Urgent

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Darin Preis, CCAP, MPA

Executive Director

Central Missouri Community Action
807 B North Providence
Columbia, MO 65203


darin-preis@showmeaction.org

Staff Picnic 2010

As I drove to work this morning, the smell of rubber palm trees in my back seat prompted me to reflect on our staff picnic last Friday. More than 200 CMCA employees gathered at Cosmo Park in Columbia to enjoy the day, good food, and good company. While I expect there are always a few that would rather be in their office or Head Start center catching up, I think it is important to have this one day each year to just unwind. Our Transformation Plan says that "Staff members . . . are recognized as the Agency's most valuable resource" and that the "Agency culture is aligned with the agency's mission, vision, and values." One of the ways to honor these commitments is to take staff out of their stressful, often emotional, busy days and give them the opportunity to just have some fun. We played volleyball, limbo, tug-o'-war, cards, frisbee, and don't even get me started on the egg toss (where I was pummeled by a dozen eggs from a handful of "fun-loving" deviants that will pay dearly when the time is right). We also gave out some donated prizes and honored several staff for their service and commitment. Employees across the agency nominated peers for the Starfish Thrower Awards to recognize colleagues who regularly go above and beyond their job description for the sake of those we serve and each other. From those, the Leadership Team selected the following for the 2010 Starfish Thrower Awards: "Team Awesome" (Andy Prevo and Chris Gunther), Brooke Smith, Administrative Services Coordinator, Andrea Langton, Callaway County Family Advocate, Shere Bruner, Cole East Head Start Site Assistant, and Brenda Jenkins, Cook Assistant and Custodian at Cole West. Thanks to these individuals for their stellar commitment. We also recognized 'Smilin' Bob Green for recently being selected as the National Support Staff of the Year by the National Head Start Association. What an honor to have a national award winner as part of the CMCA family!

We also recognized the following staff for benchmark years of service that they will complete during the 2010 fiscal year. Their years of service add up to a significant commitment to the work we do at CMCA.

5 Years of Service = Vickey Rathburn, Colita Harvey, Brooke Eskridge, Angela Hirsch, Brandy Tallman, Chris Macy, Jessica Cook, Tawnya Pace, Liz Jungmeyer, Jackie Cornell, Lesley Fannin, Darin Preis, Bryon White, and Kathleen Saleh.

10 Years of Service = Melissa Chambers, Lisa Cumins, Donisha Nevins, and Julie Kratzer.

15 Years of Service = Brenda Rose

20 Years of Service = David Gregory, Tori Schlemmer-Sims, and Pat Lockwood.

35 Years of Service = Suzie Williams-Bragg

Keep an eye out for pictures from this awesome event.

U.S. Census

Mayor of Columbia, Darwin Hindman released the following statement yesterday regarding the U.S. Census:

"As Columbia’s Mayor, I want to remind all Columbia citizens of the importance of filing out their Census forms and sending them in. This simple act of citizenship takes only a few minutes, will help guide decisions over the next ten years and will affect millions in federal funds allocated to this community. As of 10 a.m. today, Columbia’s overall response rate was 66 percent. Frankly, that’s not good enough. The city’s goal is 100% participation, and we can’t get there unless each household takes action."

It was a good reminder for me to send out the following message to CMCA staff:

As you all know, CMCA is a partner with the U.S. Census to complete this year’s count. Many of you have seen Census employees working in our facilities as we are official Questionnaire Assistance Centers. The Census is critical to our agency’s and our funders’ ability to plan for the next decade. An accurate count shows where we’re growing, declining, and changing. This information means a lot for us, our schools, our businesses, and public work. Please be sure to complete and return YOUR survey and encourage your friends, family, neighbors and clients to also complete their Census survey. It’s short, simple, and confidential and I hope you’ll give it a few minutes of your attention if you haven’t already.

For those of you who have already completed and returned your survey, THANKS! Now you can help spread the word about how easy it is. :)

Another week gone

Every time someone tells me they read my blog I'm overcome with guilt about being so negligent with it. I spent some time in Cooper and Howard Counties the other day and now I'm awash in guilt. So here I am.

