Independence T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R.
Independence T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R. is a partnership between the City of Independence, the Community Services League (CSL) and MoDOT that focuses on addressing two key community priorities – assisting residents who are experiencing unstable housing and community beautification.
Through the program, residents who are unhoused or experiencing unstable housing are paid for their work cleaning up roadside litter along main streets in Independence.
TOGETHER stands for Together Opportunities Grow Everyone To Help Empower Resiliency. The program is funded through a $100,000 grant.
Crews walk along roadsides and remove litter and other various illegally dumped materials throughout the city. Priority areas for service are the major east-west corridors (24 Hwy., Truman Rd., M-78, I-70, 40 Hwy., 35th Street and 39th Street), the major north-south corridors (Blue Ridge Blvd., Sterling, Noland, Lee’s Summit, M-29) and along park and historic sites.
Those who are eligible to participate in the program include anyone: living on the streets or in their car, living temporarily in a hotel or motel, ‘couch surfing’ with friends or family, living in a halfway or sobriety house, in a CSL transitional housing program, with disabilities or unaccompanied minors.
Employees are paid a wage of $12/hour daily. In addition to the hourly wage, an additional $3 per hour is put in escrow toward a housing savings fund. After 100 hours, and every subsequent 100 hours, workers can request the $300 be paid toward any housing expense. These might include daily/weekly/monthly motel rentals, past due rent and utilities, deposits on new utility services or apartment rental, or any other expense that promotes permanent, stable housing.
Independence T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R. employees work on a supported employment basis, meaning CSL is not expecting employees to work 40 hours immediately. Employees have an opportunity to build their work stamina by slowly increasing their weekly hours.
On top of monetary benefits, employees will are provided with proper work attire and supplies, including a high-visibility safety vest. Breakfast and lunch are also be offered to employees on shift.
FAQ's about Independence T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R.
Independence T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R. was approved by the Independence City Council on March 20, 2023, and officially launched on March 27. It was originally supposed to run until September 27, 2023, but was extended in December 2023. The program is now projected to run until September 2024.
- Anyone living on the streets or in their car
- Anyone living temporarily in a hotel or motel
- Anyone ‘couch surfing’ with friends or family
- Anyone living in a half-way or sobriety house
- Anyone in a CSL transitional housing program
- Anyone with disabilities
- Unaccompanied minors
If a person has been out of work for some time, it can be very hard to re-enter the workforce. It becomes extremely hard when a person is unstably housed or experiencing homelessness. Some barriers include: lack of state-issued identification and other legal documents, inability to apply for jobs due to lack of technology, poor hygiene and overall health, mental health challenges and lack of self-esteem, little or no transportation to and from work, lack of work stamina, and more.
We don’t want people to be on the Independence T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R. team forever. Our long-term goal is to help workers transition to permanent full-time jobs when they’re ready. There may be full-time options available with the City of Independence, MoDOT, other employers in janitorial work, environmental services, general construction/laborer, job site cleanup, and many other jobs that employees will be well-prepared to access after receiving on-the-job training through the program.