What does it mean to be a Missourian? For a long time, I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Friends I’ve met in my travels have often asked what Missouri is like—what it’s known for, whether I like being from here. I usually end up talking about sunsets. I’ve never seen a prettier one...Lee mas

Empower Missouri has been around since 1901. One hundred twenty-five years is a long time—long enough for generations to come and go, for laws to change, communities to grow, and new challenges to emerge. Long enough for thousands of volunteers to give their time, energy, and voices to building a better state. This work has...Lee mas

The weekend before my first day at Empower Missouri, I went to a three-year-old’s birthday party. It was one of those heavy, hot July days in the Midwest—the kind where the air feels so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. (My fellow Missourians, you know the kind!) The highlight of the afternoon?...Lee mas