This week has been busy with VITA (Volunteer In Tax Assistance) kickoff proclamations. All counties but Cooper County hosted these proclamation events (Cooper County got snowed out today!). Board members and County Commissioners read the proclamations and highlighted the importance of this project. In partnership with the University of Missouri, CMCA offers free tax assistance to the public. Obviously our primary interest is in getting preparation assistance to those who can least afford to give up a portion of their return but the service is free to all who qualify (roughly income up to $49,000). Many CMCA participants access Earned Income Tax Credits, Child Care credits, property tax credits, and other credits they have every right to but might not otherwise access without someone walking them through the process. Some tax preparation businesses take advantage of this knowledge by overcharging customers (in my opinion) and adding fees for quick refunds. Again, CMCA offers this service for free and it brings a great deal of cash back to our communities. Regardless of how people use their credit/refund, the economic multiplier effect kicks in as their dollar purchases services or products that in turn fund the providers and manufacturers of those products and services. So this fits in well with our Strategic Commitment to "Build community capacity to enhance economic and community assets." We're helping to put cash in the pockets of those in need AND we're supporting economic security for our community. Remember too that the EITC is for those who worked in 2009. They earned this credit and it is a privilege to help them access it.

After attending one of these VITA events I had the pleasure of visiting the Clubhouse Head Start center in Boonville. They documented the event on their Facebook page!

Stand up for yourself and be counted - 2010 Census

On a 2010 Census marketing ad I just watched, a representative from the NAACP said "stand up for yourself" and be counted in the 2010 Census. I thought this was a good way to characterize an extremely important event that many people across the country probably don't think is that big of a deal, or worse, fear big brother-ish motivations by our government to find out who we are. I attended the local Census 2010 press briefing yesterday and was impressed by the array of community leaders adamantly encouraging everybody to complete a Census survey and to encourage others to do the same. The United States Census 2010 is important to CMCA for a variety of reasons. First, it is this official count that is used as the key variable in a wide array of funding decisions for federal tax revenue. In fact, they tell me that $400 BILLION dollars worth of funding decisions are at least in part determined with census data. That's a big deal. But there's more. In our efforts to engage the community and address the issues of poverty and economic stability, we need to be able to paint an accurate picture of our community. Where's the growth? What are the trends? What does our community look like? The Census helps to frame the picture and then CMCA and other organizations add context. Lastly, at the press conference the regional director of the Census pointed out that this is the largest deployment of non-military federal employees in HISTORY. In other words, they're hiring a LOT of people. Most of these will be temporary jobs but they pay pretty well, are very flexible, and might help create a cleaner, more impressive work history for someone to take with them to their next interview. Go to 2010censusjobs.com to find out more, or to apply, or to get information to someone that might be able to use it.

CMCA will host approximately eight Questionnaire Assistance Centers in our facilities throughout our eight county service area. Census 2010 will place their new employees at these locations to help our clients complete the survey or to answer any questions people have. Further, we'll have "Be Counted" boxes in all of our facilities for clients or staff to submit their completed surveys. This is a great opportunity for CMCA to help out with an important national initiative and I'm proud to do so.

For anybody concerned about the intrusiveness of this survey or are uncomfortable sharing personal information, check out the survey online at the Census website. It's pretty safe. The whole Census 2010 website is pretty handy. It can answer pretty much any question you might have about the census and includes interesting ongoing commentary like the Director's Blog. You'll even get tidbits of useless facts. Did you know the first U.S. Census was conducted in 1790?

Caring agency

As part of my subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) way of "developing an innovative, caring agency dedicated to being an influential leader in our communities" (Strategic Commitment 5) I make a point of variably harping on smokers to quit smoking and doing the best I can to support and encourage people who are trying or have ever had an inkling of trying. I'd like to make some partial claim to about four people at CMCA who have quit since I've been here. The most recent are always the most exciting but I was just notified that one of our long time employees, a die hard smoker mind you; the kind that has a bumper sticker that says "at least I can still smoke in my car," is about to celebrate her one year anniversary from smoking. I'm really excited for her and hope that it makes a difference in her life for her health and her checkbook. Another employee just got taken to lunch by a naysayer who bet that she couldn't quit for a year. I'm proud of all of our quitters and will continue to support those that have tried or might consider it. It took me many attempts before I was able to kick the habit back in 2000, and honestly I still stumble from time to time, but I feel so good about myself and protecting my family that I can't help but promote the effort. Cheers to all who have quit and for anybody that's trying, and for those that will succeed in 2010.

