When Barry County residents need financial assistance, one of the first places they could seek help is the Barry County Neighborhood Center.

Since 1969, the Center, established by the Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation, has served thousands upon thousands of residents and families. The last calendar year alone, more than 700 individuals and 450 families have received some kind of service, from rent or utility assistance to clothing, school supplies, food, housing and more.

After Sept. 16, accessing some of those services may be a bit more challenging, as cuts to federal funding that supports the Center are forcing its closure.

Before I delve into how impactful the Barry County Neighborhood Center’s services are, consider these facts about Barry County.

The median household income in 2023 was $56,611, about 82% of the Missouri median and about 75% of the national median.

The poverty rate was 15.5%, affecting more than 5,000 residents in our nearly 35,000 population. The Missouri and national averages are 12.6% and 12.4%, respectively.

About 1-in-4 children in Barry County live in poverty, as well as more than 11% of seniors 65 and older.

Whether you are part of these demographics or not, one thing is certain — more of our neighbors, on average, need help than most areas of the state and country.

The Barry County Neighborhood Center has been a beacon for individuals in need, offering assistance not available in other counties. One example of that is the clothing room, where people who do not have extra money for clothes for themselves — or their children — can shop in a specified space for free.

Holidays in low-income households also get a boost of spirit thanks to the Neighborhood Center receiving donations from Walmart after each season. Decor is organized and saved for the following year, then given to families who simply cannot afford festive items with the cost of food, medications or utilities, among other bills.

The Neighborhood Center also personalizes assistance to its clients. Carrie Beck, family resource specialist, told me last week some of their clients needing food assistance are homeless. The Neighborhood Center staff knows that about those individuals, so they package items specifically for that situation.

When Beck said plainly during the interview, “I’m not going to give somebody sleeping in their car a raw chicken,” I was hit with a pinch of perspective. I was simultaneously proud to live in a community where we look out for our friends and neighbors to help in productive ways — a hand up, not a hand out, as Beck said.

All OACAC’s Neighborhood Centers have been funded by the Community Service Block Grant program, which was fully eliminated by President Donald Trump’s “skinny” budget in May.

Critics of the program say the funds lacked oversight and were prone to misuse for non-poverty reduction programs like DEI or energy-efficiency investment.

I have not researched enough to know if this is true or untrue, but the truth I do know is without the Barry County Neighborhood Center, those facing poverty will have less opportunity to escape it.

While OACAC-wide programs like LiHEAP, Section 8, Head Start, family planning and weatherization will still be available through the organization’s regional hubs, programs initiated specifically in Barry County may go by the wayside.

Beck said she is seeking other avenues to keep these programs alive, specifically the clothing room, Share Your Christmas and the Back to School Extravaganza. I have no doubt she will succeed, and our community will find solutions, but with the Neighborhood Center’s closing, it will take extra effort on our part as Barry County residents to make those goals a reality.

If you want to help in this effort, contact Beck before Sept. 19 at 417-847-2140.

To maintain services and quality of life for those who need the hand up, hands in the community must reach out.

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023.

He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a three-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com.