Social Services

By Charles Christian Although there is no shortage of helpful nonprofit organizations in St. Joseph, many of these organizations in the area are struggling to find Spanish interpreters. United Way President Kylee Strough said that most nonprofits are meeting the growing need for Spanish-language interpreters by networking together. “Most of the time, we’re able to

By Leah Rainwater Pivotal Point, a transitional housing facility in St. Joseph, announced Rick Lipira as its new executive director on Wednesday morning. The facility is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering homeless individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency. Pivotal Point uses a “good Samaritan model” when it comes to helping those in need. “We

By NewsPress Now A new leader will be taking the reins of the St. Joseph Community Alliance this month. Tom Brand will start as director on July 29. He replaces Tama Wagner, who served for five years and left in April. Brand attended the University of Missouri and previously served as the executive director of

By NewsPress Now Community members can help kids while having a little fun as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl For Kids’ Sake event. The fundraiser is set for Friday, Aug. 2 at Revolution Lanes, with two bowling sessions at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Participants set up pages on bbbsbfks.org, and teams of

By Kendra Simpson The Youth Alliance of St. Joseph hosted an open house Wednesday, but the home wasn’t worked on by a construction company. The renovations are thanks to the efforts of local teens. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, YouthBuild is a community-based pre-apprenticeship program offering job training to at-risk youth. It helps

By Ashley Luthans United Way of Greater St. Joseph has announced the dates for its annual Stuff the Bus school supplies drive. The 2024 Stuff the Bus event will take place 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, and 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3 at both St. Joseph Walmart

By Kendra Simpson With the hot weather St. Joseph has experienced lately, Community Missions is doing what it can to help everyone feel cool and comfortable. Community Missions’ homeless shelter, also known as My Brother’s House, opened its bathroom and showers for those without regular access to these utilities. “How do we as an organization

By Kendra Simpson When it comes to babies, diapers are nonnegotiable. Every parent needs them, but post-COVID inflation has made it nearly impossible for some families to afford them. Diapers are not covered by government safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Women, Infants and Children program and Medicaid, leaving nearly half

By Ashley Luthans At school, children in need can receive free lunches every day. But during the summer, some parents may be worried about where to get their child’s next meal. Second Harvest Community Food Bank kicked off its annual No Hunger Summer program on Monday, June 17, in St. Joseph to provide free lunches

By Kirsten Stokes Open 365 days a year, serving lunch each day, the Open Door Food Kitchen is preparing for its annual fundraising event at the end of this month. From 5 to 7 p.m. on June 27, the community is welcome to a brisket dinner at the Knights of Columbus No. 5067. Tickets are

By Jenna Wilson St. Joseph’s Hy-Vee supermarket showed its support for Alex’s Lemonade stand by participating in the 21st year of Midwest Lemonade Days on Friday. Hy-Vee supermarkets across the country have raised over $2 million to fight childhood cancer through their participation in Midwest Lemonade Days, supporting all children affected by childhood cancer throughout

By Kyle Schmidt Various agencies and organizations are looking to help the St. Joseph homeless community stay safe and comfortable amid the rising temperatures. “We recently shared a list of those cooling centers, primarily, it’s limited to libraries, both Rolling Hills and St. Joseph Public Library locations during their regular business hours,” said Kylee Strough,

By Chris Fortune A local coffee shop is giving its customers the opportunity to support women at the YWCA by treating them to a drink. Toe Beans Coffee House at 114 S. Eighth St. already has a blessings board inside the shop that works like a pay-it-forward program, but it added a new option this

By Kyle Schmidt Second Harvest Community Food Bank is teaming up with mail carriers to help collect food and end hunger in St. Joseph. The annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, which begins Saturday, May 11, is a collaborative effort between the food bank and the National Association of Letter Carriers. Yellow bags will be

By Jenna Wilson St. Joseph’s Habitat for Humanity already assists people in need on their path to homeownership, but now, the organization is giving people a chance to learn home-building skills as well. Two years ago, the organization applied for American Rescue Plan Act funding to have its ReStore building constructed. In addition to using

By Marcus Clem Whitney Lanning has been fired as executive director of the Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph. Lanning confirmed the news of her Wednesday firing by CAPSTJOE to News-Press NOW. A severance deal is currently being negotiated, she said. “I am proud to have served as the executive director of CAPSTJOE these

By Charles Christian A nonprofit thrift store in St. Joseph will be back to its normal hours next week after a temporary closure. Grace House, located at 2638 Lafayette St., shut down in February because founder and director Ruth Costello underwent a major surgical procedure. However, in a message this week to News-Press NOW, Costello

By Kyle Schmidt St Joseph’s Habitat for Humanity will be wishing its executive director Shay Homeyer good luck as she embarks on a new journey in Nebraska. Homeyer has been with Habitat for 10 years. Though she is leaving the area, her impact will remain in the many projects she has helped happen.  “Our latest

By Jenna Wilson After more than seven years serving as the executive director at Pivotal Point Transitional Housing, Melissa Frakes has announced her plans to retire later this year. Pivotal Point Transitional Housing helps families and individuals overcome homelessness. Under her leadership, the organization has transformed into one that offers hope and positively impacts the

By Chris Fortune Sometimes organizations designed to help people need a little bit of help themselves. The staff at local nonprofits provide social benefits to a community with the help of donors and volunteers, but inadequate staffing can hamper their ability to provide services. The Social Welfare Board at 904 S. 10th St. offers medical,

By Jenna Wilson Immigrants in St. Joseph and local groups gathered this week to discuss challenges that immigrating to the U.S. presents, specifically with careers. The Hometown Immigration Immersion event was prompted by Missionaries of the Precious Blood St. Francis Xavier in St. Joseph, a Catholic community of priests and brothers who wanted to bring

By Jenna Wilson With the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Elite Eight coming into town next week, local groups are asking for the community’s help in cleaning events taking place this weekend. Beautify St. Joseph, a volunteer group that works to create cleaner neighborhoods for the St. Joseph community, is starting its spring cleaning Downtown

By Jenna Wilson The United Way of Greater St. Joseph is seeking help from local volunteers to evaluate various partner agencies and determine where future donor dollars will go. “Most people are familiar with the United Way from our annual fundraising campaign where from the generosity of the community, we’ve raised about two and a

By Charles Christian Grace House, a resource that has been serving those in need for nearly two decades, has closed temporarily. Founder and director Ruth Costello said the reason for the temporary closure is her upcoming heart surgery. Costello, who founded Grace House in 2005, said that a lung infection prior to the planned surgery

By Jenna Wilson River Bluff Brewing partnered with St. Joseph’s Friends of the Animal Shelter to host its 2nd annual Puppy Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl game. The Animal Shelter is continuously looking to find forever homes for animals and hosting a puppy bowl on game day is one way to get community members

By Jenna Wilson St. Joseph’s Social Welfare Board is turning a new page in 2024, with changes to its leadership model and a new executive director. The Social Welfare Board recently announced it will be returning to a nurse-led leadership model for the clinic, meaning it will now be managed by registered nurses and clinical

By Jazmine Knight Gov. Mike Parson discussed a new budget plan for child care subsidies in the future during his State of the State address, but local child care leaders say while it will beneficial, it won’t solve everything.  Upon approval from the legislature, the budget would increase subsidy spending by $51.7 million. “There’s a

By Kyle Schmidt Tax season can be nerve-wracking, especially for those who can’t afford services to help, but community members in need don’t have to handle it alone. InterServ is offering tax help to those with a low income or other eligible people in need. Mike Ritter, InterServ volunteer service manager, spoke about the program’s