2 Joplin groups seek to help people obtain a photo ID

Nov. 3—After a year of operation, two Joplin groups are working toward a single goal: getting a photo ID into the hands of anyone who needs one.

It's an increasingly mandatory resource that takes time and money. For those who need an ID the most, it can be a frustrating process.

"You have to have a photo ID for almost anything you do anymore," said Teresa Lake, director of The Next Step-Joplin ID program. "That's where we are, and that's why it's so important we do this."

A photo ID is needed for employment, phone service and to apply for housing and food assistance. It's also necessary for voting in many states, including Missouri.

A study by the University of Maryland's Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement and VoteRiders, a national voting rights organization focused on ID education and assistance, shows the number of Americans without photo IDs.

As of 2020, nearly 29 million voting-age U.S. citizens did not have a nonexpired driver's license, and over 7 million did not have any other form of nonexpired government-issued photo identification.

Several things are required to get a photo ID. People need a birth certificate. They also need a Social Security card, or they may provide their Social Security number orally if they've had a Missouri ID since 2009. Any documents relating to official name changes, like a marriage certificate or adoption papers, are also required.

Finally, there's a recent paper-form proof-of-residency requirement. There's a long list of qualifying documents, including a utility bill, property tax receipt or auto insurance card. The problem is that many of those forms aren't available to unsheltered people.

Jeanie Morrison, a volunteer with the Joplin Photo ID Project, said one of the saddest things she's run across is when Joplin instituted a nonloitering regulation, affecting panhandling. The arrest record is one of the forms of ID accepted for a Missouri birth certificate. If someone has never been arrested, it's harder to get the birth certificate, she said.

Based out of the Joplin Salvation Army, volunteers with the Joplin Photo ID Project are available every Wednesday morning to help people through the process.

Morrison said unsheltered people are one of the main groups looking to obtain a photo ID and are in the toughest situation.

The 2020 study found a strong relationship between income and lack of a driver's license, with adult Americans earning less than $30,000 lacking a driver's license at a rate about five times greater than the highest income category of $100,000 or more.

For the unsheltered, identification can get lost along the way in uncertain living situations, Morrison said. Photo IDs are a valuable commodity on the street for barter and trade. They're easily stolen if someone doesn't have a secure place. Even in temporary housing, the problem persists.

Also, women have multiple strikes against them, Morrison said. Not only do they need a birth certificate, they also need a marriage certificate and divorce certificate for every marriage and divorce they've had to show their name changes. It's a lot of documents, which can be hard for people to track down.

Their first year of operation has been busy and a time of learning the ins and outs of the process, Morrison said. They have been able to collect applications for each state's birth certificate to have at the ready, as well as help with marriage and divorce documentation.

"Our first day was a madhouse, so to speak," Morrison said. "We were not as sure as we are now of what we needed to be doing. We've learned a lot."

The Joplin Photo ID Project has helped at least 175 people over the past year. Of those, they've succeeded in getting a third of those IDs.

Located at 833 S. Main St., The Next Step-Joplin opened in December 2022. Before that, members were doing direct street work. The Next Step-Joplin offers a food pantry as well as ID services. It is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.

Lake said there's a big need in the community for the service. As word gets out, the group gets busier and busier. She flips through a notebook with pages and pages of sign-ins, estimating they've helped hundreds so far.

The Next Step-Joplin partners with many community organizations to fill this need. It is sent clients from the Jasper County and Joplin jails, Ozark Center and Lafayette House.

"It's a learning process," Lake said. "It has been frustrating because every state is different."

Located centrally in Joplin, The Next Step-Joplin sees clients from every state. Lake recently had her first encounter with Alabama, working with an unsheltered person with no documents. The state said if they don't have the required documents, they can't provide a birth certificate.

"I said, 'You mean I have to go back to this person and tell him, you're stuck, you cannot vote?'" Lake said. "'Alabama won't give you documents.'"

The two groups work together to cover the Joplin area, sharing information and advice.

"We all nibble at the edges of a problem, is what it all boils down to," Morrison said.

Christine Dragonette, a coordinator of the Missouri State ID Access Coalition, said this is an overlooked but key issue. It can be difficult to see or understand the barriers to official identification if you've never had to deal with it before.

The St. Louis-based coalition grew out of work at St. Francis Xavier that has offered ID and birth certificate assistance for over 30 years. Their efforts began out of recognition that official documents are needed for a range of services. The coalition was established in 2019.

"Our mission is to eliminate those issues we see in getting official state identification," Dragonette said. "We have this vision that everyone is able to access official identification so they can be able to thrive and have the things they need to live their lives."

From their own experience and surveys from clients, the Missouri State ID Access Coalition has identified several barriers to photo ID access. In addition to being a complex process, there's the time and money cost of documents.

"It may seem insignificant to some people, but paying $15 for a Missouri birth certificate, $18 for a nondriver ID, the direct costs can add up," Dragonette said.

There's also transportation costs, especially in places like Joplin where public transportation is increasingly unavailable. Getting a photo ID usually involves several visits to an organization, plus going to a health department for a birth certificate and to the DMV for the actual ID.

These barriers disproportionally affect the unsheltered, the very people who are likely to need an ID in the first place.

"We definitely find that a majority of our guests are housing insecure, one way or another," Dragonette said. "That may not look like literally staying outside. We see people who are in a shelter or transitional housing. Lack of housing and transitory housing is something that can definitely amplify this issue."

The coalition continues its advocacy work with local Missouri groups, including the two groups in Joplin. It hosts monthly meetings with groups doing this work where they share best practices, answer questions, offer support and training materials.

"The beneficial thing about having groups like the two Joplin groups involved in this work is that they know their community," Dragonette said. "To have people who have been working in those places and know their community is central to this work."

To continue this work, these groups need volunteers and financial support. Both organizations are completely volunteer and donation-funded.

They rely on volunteers to do the majority of the work on the ground, as they are the best resources for working directly with people, Dragonette said.

Currently at the Joplin Photo ID Project, three people work on a volunteer basis. Morrison said using what they've learned over the past year, it would be easy to train new volunteers. Even two hours a month would make a big difference.

There aren't a lot of financial resources out there for this work, so donations are crucial, Dragonette said. A small donation can go a long way. The Joplin groups completely cover the fees associated with the process for clients.

The Next Step-Joplin is working off of a recent Corley grant and is grateful for any support. These funds are also used for paying ID fees, as well as overhead for their building on Main Street.

On average, $33 helps someone get a photo ID, from the birth certificate to ID process, Morrison said.

Lake said many are grateful for the help, whether it be transportation, guidance or the financial help to get an ID.

"Almost on a daily basis, someone will come in and say 'Thank you so much,'" Lake said. "The ones who need it for work, or for housing, are very grateful. It changes their life."

Just The Facts Donations to the Joplin Photo ID Project can be made through the Joplin Interfaith Coalition at P.O. Box 4842, Joplin, MO 64803, or through their Facebook page. If you'd like your donation to be tax deductible, please make it out to the Joplin Interfaith Coalition with "Photo ID" in the memo line and mail it to the same address. They're willing to train volunteers every Wednesday morning at the Salvation Army from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Donations for The Next Step-Joplin can be made through Cash App under their name, and people looking to volunteer can reach out through the group's Facebook page.