Whether you have been part of the Empower Missouri advocacy network for a long time or just joined our mailing list this week, there has never been a more important time to be a social justice advocate. Our planet is rocked by three crises simultaneously that interact with each other with synergistic power: The novel...Read More

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 insecurity is poverty. At the end of 2019, Missouri’s food insecurity rate was 12% while its poverty level was 13.2%, both above the national average. At that point, according to...Read More

In just two months, the number of people who have filed for unemployment due to the coronavirus has hit historic records. As businesses shuttered to slow the transmission of the virus, many furloughed workers and immediately laid off millions of people. The cuts were so quick and severe, they wiped out years of job gains....Read More

Even though the final two weeks of the 2020 Legislative Session tempts us to focus all attention on Jefferson City just now, social justice advocates in Missouri cannot afford to do so. We must keep one eye focused on DC, because the first half of May is a crucial window of time in which we...Read More

During the age of COVID-19, many of us are doing our duty to protect ourselves and others. We stay home, wash our hands, and wear masks when we absolutely must leave the house.  Many are presently feeling heightened emotions due to fear of the illness, the stresses of homeschooling children, changes to work life, etc....Read More

Empower Missouri Advocacy Family, Midday last Friday, Gov. Mike Parson declared a State of Emergency as the first cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in Missouri. Life has significantly changed for most of us during the past eight days. Many are working from home, with the pleasure and challenges of having children home with us. Some...Read More