Central Missouri Community Action

CMCA’s mission is to empower individuals and families to achieve self-reliance. Each of the words in our mission statement was carefully considered. Empowerment is a powerful word that we debated at length. Can one really empower another or is success more of an intrinsic characteristic regardless of external factors? The causes and conditions of poverty differ for everyone who struggles. We determined however that it is possible to establish a framework of support, guidance, and resources that can empower an individual when they are ready to embrace it. CMCA offers that framework. Poverty isn’t just an individual circumstance though. As valuable as individual and family development work is, communities empower people too. Education systems, employment opportunities, equality factors, diversity, and environmental factors also determine our fate. To this end, CMCA is committed to engaging communities to tip all of these variables in favor of opportunity, economic stability, and empowerment.