On Aug. 3, the Webster Electric Co-Op held its third quarter Round-Up grant distribution meeting. Webster Electric gave $3,300 to OACAC-Webster County Neighborhood Center, which will use the funds for back-to-school vouchers and Darkness to Light training.
OACAC-Webster County is part of Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to create lasting solutions to poverty for families and communities within Southwest Missouri. They do this by helping people and families in need by providing classes, job opportunities, and events.
One of those needs happens around the time kids go back to class.
"We used to do a big back-to-school fair for Webster County," said Debby Reece, a Supervisor at OACAC.
"But when other churches and organizations started doing those, we realized the community was coming together, so we wanted to provide a different need to help families."
That is when OACAC started to offer vouchers and training classes. Qualifying families receive a $100 voucher to the Marshfield Walmart to get back-to-school clothing. While the training is Darkness into Light, a specialized course that helps parents, grandparents, and guardians identify, prevent, and report signs of child sexual abuse.
"It is tough training," said Reece. "But with that kind of abuse rampant in our county and nationwide parents and guardians need to be aware of what to look out for."
The plan is to hold a course at the Marshfield senior center before school starts, and after the training, those who attend will receive the vouchers.
"Thank you, Webster Electric, for helping us," she added.
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