As a joint effort of Manzanita Outreach, the Yavapai County Community Health Service, and the Yavapai County Free Library District, a new website was launched this week to increase access to basic needs resources throughout Yavapai County. Individuals, social workers and people providing basic needs use this site – MOHelp.org – As an easy process to find comprehensive support.

Manzanita Outreach Executive Director Ben Burke and Rachel Mills and Allie Stallman of Yavapai County Community Health Services at the MOHelp.org launch event at Prescott Valley Public Library on July 12, 2023.

All three organizations independently received funding to support such efforts in 2022. Starting last year, representatives from each organization began meeting to discuss how they could work together instead of individually creating nearly identical projects.

“To solve some of the major health problems facing our communities, we need to work together,” said Heather Cromparens of the Yavapai County Community Health Service. “Each of us wanted to make the most effective use of our resources, and that our combined talents and efforts could produce something better and more sustainable than we could have achieved on our own.”

The innovative and simple website aims to serve individuals, families and basic needs providers seeking resources in their communities. Yavapai County Health Services will also produce a physical resource guide for those who request it.

MOHelp.org was originally launched by Manzanita Outreach in 2019 to demonstrate the availability of food aid, but MOHelp.org quickly grew in popularity during the early days of the pandemic, with over 23,000 unique visitors since its launch. An expanded version of the website will include information on providers of all basic needs, not just food.

“Our vision is a world where everyone’s basic living needs are met,” said Manzanita Executive Director Ben Burke. “We have a wealth of resources available across our region. Going forward, our communities will be able to easily find resources such as transportation, medical services, food, and social assistance.”

Some of the input for this project came from over 30 interviews with basic needs providers conducted by Manzanita Outreach and over 150 questionnaires from community residents. The website also includes instructions for translating the information into any language and is designed for the visually impaired.

“The role of libraries in rural areas is expanding,” says library district director Corey Christians. “We decided to join the collective effort to address the challenges local residents have in accessing resources. We are excited to contribute to making our communities a better place to live.”

Manzanita Outreach will staff the ongoing management of this community service project. The organization also believes the site can be used as a tool to better identify gaps in basic needs resources.

“There is a logical move to support community projects where organizations work together to reduce redundancies and improve the lives of residents,” said Burke. MOHelp.org is a powerful tool for identifying service gaps across communities and helping service providers work together more effectively.

Read more stories from our community connections on Signals A Z.com to learn about others who are making a difference in the Quad City.