CMCA celebrates success

If you haven't seen our rotating story about Charita Henderson, check it out now! Charita was CMCA's Head Start Parent of the Year then moved on to be Missouri's parent of the year and the Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) parent of the year. A couple of weeks ago she found out she is the 1st runner up national parent of the year. She has been heavily involved in the CMCA Head Start program and we are all so proud of her accomplishments and thankful for what she has brought to CMCA. Head Start and all of our programs have great success stories about individuals and families that have overcome barriers to achieve self-reliance and Charita is a great representative of all of those successes.

Surprise! Surprise! Poverty is going up!

The Census Bureau just released information that indicates that poverty has gone up since their last estimate and that DOES NOT INCLUDE THE EFFECT OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN. Nearly 40 million Americans are reportedly struggling with the crises of poverty. When estimates include today's unemployment rate of 9.7%, our poverty rate shoots up to nearly 15%. Think about that. FIFTEEN PERCENT of our family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances are struggling. Even that number is suspect because the poor are often not captured in census data AND the federal poverty level does not reflect one's ability to meet their basic needs. While the federal government defines poverty for a family of four as household income less than $22,050, living wage calculators put that number at nearly double for a family to meet their basic needs.

Read more about the new estimates here.

Strategy Team 1 is trying to get somewhere

I dropped in on the Strategy Team meeting focusing on "engaging the community to assure that all people have their basic needs met" this morning and was energized by their excitement. For their next meeting they are planning to ride the Columbia Transit System to various destinations like a doctors office, Walmart, and work. Seem odd? Not really when you consider that one of their three year outcomes is that "Safe, affordable, convenient transportation is readily available." This little field trip/experiment will give them some firsthand knowledge about the convenience of Columbia's system. They started by trying to gather information about the system online. Check out www.gocolumbiamo.com to try this exercise yourself. After tracking down transit system info, they started figuring out routes. I consider myself a pretty smart guy but I had to wrestle with it to figure out how I'd get from my house to my office at CMCA. Anyway, the point here isn't to criticize our current system but to look for ways to support our community's efforts to get people where they need to go. There's been a lot of work done on this and we aren't trying to reinvent the wheel but I get the impression that we're gearing up to be part of that conversation.

never respond to the naysayers, it just stirs more conversation

You'll be pleased to know that CMCA will not be running the program at the transitional housing unit but rather Rainbow House as they have a very successful record with this type of program. I'm not sure how the failed attempt at renovating the Heibel March building is a reflection on how we operate programs as Heibel March was an NCCNA project for which CMCA served as the fiscal agent. As I entered the picture I was hoping to change the trajectory of that project but ultimately found that the struggles were more than CMCA or I could overcome. I am deeply regretful of that but will continue to look for opportunities to support and facilitate initiatives throughout the eight counties we serve. Honestly I haven't felt like I could speak out about much regarding NCCNA business with the Heibel March failure hanging over my head but I am feeling more and more certain of our success on the transitional housing project. I'm pretty sure we addressed the neighborhood as soon as we were able to nail down our intention for the property on 7th street and I won't apologize for holding off until we had a plan for our property. I do understand and appreciate your concerns about me and CMCA and hope that over time you will see that neither I nor our agency are the evil empire you portray. Community development work is painstaking, slow, and rife with failures. I'm fine with the criticism and believe it keeps public officials, including myself, on our feet. Please note however that responding to blogs and emails are not the only way to advocate for things in which we believe. In fact, there are many people in the community that have written off these forms of involvement for their anonymity and generally negative tone. I tend to think that whatever form of communication people use is fine with me but I generally spend my time speaking one on one with people that can help the cause. I'm usually spread pretty thin trying to keep a foot in eight counties and more than thirty-six communities (not to mention neighborhoods, factions, interest groups, and political parties) so if my lack of response over the 802 Wilkes issue deserves condemnation, I beg your forgiveness. As for the CPS decision about Field Elementary, I truly have no connection. As I mentioned earlier, I favor an early childhood center but I support CPS cost saving efforts to relocate the Bearfield Center. CPS does a good job running that program and I believe they will weigh safety and community interaction in their decision making process.

