Check out our Q&A with Director of Advancement Amber Foster-Hobart below. Congratulations on 4 years with Empower Missouri, Amber!
How did you first hear about Empower Missouri, and what inspired you to get involved?
I spent the early years of my career working in education, fundraising and marketing for schools that were filling urgent needs in the St. Louis community. I saw every day the impact that an excellent education could have on a young person’s life but also saw the limits to what those schools and teachers could do. Schools and other nonprofit organizations providing direct services to the community are fulfilling critical needs in our society, they alone cannot address the systemic causes of inequity. At the core, inequity is caused by unjust policies put in place to benefit those in power instead of those in need, and changing those policies is the best way to build a better future for us all. When I started thinking about the next steps for my career, I wanted to go somewhere that was changing the system, not just helping those suffering because of it.
What does “People-Powered Policy Change” mean to you?
To me, People-Powered Policy Change has a double meaning: change that comes from the will of the people, but also that is intended to serve the needs of the people. Our mission to end poverty is only going to come to fruition if we stand together in large numbers to fight for change that will benefit average Missourians and our most vulnerable. And our drive to fulfill that mission is powered by our care and compassion for our friends and neighbors.
What is your favorite memory from an Empower Missouri event?
The 2022 Day of Action was my very first event on staff at Empower Missouri, less than a month after I started. Every year since it has been one of my favorite Empower Missouri experiences. In my role, I don’t spend a lot of my time at the Capitol (and am happy to support our work from afar in my own capacity). But being there for Day of Action each year is a chance to see a lot of the behind the scenes work we do come to fruition. At this year’s event especially, we had the largest attendance of any year I’ve been on staff. While taking the group photo, seeing the group filling the stage, and many attendees needing to go up the stairs to fit into one photo, was a great moment and a representation of how far we’ve come in just my four years here.
What are your hopes for the next 25 years (or more) of Empower Missouri?
For Empower Missouri and for the good of the state, I hope we can stop fighting the same battles that come from a broken system (protecting the safety net, decreasing mass incarceration, etc.) and focus on policy changes that put a better system in place. Moving to a more proactive stance of what changes can we make so that every Missourian can thrive, instead of how can we fix broken policies to help suffering Missourians survive.
What goal do you see Empower Missouri achieving in the next 5 years?
We’ve been working to pass automated record-clearing through Clean Slate legislation since I came to Empower Missouri, and I would love to see our anniversary year be the year it passes!
Describe Empower Missouri in three words.
Community-Driven, Determined, Adaptable
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