How One Joplin Works
You don’t have to be an economist to help address the challenges of poverty.
Or a doctor to help improve the health of your community.
Or a teacher to help share the benefits of continued learning.
You’re here because you believe in Joplin’s vibrant neighborhoods. You want to see young families and businesses thrive here. You want to continue thriving here yourself!
At One Joplin, the experience you bring to the table is your own—and it matters.
Whether on an individual or organizational level, you can start making a positive difference in any of Joplin’s areas of need—and all you have to do is show up! Get involved today.
Join one of our specialized teams and
start making a difference today!
Click on the buttons below to learn more about each team:
Our Focus Teams Lead the Way.
We don’t just guess when it comes to pointing out the barriers to progress and prosperity in Joplin. We strive to stay well-informed and well-organized, and many of us have personal connections to the causes we serve. In fact, our teams are composed of volunteers from more than 75 community organizations.
One Joplin continually researches and assembles meaningful data, partnering with local groups who are closest to the issues to better inform our efforts.
Focused on healthy families
and healthy kids.
Meets the third Wednesday of
each month, 11:30 am-1:00 pm
The Health Team is focused on improving the health and wellness of the greater Joplin community by facilitating communication and collaboration among local organizations and volunteers. The team seeks to eliminate health obstacles and create an environment where everyone has the right to a healthy well-being and access to a healthy lifestyle through effective initiatives.
Sub-Teams
Healthy Kids & Families: Focused on efforts to improve youth physical and mental health and wellness through Healthy Kids Move and Healthy Kids Eat Well initiatives. As well as expanding opportunities for low- or no-cost family activities that support nutrition, physical activity, physical and mental health and wellness.
Healthy Workforce: Focused on encouraging employers to adopt workforce wellness programs to increase employee physical and mental health. Providing evidence-based resources, training, and support to Joplin area businesses interested in developing or enhancing a worksite wellness program.
Meeting:
The team meets every third Wednesday of the month, 11:30am-1:00pm.
Long-term Goals:
- Identify, invite and engage with missing organizations and populations within the community and region that should be involved with the Health Team in order to increase communication and collaboration, as well as reduce duplication of services and initiatives by 2024.
- Create and launch a child and family-focused physical and mental health and wellness campaign including positive, inspirational and actionable messaging by 2027.
- Contribute to the creation and/or addition of at least one low or no-cost child and family-focused physical and mental health and wellness activity through collaboration per year for four years by 2027.
- Explore positive cultural and environmental successes from other communities that could be applied to the Joplin community by 2025.
- Develop an employer survey to identify barriers to workforce wellness initiatives and partner with two to three businesses for distribution and follow-up by January 2025.
- Host or identify partnerships to provide one or more workforce wellness educational offerings per year for three years (2024,2025,2026).
- Obtain commitment from at least three regional businesses to apply and/or reapply for WorkWell award by 2026.
- Explore opportunities to recognize workforce wellness excellence such as the Chamber Banquet.
Leadership:
- Andrea Cullers, Team Chair
- Dan Stanley, Healthy Kids & Families Co-Chair
- Peggy Fuller, Healthy Kids & Families Co-Chair
- Kris Drake, Healthy Workforce Co-Chair
- Christopher Terry, Healthy Workforce Co-Chair
Focused on parent engagement, pre-K and kindergarten to third grade.
Meets the first Tuesday of each month, 2:00-3:00 pm
The education and literacy team is focused on supporting childhood literacy to set children up for success in school and the workforce.
The team hosted a Literacy Resource Drive that collected 200+ items for Joplin Parents as Teachers Kindergarten Bootcamp visits and 4,000+ new and gently used books for distribution with stickers highlighting free literacy resources in the community.
Long-term Goals:
- Increase the number of Joplin School students attaining 90% or above school attendance from 86% to 90% to match DESE’s goal of 90% attendance by 90% of students by 2027.
- Increase book distribution to support home libraries by distributing at least 500 children’s and young adult books per year for four years by 2027.
- Create and distribute a print and video family literacy campaign by 2025.
- Increase the number of community story walks by at least four by 2027.
Meeting:
The Education and Literacy Team meets the first Tuesday of each month, 2:00-3:00 pm
Leadership:
- Jessica Pommert, Co-Chair
- Christina Matekel-Gibson, Co-Chair
Focused on social capital, housing
and transportation.
Meets the fourth Wednesday of
each month, 10-11:30 am
The Poverty Team is focused on improving opportunities for low-income community members and assisting the working poor transition from the poverty income level to at least 200% of the poverty income level.
Sub-Teams
The Poverty Team has three sub-teams: Housing, Social Capital and Transportation. The Social Capital Team is taking a brief pause to combine efforts with the newly formed Transportation Team to support issues related to the Trolley closure.
Housing Sub-Team Goals:
- Increase housing opportunities for low-income rentals and ownership.
- Explore the potential for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in the Joplin area.
- Formulate plan for 2nd JUMP duplex.
- Officially kick off Rent Smart renter education.
Transportation Sub-Team Goals:
- Increase transportation opportunities in the community.
- Advocate for community transportation needs.
Social Capital Sub-team Goals:
- Increase opportunities to connect potential mentors to organizations seeking volunteers, offer at least one event per year. Include follow-up strategies after events and encourage organizations to reach out.
- Decrease the number of community members receiving TANF services on a 12-month average (eligible to work but not working) in Jasper County through connection with Bridges, case management services, life skills classes and mentors.
Meeting:
The Poverty Team meets the fourth Wednesday of each month from 10-11:30 am. The meeting format consists of all team discussion, break-out time for sub-team work, sub-team report back and then Agency information sharing of pressing information.
Leadership:
Leadership:
- Brent Baker, Team Co-Chair
- Sabrina Watts, Team Co-Chair
- Dan King, Housing Sub-Team Chair
- Kathy Mason, Transportation Sub-Team Co-Chair
- Emily Williams, Transportation Sub-Team Co-Chair
- Jay St. Clair, Social Capital Sub-Team Chair