Darin Preis

-----Original message------
From: Mike Martin
To: The Village
Subject: Re: CMCA Transitional Housing/Bearfield to Field conversion

As Pat Fowler notes (and welcome to the neighborhood, btw) a "well run" youth transitional living program may well be a neighborhood and community asset.

I've seen little indication that either the program at Bearfield or CMCA's previous attempts at helping the North Central neighborhood -- i.e. the failed Corner/Heibel-March store renovation -- were or are well run.

What's more, ill omens of future fiascoes have pretty much dominated the debate around both programs.

Despite all the high-minded talk about better public communications (especially at the school district), neither CPS nor CMCA contacted the neighborhood association about either program until word got out and a couple of us complained. And some of the ideas that have been floated -- a "barbed wire" prison style fence around Field Elementary, for instance -- seem thoughtless and ill-considered at best.

Finally, though I'm pleased that Mr. Preis says -- "My opinion is that we need to continue moving out the negative (I support your efforts to out the tenants at 802 Wilkes) and in the positive (I support Mr. Ziv's efforts to build more dense, affordable cottages)" -- I'm wondering where the "we" is in all this. CMCA and Mr. Preis were wholly absent from commentary or support on either of those issues, which have mostly relied on the dogged persistence of one or two people.

(With all the delays and the new banking rules since the big financial meltdown, Mr. Ziv may not be able to build his cottages after all, as I understand it).

So much for all that support.

Mike

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 1:08 PM
Subject: RE: CMCA Transitional Housing/Bearfield to Field conversion

I am a new homeowner in North Central, having just arrived on N. 6th St last week. While I know the transitional living program proposal and the neighborhood concerns have several layers, I have a positive opinion of well run youth transitional living programs. I have visited SOL house, discussed community volunteering with the kids there, placed service-learning students there, and consider that program a neighborhood and community asset. The Bearfield to Field conversion is a separate issue and, like each of you, I'll do my part to speak to the school representatives I know about the need to include us in the conversation earlier rather than later.

I look forward to participating in community discussion as a neighbor.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Darin Preis"
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 12:41 PM
Subject: RE: CMCA Transitional Housing/Bearfield to Field conversion

Understood. Thanks Mike. From my point of view we're not "moving at risk populations into the neighborhood" but rather creating a positive place for those that are already there. Ideally, our transitional housing project will not only remove the negative element but add a positive element that will give back to the neighborhood as has been the case with the SOL house. Our Boone County office is in that neighborhood and I'm sure you'll agree that there is no shortage of negative influences there now. My opinion is that we need to continue moving out the negative (I support your efforts to out the tenants at 802 Wilkes) and in the positive (I support Mr. Ziv's efforts to build more dense, affordable cottages). I would categorize our transitional housing for homeless youth as one of the positive elements we need to bring in.

Darin


-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 11:19 AM
From: Mike Martin
To: Darin Preis;
Subject: CMCA Transitional Housing/Bearfield to Field conversion

In the July 15th email below to Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) director Darin Preis, Linda Rootes wrote, "Some of the bloggers have tried to draw links between your project and the CPS programs for 'troubled' youths." Mr. Preis then responded, also below: "For the record, there is no connection whatsoever between CMCA and any discussions regarding Field Elementary as the relocated facility for the Bearfield School. Personally I will be disappointed if CPS doesn't use Field as an early childhood center as previously discussed..."

