The Impact Issue 2022

THE ISSUE

Beth Shepard Cranktivus, Most Impactful Event/Fundraiser

WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT

WE WORK IN A TEAM APPROACH

MU

of Surgery

Dr. Bartow is a board-certified general surgeon who focuses on patients who have problems in their gastroin testinal tract. These issues range from hernias and gallbladder disorders to colon cancers and reflux disease. He is an expert in Robotic Surgery In many cases, he performs repairs with minimally invasive robotic approach es, which allows him to reach the problem with small incisions allowing patients recover quicker and get back to normal activity sooner than they would after traditional open surgeries.

Dr. Bartow is a lifelong Missouri an who grew up in Nixa, graduated from the MU School of Medicine and completed his training at in the MU Department of Surgery. After 10 years of practice in Cape Girardeau, he was drawn back to MU Health Care due to the energy and innovation of an aca demic health system. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and relax ing with his wife and four daughters.

Dr. Grossmann has more than two decades of experience as a board certified general and colorectal surgeon who focuses on patients with intestinal problems. These issues can include conditions such as inflamatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancers. When he meets new patients, his first goal is to make them feel comfortable and let them know MU Health Care has a team of experts that can help them get better. His favorite part of the job is visiting with people five years after their cancer surgery and telling them they are cured.

Dr. Grossmann grew up in St. Louis and got interested in medicine as a boy, whe n he used the knowledge he learned in a Cub Scouts first-aid class to help his mom when she cut her hand in the kitchen. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, cooking, camping, and playing guitar in a garage rock band.

Rony Marwan, MD

PEDIATRIC SURGERY

Dr. Marwan is a board-certified pediatric surgeon and surgical critical care specialist. Dr. Marwan special izes in fetal surgery treating babies before they are born who have prenatal and postnatal congenital malformations. His clinical interests include single incision laparoscopic surgery, chest wall malformations, and thoracic lesions. He also treats the more common surgical prob lems for kids, such as removing the appendix, repairing hernias, gall bladder disease, and colorectal prob lems. As a father of three kids, his goal is to provide parents and their yet-to-be- born babies with support, compassion, and the best possible outcomes. Dr. Marwan takes pride in providing families with comfort and security to calm their fears at a difficult time.

He enjoys being outdoors, from the mountains to the oceans — he enjoys hiking and is a professional scuba diving instructor — as well as spending time with his wife and three children.

For an appointment with Dr. Marwan call 573-882-6500

Thomas Willson, MD

CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY

Dr. Willson is a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in adult and pediatric craniofacial, plastic, and reconstructive surgery. He is trained in pediatric craniofacial surgery and treats conditions such as cleft lip and palate, ear molding and facial reconstruction. Dr. Willson performs cosmetic surgery on adults, including facelift, rhinoplasty, tummy tucks, and breast surgery.

Depending on the condition, he often treats patients from birth through adulthood. He feels that your face is the first thing someone sees. Helping people have more positive interactions with the world is what drew him into adult and pediatric craniofacial surgery.

Columbia reminds Dr. Willson of where he grew up with all it has to offer. He sees a nice town with nice people. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and dog.

Jack Campbell, MD

UROLOGIC SURGERY

Dr. Campbell is a urologist who specializes in surgical reconstruction of some of the most difficult problems in urology. He treats a variety of conditions such as urethral stricture disease, erectile dysfunc tion, Peyronie’s disease and male incontinence.

Dr. Campbell enjoys taking care of patients who have difficult issues and may have even had another urologist tell them, “There’s nothing we can do to fix that.” He sees problems that can be sensitive for patients to talk about and in many cases, patients may not have discussed these prob lems with anyone else. His goal is al ways to be a trustworthy and honest person in all aspects of life, and no area is more important than when he’s with a patient. He was born in Columbia and considers it a distinct privilege to return to his hometown and take care of Missourians.

He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and their dog, Reggie, as well as biking, running, fishing and cheering on Mizzou through the good and the bad.

For an appointment with Dr. Campbell call 573-882-6500

Imagine a Safer Community...

free from domestic and sexual violence, where healthy relationships thrive.

