Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans on June 19, 1865. On that day, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation (more than two years after it was issued) so that the remaining enslaved people were finally free as...Lee mas

Pride Month 2024 is in full swing, and with it comes an opportunity to both take stock of the vast amount of change needed in our state (and beyond), as well as uplift the incredible work being done to get us there.  Empower Missouri’s advocacy centers around three central policy areas: affordable housing, community justice,...Lee mas

It is undeniable that poverty is a problem in our state. According to the 2022 Poverty Report, 13% of Missourians and over 17% of Missouri children live in poverty. That’s over 770,000 individuals struggling to put food on the table, keep a roof over their heads, or meet their basic needs. Over 770,000 Missourians face...Lee mas

A new year is a time for reflection and setting intentions for the year ahead. At Empower Missouri, our team is also setting intentions for the new legislative session while reminding ourselves of the guiding principles that shape our work. Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard a lot of pessimism about the 2024 session– from...Lee mas

At Empower, we believe the key to ending poverty lies in changing the policies that drive it. We can make changes that ensure a long-term, stable stock of affordable housing across the state, and expand safety net programs to support the nutrition needs of struggling families. We can fundamentally reimagine our criminal justice system, investing...Lee mas

Hi, my name is Janessa Riehle and I’m honored to spend my second-year practicum atEmpower Missouri as an Advocacy Intern. I’m a current student working towards my Masters ofSocial Work at the University of Kansas, with Kansas City being home for me and my family.I started my career in nonprofit development and event coordination, and...Lee mas

In my years at Empower Missouri I have often heard from nonprofit staff at all levels that they know that policy change is integral to ending poverty, but also that they struggle to engage in it. Not-for-profit organizations are often functioning above their actual capacity with direct service work and other funded programming, and building...Lee mas

En 2017, el tema de la conferencia anual de Empower Missouri fue Persistir y organizarse para ganar. Durante la semana del 10 de febrero de 2020, las coaliciones integradas por Empower Missouri demostraron su determinación de hacer realidad ese tema al tomar medidas significativas para la justicia social todos los días, de lunes a viernes. El lunes 10 de febrero, la Coalición de Vivienda Asequible se reunió para revisar el ...Lee mas

La Sesión Legislativa 2020 comienza el miércoles 8 de enero y se levanta el viernes 15 de mayo, con un receso de primavera legislativo del 23 al 27 de marzo. Muchos factores entran en cada sesión legislativa, algunos que presionan el acelerador y otros que presionan el frenos. Estos son algunos de los factores que esperamos ...Lee mas

El lunes 1 de diciembre, comenzó la presentación previa para la Asamblea General del Estado de Missouri. Esto significa que, si quisieran, los legisladores podrían comenzar a presentar los proyectos de ley que estarán trabajando para pasar por el proceso legislativo y convertirlos en ley durante la sesión de 2020. El período previo a la presentación es un momento emocionante para organizaciones como Empower ...Lee mas