I assume Linda meant the set of posts on the Village listserv that begin http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nccna/message/1140

If so, she is not being accurate. No one tried to link CMCA to the relocation of Bearfield School. For my part, however, I did point out that it's over the top for social service agencies to continue moving so many "at risk" populations into one neighborhood, especially in such close proximity to "problem" houses like 802 Wilkes, where drug dealing, guns, and arrest warrants are the rule of the day. I also said the practice smacks of segregation, and I stand by that assertion. I'm shocked there's so little discussion about any of these critical issues and what discussion there is usually comes after someone pitches a bitch. It seems cavalier and short-sighted on the parts of these agencies, but given this city's unfortunate history with segregated neighborhoods and blithely-executed paternalism -- things I had never experienced before moving here -- not particularly surprising.

Mike

--- Original Message -----
From: Darin Preis
To: Linda Rootes
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 10:26 AM
Subject: RE: CMCA Transitional Housing

Thanks Linda. Dianna Moore, Economic Development Director, is the lead on this project. She is not available on August 11 but I could be available to review our progress and answer questions if you all feel like you need to know sooner than later considering any advocacy NCCNA might do regarding Field Elementary. I'll tentatively hold August 11 on my calendar if someone could confirm that you'd like me there on that date.

For the record, there is no connection whatsoever between CMCA and any discussions regarding Field Elementary as the relocated facility for the Bearfield School. Personally I will be disappointed if CPS doesn't use Field as an early childhood center as previously discussed, but I understand the circumstances under which this is being reviewed.

Darin

From: Linda Rootes [mailto:lrootes@mchsi.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:17 PM
To: Darin Preis
Subject: Re: CMCA Transitional Housing

Darin,
Good to hear that things are progressing. We meet on the second Tuesday, so that was last night! Our next meeting will be on Tues, August 11, at 6:30 in the Cougar Room of Dulany Hall at Columbia College. We are inviting some folks to share with us about the Bearfield School program that may be moved to Field School. Some of the bloggers have tried to draw links between your project and the CPS programs for "troubled" youths. Accurate information will be helpful going forward.

Let me know if the date works for you. I look forward to your visit.

Linda

----- Original Message -----
From: Darin Preis
To: Linda Rootes
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 10:46 AM
Subject: CMCA Transitional Housing

Hi Linda,
I hope you're having a great summer. Dianna and I would like to give an update on our progress on the transitional housing project to the NCCNA. Can you tell us who we should talk to about getting on the agenda for a future meeting? How frequently do you meet? We'd only need 10 or 15 minutes plus time for questions. We are making progress and I just want to keep all of you in the loop.

Thanks.

Darin Preis

It Costs more to be Poor

The poorer you are, the more things cost. More in money, time, hassle, exhaustion, menace. This is a fact of life that reality television and magazines don't often explain.

This is a GREAT article about the realities of poverty.

Recovery vs Stimulus

It amuses me that it matters whether I say "stimulus" or "recovery." The word "stimulus" currently carries the burden of a failed strategy under a previous administration while "recovery" waves the banner of "change" for the new administration. Either way, it'll be nice to get something moving. From as early as last January we have been hearing about the critical need to spend recovery dollars quickly, efficiently, and with great accountability. If the money were in a CMCA account right now that's exactly what we'd be doing. Unfortunately, the downside of "recovery" funds is that it takes a heck of a lot more planning, budgeting, partnering, training, etc. than the shot-in-the-arm cashflow of a "stimulus" check that didn't even buy me the tv I'd been pining over. Check out my blog post from January 2008 to see my preference between these two hot-button words. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has the potential to meaningfully stimulate the economy. CMCA alone will be creating roughly 50 jobs directly, not to mention all of the workers and employers we'll be supporting through our programs. Community Action has always been about supporting employee retention. When you can foster stability in the home, assist with basic needs, provide high quality early education through Head Start, and train people for new jobs or increase their work skills, you're stimulating the economy by helping people work! It's exciting to think about all the opportunities we're going to see over the next two years as the recovery funds role out to communities throughout the country. New jobs, invigorated infrastructure, and a new economy based on a healthier set of economic parameters . . . now that's a stimulus I can get behind.