It's our mission to provide safety, shelter, education and transitional support for those who have been affected by domestic and sexual violence and to empower all to create a safer community.

Every dollar you give makes a real difference in the lives of those we serve. Any donation, no matter the size, can make a impact in our community.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

Dr. Ashley Emel, President

Owner & Chiropractor, Compass Chiropractic & Wellness

Wendy Wiederhold, Vice President

Vice President Field Operations, Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.

Jon Class, Treasurer Member, Williams-Keepers LLC

Kelly Poor, Secretary Senior Operations Manager, IDEXX BioAnalytics

Kathi Betz, Past President Owner, Betz Jewelers

DIRECTORS

Nancy Allison

Shelter Insurance Agent, Retired

Dr. Courtney Barnes, MD, MPH Associate Professor of Clinical OB/GYN

Jeri Doty

MU Health Care Chief Planning Officer, Retired

Glen Ehrhardt

Attorney, Rogers | Ehrhardt

Angie Gentry

Senior VP Consumer Banking, Central Bank of Boone County

Chad Gooch

Lieutenant, Columbia Police Department

Amy Greenwood

REALTOR, RE/MAX Boone Realty

Mike Middleton

University of Missouri, Retired

Laura Schemel

Director, Brand Management & Marketing, MU Health Care

Laura Crouch, President Emeritus Crouch & Associates, LLC

Lombardo Homes is now building in Columbia!

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Making an Impact

Ilove that we named this one e Impact Issue. It’s been e Nonpro t Issue in previous years. However, the concept of making an impact with our time, talent, and treasure is core to my own personal calling at the intersection of my three passions: small business, organizational health, and Columbia speci cally. Heck, it’s why this magazine even exists in the format that it is.

I can do a lot of things to make money with this magazine including selling each page of “content” but rather choose to ensure that we are committed to providing relevant, deeper stories based in journalism.

Telling the stories of the people and small businesses (also made up of people) of Columbia is exactly what I’m called to do. Nothing wraps that up more each year than this issue that we fully dedicate to people in service for other people giving of their time and their money to help enrich the lives of others.

I look forward to celebrating this service every year with our Impact COMO luncheon and awards ceremony. It’s a great chance to give recognition for a job well done. And this year, we were able to recognize some lesser known organizations such as Cranktivus, the creator of which is featured on our cover, as well as more well known organizations such as Veterans United Foundation.

If you can sit through that luncheon and hear about the work of others and what their close friends and family say about them without having tears in

your eyes, you need to have your heart checked out. As the emcee of the event, I often had to stop and compose myself before moving on. I just love seeing people win…not just the award, but win at their work, win at their mission, win at serving others.

I leave you with this question. Where are you making an impact? Who bene ts from your time, talents, and treasure? If you can’t answer that with clarity, please let me introduce you to some amazing organizations that could use your help.

If there’s an organization or person that you think we need to tell the story of, please email me at Erica@comomag.com.

ON THE COVER

Letter from the Publisher

ERICA PEFFERMAN PUBLISHER

Beth Shepard, Impact COMO, Most Impactful Event/Fundraiser Winner for Cranktivus

Photo by Anthony Jinson

Wow! I am not even sure where to start with the Impact Issue, because dang this community sure makes an impact!

One of the greatest blessings I have received through this career is learning more about all of the amazing nonpro t organizations in our town. I don’t want to say that we demand it, but we highly encourage our sta to be involved. Join a board. Volunteer your time. To get involved in our community in some way, shape, or form.

Combined, the number of boards our sta sit on, the amount of volunteer hours, and the community involvement, are way too many to list. You won’t have to look far to see someone from the COMO crew around town.

I personally have enjoyed becoming involved with the Columbia Chamber of Commerce through Women’s Network, the special events committee, and most recently as a Chamber Ambassador. I have been involved with Columbia’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s and had a small hand in helping to reach record breaking fundraising goals this year.

