INFORMATION SOUGHT ON LOW-INCOME NEEDS

East Missouri Action Agency is conducting a survey to make sure it is adequately meeting the needs of low-income residents in the region.

The agency provides funds and services to low-income residents in 19 Missouri counties, including Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry. Individual county agencies conduct a needs-assessment survey annually to help prepare budgets for the next fiscal year.

"The different perspectives really help us when we have to apply for our grants that we use to operate with," said Kevin Sexton, community service representative for the Cape Girardeau County office. "We use these types of surveys to justify our spending."

Surveys will be distributed locally as people visit EMAA offices or at joint agency meetings such as when members of the Community Caring Council meet. Sexton said 150 to 200 responses are expected from each county.

"I think it's accurate because we're not doing any kind of estimates or extrapolating numbers out. We're actually getting the grass-roots opinion of what is causing poverty in this region," he said.

Survey participants are asked to answer questions about their income range and living conditions. They are also to review topics such as employment, education, housing, nutrition and use of income, and rank the top issues in their community.

"We need to find out their concerns in order to be effective," said Sexton. "We may think the biggest problem here in Cape Girardeau is transportation, while somebody else may think affordable housing is the biggest problem."

Although the survey is only being distributed to a targeted population, anyone interested in issues concerning low-income residents is encouraged to participate. Only by identifying a community's concerns can services to the poverty stricken be improved, said Sexton.

If people work together to find solutions to problems facing the poor, the entire community benefits, he said.

Said Sexton: "The issues of poverty affect everybody in the community. If we can improve the standard of living in the lives of those people, everybody in the community would benefit."

To receive a survey by mail, call (573) 334-5533 or (800) 430-2978. Surveys may also be picked up at any East Missouri Action Agency office.