Director's Report - Planning for Stimulus Funds

Since we first started hearing whispers about an economic stimulus package the CMCA board and Leadership Team have been brainstorming on our involvement. The first news that dribbled in was that our Weatherization program would expand significantly. We found out shortly thereafter that it meant we would go from weatherizing roughly 140 homes per year to around 100 homes per month. Subsequent information has shed some light on additional funding for our Employment and Training program, Community Services Block Grant, Head Start and Early Head Start. We still don't have exact details nor guidance on how to access these funds but our plans are gaining some definition. Check out this link for my report to the Board of Directors on the Leadership Team's efforts to brainstorm and begin articulating a plan of action. As soon as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are available, CMCA is ready to flood mid-Missouri with additional services and do our part to support our economy's recovery.

Quick Notes

Our 100 Man lunch in March was extrememly successful. 512 men attended across the 8 counties! This is a new record for this event!

Mernell King, Early Childhood Programs Director, has been selected for the National Head Start Association Leadership Award. She will be presented with her award at the National Head Start Association conference on May 1.

Please join Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) for a first annual, break-out fundraising event on the Katy Trail on April 25, 2009. This unique fundraising event will highlight five beautiful stops along the Katy Trail and celebrates the efforts CMCA has undergone to eliminate poverty in Mid-Missouri. Please visit our event website to register today!

If you aren't available or interested in riding, consider supporting CMCA by making a pledge to my family's contribution.

Riding Out Poverty features 4 legs of the Katy Trail that will accommodate riders of all levels. As a provider that serves the 8-county area that comprises mid-MO, Central Missouri Community Action will be celebrating four of its counties within the legs.

Leg One - North Jefferson to Cooper’s Landing =20.8 miles

Start Time: 9:00 a.m.

Leg Two - Hartsburg to Cooper’s Landing = 10.4 miles

Start Time: 10:30 a.m.

Leg Three - Rocheport to Cooper’s Landing = 14.3 miles

Start Time: 10:00 a.m.

Leg Four - New Franklin to Cooper’s Landing = 24 miles

Start Time: 8:30 a.m.

UCLA Newsreel

It's not everyday that you get quoted in an article linked to UCLA's main website, not to mention a long article about the health literacy initiative at CMCA called I CAN! This partnership is such a great opportunity to do more meaningful work in our community and to share our expertise with a broader audience. The Columbia Tribune also published a recent article with much of the same information and I thought the online feedback was interesting. Feel free to add your own thoughts here.

President Obama's Plans

The Leadership Team is meeting all day on Saturday, March 14 to discuss our ideas for funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (this link is a summary of stimulus funds to which Missouri will have access). We know we are getting a tremendous increase in Weatherization (more than 10x our current funding through Sept 2010) and large increases in Head Start (through a competitive application process with amounts unknown), CSBG (nearly double current funding through Sept 2010), and WIA (amounts yet to be determined). The President and Congress has charged us with adding to the safety net of services by assisting record numbers of participants eligible for our services but we're also challenging ourselves to think about sustainability and long term solutions to poverty that the stimulus may not effect. To help us think long term, we'll be analyzing President Obama's plans (click her to reach our planning wiki and then click on "Obama's plans") for his administration and comparing those plans to our transformational plan. We're already cooking up some great ideas but this is such a massive endeavor, I fear missing a great idea that might be floating around out there that we ought to add to our consideration. Please check in with your thoughts and let us know if you've got a good idea for serving more people quickly, creating jobs for low- to moderately-skilled workers, or for meaningful strategies that move people off of public assistance in the long term.

Homeownership is Not for Everybody

But MAN! If you or anybody you know has never owned a home but has been thinking about it, saving up, or dreaming about it, this might be the year to make it happen. With interest rates low, deals on every street (since the housing bubble has burst), and the following information about the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, it becomes an awfully tempting way to stabilize a family's housing needs AND support our country's economic stabilization.

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit
Basics

Up to $8,000 is available to first-time homebuyers as part of the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act (HR 1) which was signed into law on February 17. You can claim the credit on your 2008 tax return if you buy a home in 2009. You can request an extension from the IRS or file an amended 2008 tax return.