However, I would not be true to myself, if I did not put in a plug here for the organization nearest and dearest to my personal heart: Young Life Columbia. If you have never heard of this, pull up a chair and I will talk your ear off. Young Life meets high school and college students right where they are at in their lives. Whether a football field or a coffee shop — to share and

spread the love of Jesus. It’s not your typical “church experience.” They make it fun and easy for kids to understand and engage.

I have been blessed to experience all aspects of this organization from having a hundred high schoolers in my basement singing their hearts out, to smaller before school bible studies in my living room, and most recently attending one of their summer camps in Colorado this past summer.

Young Life and all of its participants refer to camp as “ e Best Week Ever,” and it is not a lie. I can not even fully express in words what an experience this camp is for our youth. Young Life works hard year round to secure sponsorships so no kid is left out due to nances. I truly could go on and on about how life changing this organization has been for me, my kids, and hundreds of other youth in our community. I will gladly sit and have a co ee with anyone who would like to learn more, and I highly encourage you to get your kids involved!

I had no idea the opportunities that existed in our community until I just jumped in feet rst and became involved. It can be uncomfortable for some, but I promise you that you will nd your group of people, and those people will greet you with open arms. Nothing brings people together more than sharing a passion and a common cause. And what better cause than giving back to the community we live in and its people.

Not sure where to start? Reach out to us, and we will be glad to nd a good t for you and help you make those connections.

I would love to hear from you! What should we talk about in upcoming issues? Feel free to share, Kim@comomag.com. Keep loving each other COMO!

Letter from the Editor Join a board. Volunteer your time.

Young Life summer camp at Crooked Creek Ranch.

XO,

President

Erica Pefferman Erica@comomag.com

EDITORIAL

Publisher | Erica Pefferman Erica@comomag.com

Editor | Kim Ambra Kim@comomag.com

Copy Editor | Ryan Shiner

DESIGN

Creative Director | Kate Morrow Kate@comomag.com

Photo Director | Sadie Thibodeaux Sadie@comomag.com

Senior Designer | Jordan Watts Jordan@comomag.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Charles Bruce III, Lana Eklund, Anthony Jinson, Chris Padgett Drew Piester

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kim Ambra, Candice Ball, Sam Barrett, Lauren Sable Freiman, Jules Graebner, Jodie Jackson, Amanda Long, Michelle Terhune, Jennifer Truesdale, Emmi Weiner

Director of Operations

Amy Ferrari Amy@comomag.com

MARKETING

Director of Sales | Charles Bruce Charles@comomag.com

OUR MISSION

To inspire, educate, and entertain the citizens of Columbia with quality, relevant content that reflects Columbia’s business environment, lifestyle, and community spirit.

CONTACT

Business Times Holdings, LLC 18 S. Ninth St. Ste 201, Columbia, MO 65201 (573) 499-1830 comomag.com /wearecomomag @wearecomomag

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Magazines are $5.95 an issue. Subscription rate is $39 for 12 issues for one year or $69 for 24 issues for two years. Subscribe at comomag.com or by phone.

CORRECTION

On page 89 of our Finance issue, the pull quote incorrectly states Jordan Bales’ title as “Director of Finance, Senior Planner.” Jordan’s correct title is Senior Planner.

Advisory Board

Representing Voices from All Different Walks of Life.

We take pride in representing our community well and we couldn’t do what we do without our COMO Magazine advisory board. Thank You!

Beth Bramstedt

Associate Pastor

Christian Fellowship Church

Heather Brown

Strategic Partnership Officer

Harry S Truman VA Hospital

Chris Cottle

Walk Manager

Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter

Nickie Davis

Executive Director

The District, Downtown CID

Alex George

Owner

Skylark Bookshop Executive Director

Unbound Book Festival

Author

Barbra Horrell

Consultant

Horrell Associates

Jeremiah Hunter

Assistant Police Chief

Commander Investigations Bureau

Columbia Police Department

Kris Husted

Senior Content Editor

NPR Midwest Newsroom

Amanda Jacobs Owner

Jacobs Property Management

Darren

Morton

Program Director

Turning Point

David Nivens

Chief Executive Officer Midwest Computech

Suzanne Rothwell Vice President

Advancement Division Columbia College

Megan

Steen

Vice President

Burrell Behavioral Health

La Toya Stevens

Director of Communications for the Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity University of Missouri-Columbia

Nathan Todd

Business Services Specialist

First State Community Bank

Wende Wagner

Director of Philanthropy

The Missouri Symphony

IT'S NOT A CATWALK; Couture canines strut their stuff Pawject Runway, an upcoming

Unchained Melodies

Jones & Ueligger is committed to supporting the local community and City of Refuge provides integral support to the refugee families that have been placed in our community.

