Show Me Hope Missouri counselors provide material aid, emotional support

A local office of crisis counselors at Show Me Hope Missouri have been answering the call to help those in the area affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through counseling and providing various resources.

“Take advantage of it, this program won’t be here forever, thankfully,” said Kyle Schott, local program director and outreach specialist.

During the summer, Show Me Hope was approved to begin operations thanks to funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and they are also facilitated through the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Counselors from Community Counseling Center in Cape Girardeau were repurposed to the Show Me Hope program to serve Cape Girardeau, Perry, Ste. Genevieve, Bollinger and Madison counties.

They provide free and confidential support to those who are suffering for any reason because of the pandemic. Schott said the support is usually emotional or financial. They have provided food, gas vouchers, housing and referrals to support groups and specialized treatment centers.

“The people that we have talked to mostly, they’ve lost their jobs. They have no steady income. We have been in contact with people who have tested positive (for coronavirus), but they were more in need of the emotional support rather than the physical,” crisis counselor Janey Pieper said. Additionally, she said there have been calls about loneliness and isolation.

“The isolation is really taking a toll on people. Especially our older population,” Schott said.

They also serve health care workers and other professionals who might be struggling with the pandemic.

“Hospitals are overloaded; nursing homes are bogged down. It’s not going to get any better for a while,” Schott said. “So whatever we can do that can help [health care workers], whether it’s following up with somebody that they know is being quarantined and might need some extra assistance or providing education or emotional support to some of their staff or any of those kinds of things.”

According to Schott, FEMA programs usually go door to door during a crisis to let those affected know how to get help, but because of the nature of the virus and how it spreads, that method is not used. Instead, they have gotten the word out about the program through social media and passing out pamphlets during the local COVID-19 testing events.

The service is done over the phone by calling (573) 334-1100 and asking to speak to a Show Me Hope counselor. During business hours, they will answer calls and screen voice messages to assess the needs and provide support to any Missourian. There is also a disaster distress helpline for 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week service at (800) 985-5990.

Plans are for Show Me Home counselors to operate until June, but it can be extended, according to Schott.