A Drug Conviction Should Not Mean a Lifetime of Hunger

In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), sometimes known as the welfare reform bill. Buried deep within that sweeping…

Addressing Food Deserts & Expanding Food Access Across Missouri

Earlier this week, the Missouri Senate Economic Development Committee heard Senate Bill 790 which would provide state tax credits to grocery stores that open in…

Child Support Cooperation Requirements in SNAP Threaten Children’s Food Security

As Joseph Llobera from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities stated in his report Child Support Cooperation Requirements in SNAP Are Unproven, Costly, and…

Court Rules in Favor of Hungry and Unemployed Americans; U.S. Congress Should Do the Same with COVID-19 Relief

Just recently, a federal judge formally struck down the Trump Administration’s attempt to end food stamp benefits for nearly 700,000 unemployed people. In his ruling,…

Empower Missouri Applauds Passage of CARES Act; Urges Additional Steps to Strengthen Safety Net

(Jefferson City, MO)........Empower Missouri today applauded Congress for their passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) in a bipartisan and speedy…

Empower Missouri Holds Virtual Week of Action To Mobilize United Action On Legislative Bills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19th, 2021 (JEFFERSON CITY, MO)...Empower Missouri and its network of supporters in Missouri will be joining in a coordinated Week of…

Governor Parson’s Decision to Prematurely End the State of Emergency in Missouri Will Push Struggling Families Deeper into Poverty

Early in the COVID-19 public health crisis, Congress passed specific SNAP related provisions and waivers to help struggling families put food on the table. These…

Hunger has long been a problem in America, But in 2021, We Have The Opportunity To Fix The Food Crisis

Now that the Missouri legislative session has ended (read the MO Legislative Session Wrap Up Blog HERE and join us on Friday, June 4th at…

Lessons Learned: Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit 2021

Since 1901, the pinnacle of Empower Missouri’s work each year has been its Annual Conference. In fact, for the first decade, that was the bulk…

Let’s Band Together to Fight Hunger In Missouri

On October 16th, the world recognized World Food Day. Starting in 1945, the United Nations outlined and recognized food as not a privilege, but as…

Missouri Legislature Wraps: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

It’s the third week of May, which means that you’re hearing crickets from hundreds of lobbyists and advocates across the state who are taking a…

Missouri’s Failure to Feed Hungry Children This Summer is Inexcusable

This past spring, as the school year was winding down, nonprofits across the country began working on plans to implement their summer feeding programs for…

Missourians Still Need Immediate Relief Despite Drop in Covid-19 Cases and an Increase in Vaccinations

Within the next few weeks, the U.S. will be approaching one year of living in the worldwide pandemic of Covid-19. This past year has brought…

Our Advocacy Awards Brunch Honored Leaders in Our Fight

Last Saturday, June 11th, Empower Missouri supporters, coalition members, staff and other guests gathered at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis to honor our…

Pandemic and Economic Downturn Combine To Worsen Food Insecurity; SNAP Increase Needed

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the connection between unemployment, poverty and food insecurity has been clear. One of the best indicators of food…

Recapping the 2022 Legislative Session

We knew going into the legislative session that it would be a wild year. Unfortunately, wild years where very little gets done has become the…

The Hunger in the Heartland Report Offers an In-Depth Look at Food Insecurity in Missouri

Earlier this month, the Food Assistance and Hunger in the Heartland Report was released. This is a first of its kind-a comprehensive research study about…

The power of your activism

We’ve written before about the power of click-through advocacy and how simply sending a coordinated email or signing on to a petition can be a …

The Push For Food Security Will Be More Urgent Than Ever In 2021

It’s not too long ago that we put the year 2020 behind us. It was a year full of major world-shifting events as our country…

Universal Free School Meals Have Ended – Advocacy Opportunities Continue

Just a few weeks into the new school year, many families are learning that after two years of all Missouri public school children receiving free…

USDA’s Decision to Increase SNAP Will Benefit Missouri Families

Empower Missouri and its Food Security Coalition applaud this week's announcement that a long overdue federal increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will…

USDA’s Decision to Increase SNAP Will Benefit Missouri Families

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the most far reaching, anti-poverty programs in our country.  Over 42 million individuals are helped each…

We Must Protect Nutrition Provisions In The Build Back Better Act That Are Crucial In The Ongoing Fight Against Childhood Hunger and Food Insecurity

There was a slight delay in Congress’ work on the Build Back Better legislation these past couple weeks because Congress had to pass a continuing…

We’re hitting the Road! Empower Missouri is Spending Our Summer Traveling The State Talking About Anti-Poverty Public Policy

I often describe myself as a grassroots organizer at my core. I really believe that there is no ethical way to advocate for legislative changes…

When School Is at Home, School Meals Need to Be at Home Too!

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of rule changes and new waivers have taken place within the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP,…

Your Donation Matters To Help Support Our Mission To Fight For Basic Human Needs and Equal Justice For All Missourians

Empower Missouri has fought for all Missourians to have basic human needs and equal justice since 1901, and there have undoubtedly been many challenges to…