City of Refuge Holds Capital Campaign

City of Refuge has experienced exponential growth and has exceeded the physical capacity of their former office space. This fall they have transitioned into a new building in the heart of Columbia.

The property sits in the midst of several refugee communities and serves as a physical representation of their message to the refugee community: You have a place here.

NATHAN JONES, City of Refuge Board Member

If you would like to contribute to the City of Refuge Capital Campaign, please scan the QR code today. Your support is appreciated, by not only the organization but by the refugees they serve every day.

2412 Forum Blvd, Suite 101 573-874-1122 JandULaw.com

Intimate, Unique, Local

For over a decade, Talking Horse Productions has used community theater to give lesser-known shows their night in the spotlight.

BY SAM BARRETT PHOTOS BY ART SMITH

Amongst the unassuming warehouses of COMO's North Village Arts District, you'll nd Talking Horse Productions — an intimate community theater where aspiring actors, local playwrights, and smaller works get their chance to shine.

THE VISION

In January 2012, Talking Horse Productions founder Ed Hanson, debuted the organization's rst show in a small theater at Cafe Berlin. Over the past decade, they've grown into a larger and more permanent space of their own — though their productions still retain the same intimate feeling.

In a theater that seats 70 people, there is not much room for “elaborate costumes, advanced technology, and intricate set designs.” Rather than letting the space limit them, Talking Horse uses their compact scale as a chance to highlight productions driven by details. e Talking Horse Productions’ mission and vision come from Ed’s love for “smaller works, driven by intense characters and rich dialogue.”

According to artistic director Rochara Knight, Talking Horse Productions doesn’t shy away from productions focusing on social issues.

“We also like to shine a light on some of our own issues that are happening within our society. During this time, whether it be like race, or LGBTQ, or anything like that, we’re sort of that theater that doesn’t shy away from those topics, because it’s an educational point. We need

to be able to have conversations about it.” Rochara says.

With a small space and a clear vision in mind, Talking Horse Productions gives ample spotlight to their characters.

“ at’s also what makes it kind of special. You know that going into that show that even if you have a smaller role, you’re going to be seen. You’re going to be heard. It’s going to be important, and people are going to notice you.” Rochara says.

Talking Horse Productions has been able to build a strong, local theater community by providing an abundance of opportunities to local aspiring playwrights, directors, actors, and others.

“We are able to give an opportunity to local playwrights who may have never had their scripts produced before they come to Talking Horse,” Rochara says. “We want to see that those people get those works produced and get some feedback on things like that. We really help to be an outlet for some of those newer playwrights and directors and actors.”

GET INVOLVED

Talking Horse Productions just wrapped on a rock musical titled “Murder Ballad” and

is preparing for their last show of the year, “ e anksgiving Play.”  e Talking Horse’s Starting Gate New Play Festival is also just around the corner. is is an opportunity for playwrights to participate in a workshop over the summer creating and receiving feedback on two, 10-minute plays. After workshopping their productions, the shows are put on at the festival.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Talking Horse Productions has plenty in the works.

“We’ve just announced our 2023 season. Starting in February, we’ll have ‘Seminar,’ in April will be ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.’ In June it’s ‘Final Arrangements,’ August is ‘God of Carnage,’ October is  ‘Girlfriend’ and December is ‘Any Questions?’” Rochara says.

You don’t have to be an actor, director, or playwright to get involved. Talking Horse Productions is always looking for volunteers, whether you’re interested in technology or working behind the scenes.

Don’t miss Talking Horse Productions’ last show of the year, “The Thanksgiving Play.“ Tickets can be purchased through their website; talkinghorseproductions.org.

