Use this page as a companion to the CMCA Personal Passport to Community Engagement documentation booklet.
Welcome to the CMCA Passport to Community Engagement Page.
On this page you will find opportunities to:
- Learn what it’s like for people living in poverty.
- Learn about the causes and conditions that create poverty.
- Learn about organizations, agencies, and other groups working to eliminate poverty.
- Learn what you can do to advocate for and support those living in poverty and those working to move out of poverty.
- Gain a greater understanding about how race and racism impact the conditions and causes of poverty.
CMCA and Community Events Calendar
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Callaway Resource Network Zoom Meeting 9:00 am Callaway Resource Network Zoom Meeting @ Zoom Apr 4 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am  An opportunity for human service agencies to network and share updates about services in Callaway County. Register to attend by emailing kelliep@cmca.us to receive a Zoom link invite. | ||||||
Prosper U Financial Series for BRIDGE Families (CMCA Event) 6:00 pm Prosper U Financial Series for BRIDGE Families (CMCA Event) @ Virtual Event Apr 8 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm  Prosper U is a free financial education class offered by Central Bank of Boone County. This special group of classes is being provided to families participating in the BRIDGE program. Please contact Shonda White[...] | ||||||
CMCA Events
Make a note of something you didn’t know or questions you have.
Attend Groundbreaking Ceremonies and Open Houses
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
Join a Committee
Throughout the year CMCA offers opportunities for Board Members to participate on special committees.
Show Me Healthy Relationships (SHMR) Events
ShowMe Healthy Relationships (SMHR) offers free courses for Missouri couples and individuals who want to be in a committed relationship. Courses focus on strengthening relationship skills.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
Foster Grandparent Events (FGP)
The foster grandparents program provides low-income adult seniors, ages 55 and up, opportunities to mentor children at schools, daycare centers, and other settings. Volunteers work with children individually and in small groups to provide support, guidance, and friendship for kids with special emotional, educational, and physical needs.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
Visit Your Local Head Start Centers
CLICK HERE to find the Head Start Centers in your area. When you’re ready to visit, email Shonda White (shondaw@cmca.us) to arrange to have Darin give you a guided tour.
Back to School Welcome Events
Head Start centers across our service area host in-person and virtual events for families as they prepare to return to school.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
Attend a CMCA Boot Camp
These interactive events provide information and updates about CMCA programs and services.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
100 Man Lunch Events
These events are hosted a Head Start Centers and celebrate the importance of positive male role models in the lives of young children. Check the calendar for upcoming events!
BRIDGE Events and Training Sessions
BRIDGE is a program that supports the transition of Head Start families to the early elementary years of school.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
Head Start Parent Training Events
Throughout the school year, Head Start centers provide vital training sessions focused on health and well-being.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
WIRF Baby Showers (EHS)
Meet expectant and newly delivered moms and their babies as they enjoy a shower and learning opportunity.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
Missouri Community Action Network
Missouri CAN is the statewide association of Community Action Agencies, Allies and Supporters united to end poverty.
Missouri Women's Business Center Opportunities
Payroll Protection Plan Workshops
Learn more about the Payroll Protection Plan and how to prepare to file for this special opportunity for small businesses.
Attend a LaunchU Graduation
LaunchU is a six-week course for aspiring and early-stage business owners that helps them complete a written feasibility plan to determine if their business idea is a “GO” or a “NO GO.” Graduations are scheduled every other month.
Community Opportunities
Visit your local Family Resource Center (FRC)
Email Shonda White (shondaw@cmca.us) to arrange a visit with Darin serving as your tour guide.
Mini-Poverty Simulation Workshop
Learn what it’s like to live in poverty through an interactive experience.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
FRIENDS
This community group is hosted in Cole County.
Check the calendar for upcoming events!
Fundraising and Special Events
Attend and Promote Fundraising Events
These may include galas, online events, or smaller get-to-know-you-style events.
- Tigers on the Prowl
- CoMoGives
- Promise Gala
Donate to CMCA
When you donate to CMCA you may designate your gift to support the greatest needs or to support a specific program or county.
- Monthly
- CoMoGives in December
- Special campaigns throughout the year
Personal Development
Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. Learn More Here.
Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror
During the period between the Civil War and World War II, thousands of African Americans were lynched in the United States. Read More Here.
Black Americans struggle to get COVID-19 vaccine; history threatens to repeat
Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Head Start programs prepare America’s most vulnerable young children to succeed in school and in life beyond school.
Heart of Missouri United Way Equity Challenge
Glad You Asked – How Racist Am I?
Book Nook
Below is a list of suggested readings to build understanding around race and racism issues. Additional titles we be added along with additional topics.
- How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X Kendi
- Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coats
- Citizen by Claudia Rankine
- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Ain’t I A Woman by Bell Hooks
- Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
- Diversity Inc. by Pamela Newkirk
- Stamped From The Beginning by Ibram X Kendi
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Zami By Audre Lorde
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon
- Kindered by Octavia E. Butler
- The Memo by Minda Harts
- Born A Crime by Trevor Noah
- Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt
- Blindspot by Mahzarin Banaji & Anthony Greenwald
- Sway by Pragya Agarwal
- Native Son by Richard Wright
- Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
- Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Hale
The books listed above may be purchased at most booksellers including these black-owned bookstores.
- Aya Coffee + Books in Kansas City, MO
- Bliss Books and Wine in Kansas City, MO
- Eye See Me in University City, MO
- Progressive Emporium and Education Center, St. Louis, MO
- Willas Books and Vinyl Kansas City, MO
- Fulton Street Books and Coffee, Tulsa, OK
Videos , Websites, Downloads, and Social Media Pages
Below is a list of topics with suggestions for videos, websites, downloads, and social media pages to explore.
Race
- 13th (Documentary, Netflix)
This documentary highlights the 13th amendment of the constitution and the prison boom in America. It marries digestible data while also giving first-hand accounts of what racism can look like in America.
- Rachel Cargle (Instagram)
Rachel Cargle is an academic that created the Great Unlearn which helps people unlearn race and America’s history as told by the school system. While the Great Unlearn is not free, Rachel’s Instagram includes insights on race, racism she experiences, and other important race-related topics.
- 1619 (Podcast)- This podcast discusses slavery and its lasting effects on America.
Focused on missions in Africa and the “white saviors” sent to save them, it highlights the importance of not imposing one’s own history, culture, and experiences on others.
- Emmanuel Acho/ Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man (Youtube Series)
This series gives insight into real conversations about race between a Black man and people that would probably not have the opportunity otherwise. Emmanuel (host) does a great job of showing both sides.
- MTV Decoded (Youtube Series)
This series breaks down race in America in a fun engaging way.
- Deconstructing Categories The Exposure of Silent Racism (Journal Article)
This article raises awareness that racism is not a “yes or no” option but more of a sliding scale. Some are openly racist while others aren’t as openly racist.
A Film by Debbie LeeKeenan • John Nimmo • Filiz Efe McKinney
This film produced by Debbie LeeKeenan and John Nimmo, features vignettes of anti-bias strategies in early childhood classrooms interspersed with teachers reflecting on their practice.
Disability
Imani Barbarin is a woman who writes about her experiences with racism and ableism. She is both Black and disabled.
- The Obvious Question (Podcast)
This podcast is hosted by Mizzou alumn, Madi Lawson. It highlights Madi’s experiences as a woman with a disability and the misconceptions she’s encountered.
- Crip Camp (Documentary, Netflix)
This documentary has been recommended by many disability advocates, including Imani Barbarin. The documentary highlights a groundbreaking summer camp that brings together a group of teens with disabilities to build a movement, forging a new path toward greater equality.
LGBTQIA+
Disclosure (Documentary, Netflix) Featuring conversations with individuals who are trans and their thoughts on the impact that Hollywood has on the trans community.
How to Survive a Plague (Documentary: Amazon Prime and iTunes)
This documentary tells the story of the AIDS pandemic in America and the people who fought to be heard.
Weight Discrimination
Aubrey Gordon is a writer who discusses the experiences of life in a fat body. She is a great introduction to fat politics and the bias against fat people.
- Maintenance Phase (Podcast)
This podcast breaks down the myths of wellness and weight loss that we have been taught our whole lives.