Homeownership Tax Credit Basics

• First-time homebuyers who have not owned a home in the past three years.
• Purchased a home between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009.
• The home must be their primary residence.
• The home can be a new or resale home, a coop, condo or manufactured home.
• Must live in the home for at least three years (if you sell it before three years, you must repay the credit).
• The credit is 10% of the purchase price (or up to $8,000).

(Source: CFED)

Success Stories Aren't Always Happy

I believe that success in the anti-poverty community stems from relationship building. CMCA recently lost a friend that was a model of this success. I didn't know Mr. Wyss myself but he touched a lot of people as an Ally in our Circles project. You can see his obituary here but the story that follows really hit a cord with me. The story is told by Circles Coach, Colita Harvey.


The Wyss Family first learned about Circles and was introduced to Bridges out of Poverty workbook through Don Day's Sunday School class. For two months, Don taught Bridges out of Poverty to his Sunday School Class, and from that, the Wyss family came to visit our Circles group meeting. This was the third Thursday of the month, where a Big View topic of political issues was discussed and led by a Guiding Coalition member. In addition to the topic, we also did an activity that night called “Speed Dating”. This gave people the opportunity to get to know each other, which everyone enjoyed doing because there were quite a few new faces in the group that night. After the meeting, John and Barbara Wyss came up to me, gave me their email address and wanted to know more in detail about how to become a part of the whole Circle Initiative and also become Allies to a Circle Leader. The next day, I emailed them a flyer which talked about how they could be a part of the initiative, along with the previous Guiding Coalition minutes, and a copy of November monthly agenda. The Wyss’s returned the next meeting and participated in the group discussion sharing their ideas/thoughts, and gave the group advice on certain topics mentioned that night. Later that month we all noticed that John had a walking cane with him and he joked about his legs being pretty weak that night. That next week, while families painted pumpkins and made masks for Family Fun Night Mr. Wyss sat in one seat all night and didn’t get up until it was time to go. We all noticed that he had replaced the cane with a walker to assist him in walking. In November, Don Day mentioned in our Circle meeting that John was now very ill and the doctors knew it was cancer but didn’t know what type or how bad it was. Don also reported that John wasn’t walking anymore at all and had been admitted to the hospital. Don passed around a get well card for all to sign and write words of encouragement. The circle group immediately felt sad, and I told everyone to keep the Wyss family in their thoughts. Vicki, our VISTA worker, had gone by to see John a few times and sat with him, just to make his spirits better, because by this time John and the doctors knew the cancer was all over his body including his brain, and John said he could die any day because the cancer was eating up his body. John's hair and beard were long and white, but he recently cut his hair because he knew that the radiation treatment would make it fall out and he would rather cut his hair before it fell out. At that point, John only had a few sessions left before the doctors would stop all radiation treatment because the treatment wasn't helping his condition. Again, these reports were given to me and the Circle group either by Don or Vicki who went to visit John on a weekly basis. On November 20^th the Circle group meal had a Thanksgiving theme where the Circle members and Guiding Coalition members all brought dishes to make a huge Thanksgiving meal. I sat in the front greeting everyone as they arrived and to everyone's surprise the pastor of Broadway Christian Church was wheeling in John Wyss to the Circle meeting. John had requested a 2 hour pass from the hospital and with his pass he decided to spend it with the Circle families. We all greeted him one at a time and told him how much he had been in our thoughts and spoke about how much we missed him. He sat and had dinner with us for a little more than an hour before heading back to the hospital. The men in the Circle group assisted him to the men’s room first, before going to the car. While he was in the men’s room his wife spoke about how everyone should cherish each moment and not take for granted the time they have to spend with their family. She had no idea how much longer she had with her husband. The group gave her words of encouragement, knowing how difficult sharing had been while talking through a stream of tears. When John finished in the men’s room everyone told John bye and the men then assisted him to the car. For the next 10 minutes the whole group was just amazed about how John took his first and possible only pass from the hospital and chose to spend it with us - the Boone County Circle group.