Brilliant Traces

Murder Ballad

Green Book Wine Club Train Trip

Fun Home

Tender Loving Pet Care

The Spay Neuter Project helps pets get necessary veterinary services by taking a big bite out of financial barriers.

BY EMMI WEINER

Since 2015, e Spay Neuter Project has performed more than 22,000 lowcost spay/neuter surgeries in mid-Missouri. is year, the total is more than 3,200 surgeries — a number that makes Executive Director Janeene Johnston especially proud.

“We are a low-cost, high-quality, high-volume, spay/neuter clinic, and our goal is to make spaying and neutering affordable for pet owners and rescues, so that nances are not a burden or not the reason that they do not spay or neuter their pets,” Janeene says.

Spaying or neutering pets helps curb the population of unwanted pets.

“Every time you spay or neuter, it truly means that you're helping prevent pet overpopulation,” Janeene says. “It prevents animals from going into shelters and prevents pets from being euthanized. But the key is you have to make it a ordable and accessible.”

e procedure also reduces risks of certain cancers and other life-threatening conditions. It can also help prevent a pet from wandering in search of a mate, reducing the risk of dangers such as getting hit by a car.

LOW COST, ACCESSIBLE VETERINARY CARE

Sterilization surgeries are not the only function of e Spay Neuter Project, which also o ers a variety of services including vaccines, feline immunode ciency virus (FIV) and heartworm tests, and microchipping pets for easier identi cation. anks to a Petco Love Grant, the clinic has vaccinated nearly 1,500 pets against distemper.

“I've been doing social work for 30 odd years. . . . if there's something we can

do to keep their pet in their home with them, then let's gure out a way to do it,” Janeene adds.

e clinic recently started o ering monthly preventatives for heartworms, eas, and ticks.

“We haven't really promoted or publicized it necessarily,” she says. “It's like a bonus that we'll talk about more and we'll be promoting more soon. No ea medicine is cheap. It is a ordable.” Doses are generally available for $12 or $10 each if buying six.

“In the long run it's cheaper for your sanity and your pocketbook,” Janeene says.

To schedule services with e Spay Neuter Project, pet owners can book appointments online or call and leave a message. Prepayment is required when services are scheduled to avoid no-show appointments.

“We need people to understand that if they don't show up, we could have gotten somebody else in who's on the cancellation list,” she adds, noting that the clinic currently is scheduled out weeks in advance. “We really are probably busier than we've ever been. We have really rearranged our schedule so that we can t more animals in for surgery on certain days.”

CASE IN POINT: FERAL CATS

Perhaps the most notable impact of e Spay Neuter Project is visible within the feral cat population. e clinic practices TNR, which stands for trap, neuter, return. For a $25 deposit, residents can pick up a live trap to capture a feral cat, bring it to be spayed or neutered, and return it to the wild.

As of the end of October, 741 feral cats have been spayed or neutered because of TNR.

Neutering one male feral cat can prevent hundreds of kittens, and also help with its aggression.

Photos, top to bottom: Carissa Luttrell, registered vet tech, cuddling kittens after surgery; Veterinarian, Dr. Cherie Flowers, and one of her patients, Sage; Baden, one of the felines who has received surgery at The Spay Neuter project.

“Sometimes [neutering] will really reduce some of that aggression, because he's just trying to ght for his territory,” Janeene says, referring to feral tomcats. “He's got to be, you know, the Lion King of his neighborhood. He's got to protect everything. And maybe he may never become really nice, but hopefully he won't be ghting anymore.”

WORKING WITH PET RESCUE AGENCIES

e Spay Neuter Project works with 22 local rescues, helping more dogs and cats receive low-cost veterinary care.

“Shelters and rescues are drowning right now, all over the country. It's not just mid-Missouri.” Janeene says. “People are either returning pets or people aren't spaying or neutering. You have to make spay or neuter a ordable in order for people to be able to continue to help the animals.”

By providing low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, e Spay Neuter Project is trying to break those cycles, while the rescues focus on helping animals already in need of the services. rough e Spay Neuter Project, as well as recent outreach from Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue, which works with CoMo Mobile Aid, members of the unhoused community are also able to access the high-quality, low-cost vet care.

