A grant awarded to the Poplar Bluff Housing Authority in June will assist residents of public housing in taking steps toward housing and economic self-sufficiency, according to Darrin Taylor, executive director of the Poplar Bluff Housing Authority.
The Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency grant was to the housing authority of the city of Poplar Bluff and in the amount of $239,250. It comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The purpose of the ROSS Service Coordinator program is to provide funding to hire and maintain service coordinators who will assess the needs of residents of conventional public housing or Indian housing and coordinate available resources in the community to meet those needs.
The funding covers the total three-year cost of the service coordinator’s salary, benefits, and administrative expenses.
“Self-sufficiency,” Taylor said, “is defined as a household’s ability to maintain financial, housing, and personal/family stability. To achieve self-sufficiency, individuals in a household move along a continuum toward economic independence and stability. Such movement is facilitated by the achievement of educational, professional, health/mental health and financial empowerment-related goals.
“For the ROSS program, self-sufficiency is further defined as a resident’s ability to progress along the self-sufficiency continuum through training and the utilization of supportive services. In the case of elderly/disabled residents, self-sufficiency is defined as the utilization of supportive services which enable them to better age in place or remain living independently for as long as possible,” he said.
Taylor and Rebecca Pacheco, executive director of the Butler County Community Resource Council, wrote and submitted the grant proposal which was accepted and awarded earlier this year.
“We surveyed our residents and identified the top areas with which residents are most concerned,” Taylor said. “We found their top concerns are financial stability, including job training, employment and financial counseling. The availability of health care services along with overall health and wellness, including substance abuse treatment, was of concern to residents.”
“And the largest barriers to achieving self-sufficiency included a lack of transportation and the need for a college education or specialized skills,” he said. “The ROSS program provides additional resources to help us connect to our residents in a holistic approach.”
The local ROSS Grant program is being facilitated by Resident Services Coordinator Melody Dolle Ducote, who was hired in September. Ducote, a Poplar Bluff native, is not new to providing direct services to the community. She has previous experience in Poplar Bluff as a patient advocate for HHS Environmental Services, a contract company from Austin, Texas, that works through Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, and, most recently, as an advocate and former volunteer coordinator for Haven House, Inc., in Poplar Bluff.
In 2017, she worked with Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers running the emergency shelter during the devastating flood in May of that year. Working with the community during the crisis changed the course of her career.
“Ms. Ducote brings her unique qualifications, knowledge, experience and skills to the ROSS Service Coordinator position. From assisting in identifying and creating relationships with community partners and special events, I believe she will do whatever is needed to implement and conduct this program to help our residents succeed,” Taylor said.
“My parents taught me the importance of serving your community and giving your time, talents and resources to those in need,” Ducote said. “For most of my career, I’ve been able to go to work and help people. Not only is that satisfying professionally, but if I can’t help someone, what am I here for? This job allows me to do that. My hope is that those who live in the Poplar Bluff Housing Authority and need services will inquire about the program and see how we can help them become more self-sufficient.”
Supporters of the program include Southeast Missouri Transportation Services, Inc, Butler County Council on Aging, Northside Nutrition Center, Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health, Family Counseling Center, Three Rivers Community College, South Central Missouri Community Action Agency, Butler County Health Department, Southern Care and Comfort, Poplar Bluff Municipal Library and Butler County Community Resource Council.
For more information on the ROSS program contact her at The Poplar Bluff Housing Authority 573-785-8265 ext. 107.