Walter John Wyss II, 63, of Columbia died Friday, Jan. 2, 2009, in Columbia.

From the Desk of our HR Director

I couldn't possibly write a better announcement about CMCA's health insurance coverage for 2009 so I'm stealing it straight from the horse's mouth. Julie Kratzer, our HR Director sent the following to "All Staff" regarding the value of our health insurance policy and the importance of staff health:

"Each year around this time CMCA’s health insurance plan comes up for renewal. Changes to the existing plan are reviewed and other health insurance options are considered. I am excited to announce that for 2009, CMCA will once again pay the full monthly health insurance premium for our eligible employees. This is almost unheard of among other employers. CMCA will renew the Mercy health insurance plan. This means that the health coverage for 2009 will be the same as it was in 2008. The Mercy health plan is an excellent plan. A summary of plan coverage is attached. For more specific information, please call the member services number on the back of your health insurance card.

While there was an increase in the health insurance premiums, CMCA is not asking employees to pay even a portion of their premium. But rather we are asking that you continue to take care of yourselves, get your annual check ups, and use the preventive care options offered by our health insurance. For those of you who have your children and/or your spouse on the health insurance plan, the new monthly premiums effective January 1, 2009 are as follows: Spouse = $625.16 and children = $317.17 (flat fee for all children). CMCA pays the full employee premium of $509.91 on each eligible employee.

While on the subject of health insurance, please keep in mind that you can get many generic prescriptions filled for $4 or even free. If you doctor is writing your prescription ask him/her if there is a comparable generic available and if so have him/her write the prescription for the generic. You can save money. Walmart and Gerbes, offer many generic prescriptions for just $4. Schnuck’s has at least 13 commonly prescribed antibiotics that they will fill absolutely free when you bring in your prescription. Our co-pay on generic prescriptions is $10. So before you hand over your insurance card to the pharmacist and pay the co-pay, ask the pharmacist how much the drug actually cost – it could be cheaper than the co-pay.

Oh yeah, while I’m at it, eat an apple, quit smoking, and wear your seatbelt. We want you to be safe, happy, and healthy so you can continue to be part of our great team!

Have a great day!

Julie Kratzer

HR Director"

Development and Transformation

I find it terribly ironic that our agency is gaining new resources even as the economy continues to struggle. As we discussed at the board meeting a few weeks ago, more utility assistance (LIHEAP) and Weatherization funding has been appropriated by Congress, an additional $23 million is available to the state of Missouri for Neighborhood Stabilization through the Community Development Block Grant, and our Head Start program has taken on nearly $2 million (over the next several years) for projects around health literacy and healthy relationships. Sadly, much of this funding is a reflection of the fact that more people are struggling to make ends meet. Even with new resources however, we are not able to address all of the causes of poverty by ourselves, much less the influx of families who are struggling because of the current economy. This is all the more reason to continue implementing our transformational plan. CMCA must be about more than providing programs and services if it is truly to be a catalyst to ending poverty in mid-Missouri. Our transformational plan incorporates all of our programs but expands to engage the community to work together to address the root causes of poverty that our individual programs do not. This leads me back to our sources of revenue. We are not funded to implement our transformational plan nor to do much of the work that it outlines. Certainly we will work to maximize our programmatic budgets by looking for acceptable opportunities to braid our funding around certain activities but ultimately we will need new revenue. To fund our plan we will take a three-pronged approach. First, we will continue to look for grants that specifically fit our plan. Second, we will establish a development plan that incorporates events and direct fundraising (see our Development Plan for more details). Third, we are building capital to start a social enterprise that will generate revenue for the agency. For this reason I am all the more excited to get our Development Advisory Board up and running.

Before we get too much further along, I should point out that we have some significant recruiting to do to fill our board back to capacity (21 members). Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, and Osage Counties particularly need representation. Please share any ideas about people that would support our mission and be active board members. The Membership and Training Committee will be meeting on November 13 to discuss the current openings and to discuss recruitment strategies. We will also be discussing a new application process that will allow us to analyze board members’ and recruits’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to help us develop the most well-rounded board possible.