Multiple groups gather to fundraise for “Buchanan County Kids”
DOWNTOWN ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- An all-day fundraising event is taking place at two downtown favorites to raise awareness for an initiative hoping to be on the ballot in November.
Buchanan County Kids (BCK), or what supporters hope to call Prop K if it hits the ballot on November 3, would be a Children's Services Fund to help kids in the county with mental health issues, basic health, and more.
According to BCK, Buchanan County ranked 84th out of Missouri's counties in 2021 for Child well-being. They also state that 20.2% of children under 18 are living in poverty.
Prop K, as it would be called on the ballot, would be a 1/4-cent sales tax spread across all county purchases except property taxes. The sheet provided by BCK states that the return for the tax would be 1:24 of every dollar invested into children's well-being.
To ease county residents' worries, they say over 45% of Buchanan County sales tax revenue comes from people who live outside the county.
One of the many groups that state they would benefit from helping children through this ballot initiative is Voices of Courage. Director of Operations for the program, Melissa Birdsell, shared that she believes this instance is special for how many programs are coming together for the good of a collective group.
"It's something we haven't done before. So this is really exciting for all of us to work together and show up. You have a show of force with the community and to say, hey, we're gonna all work together to get this done," Birdsell said. "It's not going to just one agency. This isn't about us. This is about Buchanan County kids. "
Another organization involved in supporting and planning the fundraiser on Saturday was Danielle Brown, CEO of the St. Joseph YWCA.
"This focuses on ten core areas, and those include shelter and temporary housing for kids, counseling, prevention efforts, support for families with children who are having mental health issues, not even necessarily a crisis, but something pops up," Brown shared. "Let's make sure we take care of something before it becomes a bigger problem. "
These groups say they believe Prop K isn't just about helping the county's youth, but about bettering the adults of tomorrow. They say this assistance could reduce substance abuse treatment, lost wages, and criminal justice system costs for the county in the future.
They also believe it will lower health care costs and increase graduation rates.
Birdsell also told KQ2 that if passed, a nine-member board would decide which children involved groups in the county would receive money from Prop K.
For more information on the Buchanan County Kids' Prop K ballot initiative, click here.
