Empower Missouri

Don't miss your chance to connect with colleagues and take your policy skills from advocate to leader at the Policy and Equity: Collaborative Frameworks for Inclusive Change Summit! Empower Missouri Executive Director Mallory Rusch is looking forward to speaking at the Summit and delivering innovative policy education alongside fellow policy and advocacy leaders. We hope you’ll join her at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis on October 18 and 19 to build connections, share meals, and learn together! Visit policysummit.wustl.edu for more information or contact the Brown School Professional Development team at brownprofdev@wustl.edu or 314.935.7573.

Just a reminder that now is an especially great time for your organization to join the Advocacy Alliance, which offers a 25% discount to the Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit, along with other exciting opportunities and discounts! https://lnkd.in/gWfAJjT4 The Summit, coming up on November 12th and 13th in Columbia, will feature incredible keynote presentations and breakout sessions focused on ending child poverty in Missouri. Topics include timely facets of our core issue areas: affordable housing, criminal legal system reform, and food security, as well as sessions designed to sharpen your advocacy skills. If you’re interested in further training beyond the Summit, Alliance Membership also includes one complimentary training session for your organization AND discounts on additional sessions or our Advocacy Accelerator program. In addition, Alliance Membership includes several opportunities for promotion, such as spotlights in our newsletters featuring your programs and services, social media shout-outs, and tabling opportunities. All at a really reasonable sliding scale based on your organization’s budget (starting at only $150 per year). We hope you’ll consider joining us! And if you’re not ready for Alliance Membership, you can still purchase regularly priced tickets to the Summit at: EmpowerMissouri.org/summit Image description: Advocacy Alliance graphic with a blue background reading "Join now to make the most of your membership: 25% off the Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit 2024 - only $111.75 with Alliance Membership!" as well as a list of additional benefits: Complimentary Training • Social Media Spotlights • Tabling Opportunities • Members Only Resource Library • Speaking Opportunities • Discounted Merch • Co-Host Events • Event Recognition • Promo Opportunities #EmpowerMO #Missouri #Advocacy #Community #Learning

You can purchase your ticket to the 2024 Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit at: EmpowerMissouri.org/summit! The Summit will include amazing speakers like Stephanie Acon, who will be leading the breakout session "The Impact of Youth in the Justice System." As the Founder of Finally Safe, this session's leader will address the critical impact of juvenile justice on our youth and the urgent need for reform and policy changes. The presentation will shine a light on the disproportionate representation of Black boys in the system and the troubling trend of charging these youth as adults. We will explore the far-reaching consequences on the Black community and its future. Most importantly, the speaker will discuss the imperative for mandated programming to support and rehabilitate these children. Image description: "Speaker Spotlight" graphic with a photo of Stephanie Acon (Founder and Executive Director, Finally Safe) and the title of the breakout session on a blue background with the Empower Missouri Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit 2024 logo #EmpowerMO #Missouri #Advocacy #Event #Community #Education

With the November election less than one month away, it seems likely that you’re being inundated with news and opinions related to upcoming federal, state, and local elections. In Missouri, voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on five amendments to Missouri’s constitution. You have likely seen three of these amendments—Amendment 2 (legalizing sports betting), Amendment 3 (restoring abortion access), and Amendment 4 (allowing a new casino in the Lake of the Ozarks)—covered by local media over the last year, as all of these were added to the ballot through Missouri’s initiative petition process. However, Amendment 6 was added to the ballot via a bill passed by our legislature, and it has barely received any attention from the media. On the surface, the language that you will see on the ballot next month will seem fairly innocuous: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel? State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact. One might reasonably guess that the majority of Missouri voters consider themselves “pro-law enforcement,” and so it seems likely that the amendment will pass, since there is no organized opposition to the measure. But, in fact, several local and national criminal justice advocacy groups strongly opposed this bill during session for one clear reason: Pensions should not rely on variable fee revenue streams tied to the volume of activity in the criminal justice system. Read more in our newest Weekly Perspective blog post here: https://lnkd.in/gTA8RSvb Image description: blue text reading "New Weekly Perspective on the Blog! This November, Vote No on Amendment 6" with a photo of four people voting #EmpowerMO #WeeklyPerspective #Blog #Missouri #Vote #Policy #MOleg #CriminalLegalSystem #CommunityJustice

