Officials from nonprofit, government and private organizations on Monday gathered over punch and cake at the Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) Cole County Family Resource Center to celebrate CMCA's 50th anniversary.
"It is amazing that community action has been around 50 years. Maybe the depressing side of that is we are still fighting poverty after 50 years," said Darin Preis, CMCA executive director. "We are all working to help make people's lives better, trying to create economic stability in the communities that we serve, and ultimately trying to increase the quality for life of everyone."
CMCA is a part of a national network of community action agencies, Preis said. There are 1,100 community agencies across the county and 19 in Missouri. CMCA works with education, government, business, and faith-based organizations to address local poverty problems in Central Missouri.
"We have done a lot, but there is still a lot left to do," said Angela Hirsch, community services director for CMCA. "Economic development and employment is our primary focus (this year), that and education, specifically early childhood education."
CMCA was established in 1964 with the Economic Opportunity Act as a part of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. Their officials try to teach self reliance and eliminate poverty with programs such as Head Start, the Low income home energy assistance program, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Employment and Training programs, and more.
"I became involved with CMCA after I was invited to their Step Up to Leadership (SUL) program," said Elizabeth Lehmann, chair of Dreams to Reality, a program that helps women acquire appropriate attire for job interviews.
"They were teaching people how to be on a board, and I thought that was a really empowering thing for women, or for anybody," she said.
One of the SUL graduates now serves on a leadership board for Dreams to Reality, Lehmann said.
"It is a great event, it is a great opportunity to see a lot of what CMCA does and how they are helping a lot of people in the city," said City Administrator Steve Crowell. "I think they just do a great job, and really, lifting everybody up improves everybody's spot."
Crowell said the city does not directly work with the CMCA programs, but the city and the CMCA has much in common. The city differs because the services utilized by the city government to improve life quality are through police, fire and transportation departments.
"I can't say I hope it is another 50 years, because I hope to get rid of poverty before then," Preis said. "Whatever the next thing is, we want to be part of it, and we want to be part of making this community great with all of you."