One year of working to 'solve common concerns'

A little over a year ago, Gill Moberly had some time on his hands.

The Marshall-area resident was recovering after surgery, so he was taking the opportunity to catch up on his reading. One item was a recent copy of the Cheney Free Press, where an In Our Opinion editorial on what the publication's editorial board would like to see happen in 2016 highlighted the need for more participation in the community in order to meet the needs of those less fortunate.

Moberly was impressed by the idea, who mentioned it to his wife, Maureen. Maureen had attended a presentation in November by the Greater Spokane Valley Support Network (GSVSN) that had left her impressed as well.

Inspired, the couple contacted former Cheney School District Superintendent Dr. Debra Clemens, who Maureen Moberly said had tried to start something similar to the Valley's effort on the West Plains but without success. The Moberlys felt their experience as administrators with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints volunteer coordinating organization JustServe.org, and the contacts they had through that association, could be of assistance.

So after some phone calls, the West Plains Support Network was born. The first meeting of the WPSN's leadership team was Feb. 17 at the school district administrative site on Needham Hill, and consisted of representatives from the Cheney and Medical Lake districts, Eastern Washington University, the city of Airway Heights and the GSVSN.

On March 2, the first general meeting was held, also at Needham Hill, with 57 individuals representing businesses, schools, non-profits and churches attending. Representatives from the Spokane Valley gave a presentation on how their organization got started over four years ago, which sprang out of a desire to find a way to get information about local services to homeless students and subsequently their families without duplicating existing services.

As the name implies, the Valley network has developed into just that - a linkage of organizations that have provided information to a sort of online central clearing house. At the time, over 350 agencies had joined the GSVSN by uploading information on how to find services, what data is needed to qualify and get those services as well as papers and articles providing information on everything from food to medical care to enrolling in school.

The West Plains network has taken somewhat of a similar course in its first year, providing access to information not only to the homeless but also low-income families in the area. Right now, their membership is smaller than the Valley's.

"A number on that might be hard, but maybe about 25," Maureen Moberly said in an email. "We invite about 175-200 or so to each meeting, and the group varies each time on who attends."

The network meets the first Wednesday of each month at the district conference center on Needham Hill. The leadership team meets before the general meeting, which begins at 9:30 a.m.

Discussion and actions revolve around the network's mission statement, which reflects a desire to work together with area groups to "solve common concerns for the children, families and those in need within the communities of Airway Heights, Cheney, Medical Lake and the surrounding areas."

The network focuses on projects "of food sufficiency, truancy and homelessness." Food came up at the most recent meeting Feb. 1, with Maureen Moberly bringing up the issue of food insecurity.

While volunteer organizations such as Feed Cheney and Feed Medical Lake do the best they can, it doesn't seem to be enough, Moberly said, leading to other entities looking at creating programs as well.

"EWU is talking about opening their own food bank because it's not enough," Moberly said. "People are hungry."

To find out how to get involved in the West Plains Support Network, contact the Cheney Free Press at 235-6184.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].