Partner Spotlight: North East Community Action Corporation

This week, we’re proud to spotlight the North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC)! For 57 years, NECAC has served communities across Missouri as a nonprofit community action agency dedicated to supporting some of the state’s most underserved communities. Serving nine rural areas and three metropolitan counties, NECAC provides critical social services through partnerships with federal, state, and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses.

NECAC’s work is foundational to supporting low-income individuals and families, older adults, youth, and people with disabilities across Missouri. Through their advocacy and community-based work, they strive to, “Empower People, Change Lives, and Build Communities.“

Check out our Q&A with North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC) below. Thank you for your partnership and incredible advocacy work, NECAC! 

Your Organization’s Connection to Empower Missouri: How did your organization become connected to Empower Missouri?

I was a board member for several years with the Missouri Association for Social Welfare.  I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Peter DeSimone.  

We joined MASW and became a member of the Board because of the focus on advocacy and coalition building.

Community Action is about “People Helping People to Help Themselves” and “People-Powered Policy Change” spoke to who we are as an Agency.

Looking Back:  What accomplishment are you most proud to have been a part of?

Creation of the Housing Trust Fund

Envisioning the Future: If you could pick one policy change that we could make next, what would it be and why?

Creation of a fund that would provide dollars to create housing in rural Missouri. Housing is a critical need in rural Missouri. The area has an aging housing stock and little creation of housing that meets the needs of working families who would like to become homeowners.

Just for Fun: What theme song would you pick for your organization’s partnership with Empower Missouri?

“If I had a Hammer” by Pete Seeger and sung by Peter, Paul and Mary