On Nov. 27th, 2019, Empower Missouri submitted a comment to the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding their proposed change to how SNAP benefit allocations are calculated. Please use the link below to download or view our comment. Empower Missouri USDA Comment – State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility AllowancesDownloadRead More

Hunger is not a partisan issue. This is one of the messages that was interwoven throughout the Building Blocks for Missouri's Success Conference that was held last weekend in Columbia. It was a conference full of hope and plans of action to move us forward in our fight against hunger in our state!Read More

I have been learning about and advocating on safety net programs since I started at Empower Missouri 13 years ago, but have never really learned the history and inner workings of the TANF program.Read More

We learned about successful campaigns to increase benefit levels, create child support pass throughs, add a diaper or toiletries allowance, or end a flawed policy like the “family cap” in some states.Read More

12% of our neighbors meet the official USDA definition of “low food security” or “very low food security”. One in eight rely on federal SNAP to help put some or all of the food on their table every day. We should call this what it is - hunger.Read More

Intended to highlight the difficulties faced by Missourians who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table, the challenge will ask participants to shop for a three-day supply of food for a family of four using only the amount of money available to families from the program.Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 4, 2019 Contact: Jeanette Mott Oxford314-775-3261 (cell)[email protected]  (JEFFERSON CITY, MO)….. A report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reveals that while Missouri has made some progress on reducing food insecurity, the state level is still higher than the national average. The report documents that the 2018 food insecurity...Read More

Just one month remains until the deadline to submit comments opposing the Trump administration’s proposed rule change that would eliminate SNAP benefits for approximately 3.1 million individuals. Over the last 2 months, more and more voices are speaking out about these harsh and unnecessary changes but the pressure needs to continue. Just this week, the...Read More

The Missouri General Assembly has a Legislative Session that goes from January to May. During those months, the capitol building in Jefferson City is in constant motion, with elected officials, lobbyists, and advocates all clamoring to pass laws that will shape our state. It’s an exciting time.  But then we hit Sine Die – the...Read More

More Than 3.1 Million Could Lose SNAP If The Trump Administration Has Their Way Just months after Congress and the Administration debated and reauthorized the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the Farm Bill, the Trump Administration is now proposing to implement, through executive action, a second SNAP benefits cut. This is unacceptable as it would...Read More