Date: February 12, 2025To: Representative Don Mayhew and the Members of the House Corrections and Public Institutions CommitteeFrom: Christine Woody, Food Security Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: HB 916 My name is Christine Woody and I am the Food Policy Manager at Empower Missouri. Empower Missouri has spent more than 120 years fighting poverty in Missouri. Today,...Read More

Date: January 29, 2025 To: Senator Brown and The Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee From: Christine Woody, Food Security Policy Manager, Empower Missouri Re: SB 67 Good morning and thank you Members of the Committee for allowing me to speak today. My name is Christine Woody and I am the Food Security Policy manager...Read More

During the signing of the National School Lunch Act on June 4, 1946, Missouri native President Harry Truman stated, “In the long view, no nation is any healthier than its children or more prosperous than its farmers.” But currently, 1 in 5 children in Missouri (approximately 254,000) experience food insecurity every day.  Food insecurity is proven...Read More

The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program is an essential resource for millions of low-income families across the United States. It is available for income-eligible pregnant and postpartum women, breastfeeding moms, and children under five (up to their fifth birthday). Additionally, dads, grandparents, foster parents, and anyone raising kids under five can apply for support for...Read More

As our population ages, one issue that increasingly demands attention is food insecurity. Lacking consistent access to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life, food insecurity can have serious consequences for physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life, especially for us as we age.   The Scope of the Problem According to the...Read More

Below is a quick summary of key issues for Empower Missouri in the upcoming legislative session. If you would like to learn more, please register for our Legislative Preview Webinar on December 17th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.  I am quickly approaching my first legislative session as Chief of Policy Staff with Empower Missouri,...Read More

With the holidays quickly approaching, many turn their attention to the joys of sharing meals with those closest to them. Often, preparation for holiday meals begins with the creation of a menu, possibly dividing up who is preparing what and where the holiday feast will take place. Some culinary artists may have a signature dish...Read More

As an organization dedicated to securing basic human needs for all Missourians through policy change, Empower Missouri supports living wages for our state’s workers. On November 5th Missourians will have the opportunity to vote on Proposition A, the Minimum Wage and Earned Paid Sick Time Initiative. Proposition A would increase the minimum wage to $15...Read More

You hear from us often about the complexities of poverty and the need for a variety of policy solutions to address the housing crisis, food insecurity, access to justice, and the inaccessibility of adequate healthcare. Poverty and its effects are far-reaching and impact nearly every aspect of a person’s life, at every phase of life....Read More

This November, our Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit will feature Andrea Elliott, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Invisible Child, as one of our keynote speakers. Our staff has been reading (or re-reading) Invisible Child in preparation, and we are excited to delve deeper into the book and the implications of Dasani’s story. Today our Communications Manager,...Read More