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 changes halted recertification interviews, gave families the maximum benefit amount for their family size, and increased that maximum benefit by 15%. This is all because the global pandemic has changed...Read More

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 month by the support SNAP provides. Last week, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the 2021 Thrifty Food Plan Report. Within that report, they announced that they are...Read More

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 be taking place on October 1. On Monday, the USDA released a report in which they re-calculated the Thrifty Food Plan, the calculation used to set benefit levels for SNAP,...Read More

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 12pm for our Legislative Session Wrap-up Event by registering HERE), it is time to turn our advocacy efforts towards Washington D.C.. In the coming months, there will be many opportunities...Read More

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 Action from April 19th – 22nd on Zoom this week, demanding that state lawmakers support legislation that helps Missourians have food, shelter and justice.  The actions include fighting back against...Read More

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 and Missourians faced one of the most unexpected and devastating global pandemics in more than 100 years. To date, the airborne virus also known as “Covid-19,” has killed millions across...Read More

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 upon many devastating impacts on individuals and families throughout the nation. While we begin looking to the future with hope as the vaccine begins to be distributed, there still remains...Read More

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 address throughout those decades. But 2020 has been an historic year in which wave upon wave of crisis arrived, placing stress on governmental, community, household, and our staff and volunteer...Read More

The 2020 General Election has come and gone, although the vote counting and legal actions over a variety of issues are apt to continue for some time. Whether you are happy or sad about the outcome of races and ballot measures in Missouri, one thing is certain: Our advocacy for social justice will continue to...Read More

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, the judge called the proposed rule change “arbitrary and capricious.” The Trump Administration tried to impose a new rule that would have severely limited the states’ option to waive the...Read More