Community Engagement
Our community organizers focus on the reality of poverty at the local level, the needs of those living in poverty, and promoting community engagement throughout our eight-county service area.
Show Me Strong Communities
In 2022, we received funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health to use Results Based Accountability (RBA) to facilitate the development and implementation of community action plans to address disparities related to the social determinants of health. Through a series of community meetings in Audrain, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, and Osage counties, we collaborated with community members, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, businesses, funders, educational institutions, and government agencies to identify and prioritize needs and develop and implement an action plan. Though the project formally ended in 2025, our community organizers and other staff continue to work with the established work groups to implement the following action plans:
- Audrain County: Everyone in Audrain County is safe and healthy.
- Callaway County: All People in Callaway County have sustainable housing to meet their needs.
- Callaway County: All people in Callaway County have access to affordable and quality childcare.
- Cole County: All people in Cole County have safe, affordable, and sustainable housing.
- Cooper County: All people in Cooper County are food secure. All people in Cooper County have quality housing.
- Howard County: All people in Howard County have quality, affordable housing.
- Moniteau County: All families in Moniteau County have acces to quality childcare.
- Osage County: All people in Osage County experience health and well-being.
Get Involved
If you are interested in getting involved in one of these ongoing projects or want to help those in poverty in your county, we invite you to contact your Community Organizer.
- Audrain County: Mary Rohrbach, MaryR@cmca.us, (573) 582-7864 ext. 3
- Boone County: Onni Flint, OnniF@cmca.us, (573) 200-6624
- Callaway County: Kellie Pontius, KellieP@cmca.us, (573) 642-3316
- Cole County: Stefani Thompson, Stefani@cmca.us, (573) 635-4480
- Cooper County & Howard County: Cheri Cherry, CheriC@cmca.us, (660) 882-5601 ext. 1004
- Moniteau County & Osage County: Jenn Millard, JenniferMillard@cmca.us, (573) 897-3523