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Advocating for Justice

For over 100 years
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Briefings & Events

Join us for both face-to-face events and our bi-monthly calls about legislation that affects you.

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Giving Tuesday 2021

Together, we can make a difference. Your financial gift will support our work to end poverty in Missouri and ensure our neighbors reach their own version of their fullest potential. 

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Weekly Perspective

Get insights about Empower Missouri’s work across the state.

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Advocacy Resources

Resources to help Missourians and decisions makers make informed decisions on topics affecting the state.

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Webinars

Stay Up-to-date on Empower Missouri events, activities, campaigns, and more.

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Safety Net

Increase the supply of affordable, accessible housing, and food.

Criminal Justice

Healing not vengeance. Community not prison. Prevention. Remorse and Restitution. 

Our Mission

Empower Missouri works to secure basic human needs and equal justice for every person in our state through coalition-building and advocacy.

We envision a Missouri in which all people have food, shelter, and justice.
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Empower Missouri

About Us

Our guiding principles are:

Basic Needs

All people in Missouri should have true access to quality healthcare, decent housing, adequate nutrition and appropriate education.  Our state should fully fund, fully implement and/or fully supplement, as appropriate, state and federal programs for health and mental health services, housing and homelessness services, food assistance programs, and all levels of public education.

Basic Fairness

All people in Missouri should be treated with dignity and fairness, and share on a just basis in the responsibilities and benefits of the prosperity of our society.  Our state should emphasize restorative alternatives to our punitive corrections system, build a welcoming and inclusive 21st Century social climate free of hate and prejudice, fully support policies that empower people to overcome their economic circumstances, and require all to pay their fair share in support of the common good.

With your help, we have public policy victories!

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Founded in 1901, we have been a faithful voice for evidence-based public policy that supports social justice. Some of our most important victories in the 20th Century included:

  • Creation of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights
  • Advocating for the Missouri Public Defender Commission
  • Winning a Missouri Housing Trust Fund
  • Reducing the state sales tax on food by three cents
  • Passing a state law that created Family Development Accounts
  • Filing lawsuits that led to the establishment of health care foundations

The 21st Century has brought even more achievements:

  • Defeating a regressive sales tax earmarked for transportation funding
  • Ending the ban on food stamps for some convicted of drug-related felonies
  • Obtaining an executive order for Fair Chance Hiring which opened up 51,000 state jobs to formerly incarcerated applicants
  • Securing “Raise the Age” so most 17-year-olds are not tried as adults
  • Passing criminal justice reform to curb debtors’ prison and mandatory time served policies
  • Stopping punishment-based bills that would have taken food assistance away from tens of thousands of parents and children

Be a part of our continuing legacy by becoming a donor and supporter today!

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What drives us everyday

Why Missouri needs empowerment
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Of people living below the poverty line

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National partners

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Discriminatory vehicle stops

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Missouri’s national rank for food insecure states

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