Dear John,

On Friday, October 1, 2021, Central Missouri Community Action began a new fiscal year. On this day, we also launched our journey toward fulfilling a new strategic plan. As part of that plan, we restated our mission (shown above) with a focus on building relationships, resilience, and quality of life for all members of the communities that we serve.

Because the mission statement changed it seemed fitting to have a new vision statement as well. That new statement is- CMCA envisions communities without poverty. While simple in words, this vision is BIG and powerful and one we will strive to achieve.

The strategic plan guiding our vision and mission includes five priority areas:

Employment and Work Support - All people in the CMCA service area have quality employment opportunities.
Quality Housing - all people in the CMCA service area have quality housing options.
Financial Education and Income Supports - All people in the CMCA service area have economic stability.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - All people in the CMCA service area have equitable opportunities to succeed.
Agency of Excellence - CMCA is an agency of excellence that addresses the reduction of poverty and empowers people with low incomes to become more resilient.

During the upcoming year, we'll focus our newsletter content around these five priority areas so that you can see, first hand, how our people, programs, and services are working together to achieve the goals set forth in our strategic plan.

When you hear the title Family Success Coach, what comes to mind? Do you envision an athletic coach helping a family meet their health and wellness goals? Do you picture something else? At Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA), our Family Success Coaches work directly with families to identify needs, set goals, and support them toward achieving those goals.

Tracy Pistel is a Family Success Coach who works with families in Osage county. Working collaboratively with families, Tracy provides both emotional and programmatic support to help them achieve success.

“When I first met Stefani,” Tracy says, “she was in tears. It was sad. Her life had fallen apart, and she had no place to go and no job. She had no way to meet her family’s basic needs.”

Stefani came to CMCA seeking help to find housing, employment, and childcare.

“My team stepped in to help alleviate her stress as quickly as possible,” says Tracy.

Because finding a safe place for Stefani and her kids to live was a priority, Tracy connected Stefani with the Osage Caring Projects (OCP). OCP is a community-based organization developed to assist Osage County families in need. With support from the OCP, Stefani paid the first month’s rent and deposit on a new place for her and her kids to live.

“Without this help, Stefanie and her kids might have ended up sleeping in their car,” says Tracy.

Connecting families with programs like the OCP is one of the many ways for Family Success Coaches like Tracy to support people as they move toward stability. Connecting them with CMCA programs is another way.

Once Stefani and her kids had a safe place to live, Tracy helped Stefani enroll in the SkillUP program. SkillUP is a program offered through CMCA that supports people with low-income by providing access to training and employer connections to help them find a job. Through the program, Stefani was able to find a good job.

To ensure that she could keep her job, Tracy also helped Stefani enroll her daughter in the Osage Head Start Program. Head Start is a CMCA program offering early childhood education for children from low-income homes. The program provides a nurturing environment where children ages birth to 5 years can grow academically, physically, socially, and emotionally. The program also supports parents like Stefani, who, without Head Start, wouldn’t be able to afford childcare.

“Not only did attending Head Start help Stefani get and keep her job,” says Tracy, “it has also given her daughter the skills she needs to be successful in school. She started Kindergarten this fall and is doing great!”

Throughout the time she has worked with Stefani, Tracy says that Stefani has remained resilient.

“Even when her car broke down, she didn’t let that keep her from moving forward toward her goals,” says Tracy.

Today, Stefani is in a very different place than she was when Tracy first met her. She and her children have a safe place to live, and because she now has a stable job, she is working toward buying a house by accessing the USDA 502 Direct Home Loan Program.

Tracy marvels at the success Stefani has experienced and credits Stefani’s resilience in the process.

She went from being homeless to becoming a soon-to-be homeowner,” says Tracy. “She has been very resilient and has worked through any barrier she has faced!”

Join Us for Two Chairs and Some Potted Plants, a monthly Facebook Live Broadcast!

In last month's newsletter, we shared the Steps to Success that CMCA uses to support individuals and families living with low-income as they work toward financial stability. Within these steps are our programs and services.

To help you better understand how our programs and services fit into the Steps to Success, we are hosting a monthly Facebook Live broadcast called Two Chairs and Some Potted Plants. During these 15 minute episodes, you'll have a chance to meet and hear from CMCA staff, clients, and donors as they talk about the programs, services, and other ways that CMCA helps families through the Steps to Success.

Our next broadcast is on Thursday, October 21 at Noon and will feature Tammy Hawk. Tammy is a Family Administrator for Head Start. She will share information about CMCA's Whole Family Approach and share stories of how Family Success Coaches help families build resilience and move toward self-sufficiency.

Follow us on Facebook to receive alerts so you won't miss upcoming broadcasts!

Donor Spotlight - Kevin Carnahan - Monthly Donor

How did you learn about Central Missouri Community Action?

I try to be an active participant in community work for social justice. In this effort I ended up making the rounds in Columbia organizations working to advocate for and serve the poor and oppressed in the city. As I attended different meetings and took part in different activities I kept hearing the Name of Central Missouri Community Action offered as an institution that was doing good work helping people get on their feet.

What made you decide to donate to CMCA? Think about the programs, the impact of the organization, etc.

We live in an often unjust and unfair world. Our job is to make it a little bit more just and fair. Those of us who have taken advantage of the opportunities we have found owe it to others to provide opportunities to others who have not had opportunities, or have not been able to take advantage of them. Central Missouri Community Action is the kind of institution that goes about this work. Whether it's helping people keep the lights on, guiding them in building relationships, or helping them to get where they need to in their education, CMCA is able to provide the specific kind of help that is needed to many people in my region. How could I not donate?

How has being a donor impacted you?

The COVID pandemic hit a lot of people hard. For a year, many of us quarantined, and even afterwards our lives have not yet returned to normal. I am privileged in that my family has weathered well. We were able to maintain our jobs, and even forced to save when we couldn't go out to eat! Donating to CMCA has given me a chance to try to even the playing field after COVID threw off the balance even more than it usually is in our society.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I think that covers it!

Tigers on the Prowl Raises $110,910 to Support Local Charities Including CMCA!

The Holiday Inn Executive Center glowed with excitement as more than 250 attendees of the 2021 Tigers on the Prowl Gala entered to celebrate a night of art and vital causes. Artworks by nationally recognized and local artists lined the stage, waiting to be purchased to support six non-profit organizations. The MU Golden Girls were also on hand to escort attendees to their tables and assist with handing out items.

From the event, CMCA raised a total of $12,125.00! These unrestricted funds will go a long way toward supporting individuals and families on their journey toward self-sufficiency! CMCA plans to participate in Tigers on the Prowl again next year and increase our fundraising level to $20,000 or more!

We'd like to that our CMCA Sponsors for the 2021 Tigers on the Prowl Gala for your support!

Charity Sponsors

Table Sponsors

Central Bank of Boone County
Missouri Community Action Network
Janet Thompson and Susan Hart
The Bank of Missouri

Below are some photos from the event featuring CMCA friends.