Getting sick shouldn't mean financial hardship. Missourians can vote YES on Prop A this November and join Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages in bringing earned #PaidSickDays to our state and #RaisingTheWage to $15/hr by 2026. Image description: Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages graphic reading "Vote yes on Prop A by Tues. Nov. 5 | Prop A would allow employees to earn up to seven paid sick days per year. No one should have to choose between their paycheck and their family's health" with a photo of a parent and child #Missouri #Policy #ChangingPolicyChangesLives

On Thursday, October 10th at 6:00 p.m., you can join MISSOURIANS TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY (MADP) for a World Day Against the Death Penalty virtual event to learn more about their work and discuss the legislative landscape in Missouri. RSVP at: bit.ly/MADPLandscape2024 Image description: MADP graphic with the details and event link above on a red and white background with a footer containing MADP's website, madpmo.org #Missouri #Policy #Event #WorldDayAgainstTheDeathPenalty #Advocacy

Are you caught up on our Under the Dome podcast? The episode "Tackling Food Insecurity Among Older Adults in Missouri" features Christine Woody, one of our Food Security Policy Managers, in a discussion about food insecurity in Missouri's older adult population. Christine sheds light on this often overlooked issue and shares how Empower Missouri aims to raise awareness and change policies to help older adults access necessary programs. Listen at: https://lnkd.in/gYaY-KqC Image description: blue text reading "Listen Now" with a turquoise background, the Under the Dome logo, and illustrations of speech bubbles and headphones #EmpowerMO #Podcast #ListenNow #Subscribe #UndertheDome #Advocacy #Missouri #Policy #FoodSecurity

"I am very excited to join Empower Missouri as the Chief of Policy Staff. I moved to Missouri fifteen years ago to join Legal Services of Eastern Missouri to lead a newly formed medical-legal partnership to address the health-harming legal needs of patients in local hospitals and clinics. One of my first community presentations was at an Empower Missouri forum about SNAP and Medicaid. I have always had a connection to the organization and a respect for its important work in ending poverty in Missouri. In my new role, I will be supporting Empower Missouri’s stellar policy team as they fight for access to food, affordable housing, and a better criminal legal system." Read more in our newest Weekly Perspective blog post here: https://lnkd.in/gBMsM-qa Image description: blue text reading "New Weekly Perspective on the Blog! Hello From Our New Chief of Policy Staff, Lucas Caldwell-McMillan" with a photo of Lucas #EmpowerMO #WeeklyPerspective #Blog #Welcome #PolicyChange #Missouri

You can purchase your ticket to the 2024 Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit at: EmpowerMissouri.org/summit! The Summit will include amazing speakers like Amanda Walker-Jackson, who will be leading the breakout session "Bridging the Benefits Cliff: Policies for Economic Stability." Join us for a compelling session addressing the critical issue of the benefits cliff, where individuals lose essential support as their income rises marginally. Walker-Jackson will provide a firsthand account of parents impacted by this phenomenon, who shared their challenges with the speaker regarding their abrupt loss of benefits due to modest increases in income. Through personal narratives and policy insights, this session aims to evoke empathy and deepen understanding of the systemic issues contributing to the benefits cliff. Image description: "Speaker Spotlight" graphic with a photo of Amanda Walker-Jackson (Advisory Board Member, Parent Leadership Training Institute - KC) and the title of the breakout session on a blue background with the Empower Missouri Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit 2024 logo #EmpowerMO #Missouri #Advocacy #Event #Community

The Right Time health centers are focused on you and have several advantages for you to consider: *Access to all methods of birth control. *Free or low-cost birth control to those who need it. *No insurance? No problem. *Telehealth appointments available at some locations. Learn more: TheRightTime.org Image description: a green background with blue text reading, "Every The Right Time health center uses a client-centered approach." #TheRightTime #Missouri #Healthcare