(Joplin, MO) – Bigger and better than ever before, hundreds of Joplin residents flocked to Mercy Park for Ozark Center’s Will’s Place Block Party.
Celebrating Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month, the annual event was placed on hiatus in 2020 due to the emergence of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. Public demand brought the party back to life in 2026. As the name implies, the celebration mirrors traditional street parties that were so popular during the 1970s.
The community party was created as a fun way to observe the serious topic of mental health, educate the public about children’s mental health needs, and reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental healthcare services.
“Before we start celebrating, let’s remember that today isn’t just about fun; it’s about lifting our children with the support, confidence, and care they deserve,” Joplin Mayor Pro Tem Keenan Cortez said. “When we nurture their emotional well-being, we’re building stronger families, brighter futures, and a community that looks out for one another.”
During the two-hour event, families strolled throughout the park, where the 30 sculptures of the Rotary Sculpture Garden shared space with booths offering information, games, and fun swag for children. The little ones danced, sang, posed for photos, climbed into Joplin Police Department and Joplin Fire Department vehicles, ate free hot dogs and chips, chalked drawings on the pathway, and at one point pointed and shouted when Freeman Health System’s air ambulance helicopter circled the park high overhead.
Will’s Place provides a variety of mental health services for children and adolescents. Its caring, committed specialists take a family-centered, comprehensive approach to helping children with the challenges they face. Will’s Place has locations in Joplin at (1800 W. 30th Street), Carl Junction, Carthage, and Neosho, and proud to be part of local school districts — meeting kids and families where they are and making support more accessible.
“We really hope that families can connect and really have conversations,” said Melissa Moore, Will’s Place director. “If we have even just one person today asking, ‘How can we support them?’ and ‘What are the next steps?’ then this is a success.”
One of the primary motivations behind the block party concept is to educate the public about mental health and to help erode the stigma surrounding it.
“The more that we’re having these discussions and talking about mental health,” Moore continued, “we’re helping reduce that stigma.”
About Freeman Health System:
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2024, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers and their experiences. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System one of the Best Hospitals for 2022. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 90 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services, women’s services, and many others for all of the Four State Area. Freeman is also involved in numerous community-based activities and sponsored events and celebrations. Additionally, in the Joplin/Pittsburg areas, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius.
About Ozark Center:
An integral component of Freeman Health System based in Joplin, Mo., Ozark Center provides comprehensive behavioral health services to children, adults and families in an area that includes more than 450,000 residents from Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Ozark Center continually looks for innovative ways to address the mental health needs of the community and promote awareness of mental illness in an effort to eliminate the discrimination associated with it. For more information, visit ozarkcenter.com or call 417.347.7600.
Reference:
Ozark Center
Freeman Health System
417.347.7600
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