only a few subway stops away from one another, but the gap in median earnings tops $40,000. In fact, overall income inequality is at its highest levels since before the Great Depression.

State Data

Wealthiest County: St. Charles CountyCounty Seat: St. CharlesPopulation: 349,407Median Income: $57,309HH in Poverty: 2.8%

Poorest County: Shannon CountyCounty Seat: EminencePopulation: 8,423Median Income: $24,835HH in Poverty: 26.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), 2008.

If Congress fails to make expansions to the child tax credit permanent by the end of 2010, how much will a parent with two children who works full time in a minimum wage position lose in their tax credit?

$500.00

$800.00

$1,000.00

$1,500.00

If Congress fails to make permanent the important expansions of the child tax credit, a parent of two children who works full time at the minimum wage could lose nearly $1,500 of their tax credit. Such a change would cause more than 18 million kids to lose some or all of their child tax credit and push 600,000 children of working parents into poverty

Regional Data

County Total Income Tax Returns

Total Returns Claiming EITC

Total EITC Amount Average EITC Amount per Return

Adair 9,146 1,606 2,891,335 1,800.33

Clark 2,885 661 1,154,717 1,746.92

Knox 1,813 360 736,259 2,045.16

Schuyler 1,991 439 798,386 1,818.65

Scotland 1,981 332 593,941 1,788.98

Report Area 17,816 3,398 6,174,638 1,817.14

Statewide 2,655,604 450,188 856,961,969 1,903.56

Source: Brookings Institute, Earned Income Tax Credit Series, Interactive Data, 2006.

Earned Income Tax Credits

Unemployment benefits kept how many Americans out of poverty in 2009?

1.3 Million

2.3 Million

3.3 Million

4.3 Million

Unemployment benefits were instrumental in keeping 3.3 million jobless Americans out of poverty. Unemployment insurance is also a job creator, boosting demand in the economy and keeping small businesses open. A new report shows that without the federal unemployment insurance program there would have been 800,000 fewer jobs as of September 2010. Failure to continue providing federal benefits could result in 600,000 fewer jobs by the end of next year.

Regional Data

UnemploymentRate

County Labor Force Employment Unemployment Unemployment Rate

Adair 13,282.00 12,440.00 842.00 6.3

Clark 3,298.00 3,019.00 279.00 8.5

Knox 2,213.00 2,080.00 133.00 6.0

Schuyler 2,133.00 1,955.00 178.00 8.3

Scotland 2,363.00 2,206.00 157.00 6.6

Report Area 23,289.00 21,700.00 1,589.00 6.8

Statewide 2,983,808.00 2,712,793.00 271,015.00 9.1

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, November 3, 2010.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Fund is a $5 billion fund designed to help states respond to the increased need for services during the recession and create jobs for low-income families in partnership with the private sector. How many subsidized jobs for low-income workers did the TANF Emergency Fund create prior to its expiration on September 30, 2010?

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

The bipartisan job creation engine, the TANF Emergency Fund, created over 250,000 subsidized jobs for low-income and long-term unemployed workers prior to its expiration. Unfortunately, Congress let this program expire, meaning that several states are now forced to shut down these successful jobs programs. This pushes more people into unemployment.

Regional Data

County Persons Receiving TANF TANF Persons per 1000

Adair 158 6.41

Clark 27 3.74

Knox 22 5.42

Schuyler 9 2.19

Scotland 34 7.06

Report Area 250 4.97

Statewide 98,280 16.72

Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri Information for Community Assessment (MICA), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Persons, March 2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

True or false: The U.S. poverty rate has never fallen by more than a third.

True

False

Poverty is not intractable despite (inaccurate) common stereotypes. The U.S. poverty rate fell by more than 40 percent between 1964 and 1973. By rebuilding our economy, creating good jobs, investing in families, and ensuring economic security, we can replicate this success and move millions into the middle class.

Regional Data

County Persons in Poverty, 2000

Poverty Rate, 2000

Persons in Poverty, 2008

Poverty Rate, 2008

Change in Poverty Rate, 2000 - 2008

Adair 3,206 14.4 6,057 27.3 12.90

Clark 918 12.5 1,081 15.4 2.92

Knox 664 15.6 669 17.0 1.33

Schuyler 611 14.8 783 19.4 4.55

Scotland 755 15.5 711 15.3 -0.27

Report Area 6,154 14.4 9,301 22.2 7.86

Statewide 581,212 10.6 774,936 13.5 2.95

Poverty RateChange

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), 2008.

How many Americans will experience poverty at some point in their lifetimes?

One in two

One in three

One in four

One in five

Millions of Americans will experience poverty at some point during their lifetimes, according to a 2007 CAP report. In fact, over a 13-year period, more than one in three people, or 34 percent of all Americans, lived in poverty.

Regional Data

Poverty Ratio

County Persons in Poverty, 2008

Total Population, 2009 Ratio of residents in poverty

Adair 6,057 25,135 1 in 4

Clark 1,081 7,127 1 in 6

Knox 669 3,981 1 in 5

Schuyler 783 4,144 1 in 5

Scotland 711 4,803 1 in 7

Report Area 9,301 45,190 1 in 5

Statewide 774,936 5,987,580 1 in 8

After completing this quiz, you’re feeling…

Shocked

Anxious

Sad

Other

Focus of Poverty IssuesAll efforts made by a Community Action Agency focused on the six national conditions thataffect individuals and families in poverty: (Listed below)

• Income• Employment• Education• Housing• Health and Nutrition• Transportation

Focus Group Discussion