“We had somebody who was getting into Welcome Home . . . but their pet wasn't updated on vaccines. When they were calling around, they couldn't get anywhere. And I said, ‘Well, we could do it tomorrow,’” Janeene recalls. “Don’t let [the cost and accessibility of vaccines] be a barrier.”

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

All of this work is made possible with the help of grants, volunteers, and the community at large. One of the clinic's biggest fundraisers is CoMoGives.

“I know that some people feel like it’s a competition, but I really feel like it's a way for all of the animal groups to really talk about what we do,” she said. “Even if somebody doesn’t donate to us, if they learn about our services, holy cow, that’s great awareness for us.”

e Spay Neuter Project also hopes to bring back its major annual fundraiser, Spayghetti, for the rst time since February 2020. e event is set to take place on February 21, 2023.

“We are a low-cost, high-quality, highvolume, spay/neuter clinic, and our goal is to make spaying and neutering affordable for pet owners and rescues, so that finances are not a burden or not the reason that they do not spay or neuter their pets.”

Janeene Johnston, Executive Director of The Spay Neuter Project

Photos, left to right: Nail trim is just one of the many services offered at the clinic; Vet assistant, Caroline, with her new best buddy, Glacier.

You Don’t Need a Doctor, Until You Do

Liberty Family Medicine provides relief for what seems like an impossible task — finding affordable, accessible, personal medical care.

BY CANDICE BALL

For the past six years, Liberty Family Medicine has made tremendous strides in meeting medical needs for individual patients, their families, and businesses in our community.

Liberty o ers a at rate monthly membership programs that provide for in-person doctor visits, multiple points of contact with your physician, and a wide array of services and tests that are available in house – without breaking the bank.

“Our website does have a pretty decent list of the services we o er: However, it is never comprehensive as we are always searching for new ways to o er savings to our members and continually add different services, as able, that further add value to the membership,” says Dr. Bridget Gruender, owner and founder of the clinic. “We o er management of chronic and acute issues, including things like diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, obesity/weight loss, thyroid disorders, and high cholesterol to name a few, in addition to wellness care including well-child checks and well woman exams.”

Dr. Gruender began her mission at Liberty immediately following her residency, and at its inception, it was a one-woman show. She answered the phone. She lled prescriptions. She acted as her own nurse. She was — and is — passionate about providing a comfortable, family-friendly environment.

e practice has grown to include three providers, a compassionate support sta , and on-the-spot care for those in need. In addition, they’re currently opening a new o ce in Je City.

Dr. Gruender’s purpose in operating the clinic is to provide quality healthcare to those here in Mid-Missouri, which she calls home.

“After seeing so many individuals who were unable to access and/or a ord health care while I was doing my training in residency,” Dr. Gruender said. “I have always been service minded and put so much of myself and my passion into this business from the very beginning, which I believe has attracted like-minded team members, who are committed to serving our

community not only with the a ordable and accessible healthcare we o er that is personalized for each individual patient, but also with how we interact with our community on a personal level.”

Heather Hargove, business development manager for Liberty, says their team prides itself on creating personal relationships with their patients, and Dr. Gruender has led the way.

“Liberty Family Medicine is a better way to health care,” Heather said. “It’s a model that is called direct primary care, and it’s really a movement outside of the traditional system.”

“People are experiencing a lot of frustrations: It’s hard to nd a primary care physician that’s accepting new patients,” Heather continued. “You don’t need a doctor until you do. And even if you have a doctor, wait times to see the physician can be weeks to months.”

When that need arises, Liberty’s mission is to be there.

Heather says “family” is in the name of the clinic, because they really live it. At the initial consultation, they meet with patients for an extended appointment to develop a relationship. ey provide immediate phone and email access to physicians who really get to know their patients. ey o er after-hours attention and connect with emergency and urgent care facilities on their patients’ behalf.

According to Heather, Dr. Gruender is making a world of di erence for both her clients and her sta . “She loves what she does,” Heather said. “ ere is nothing better than seeing the smile on her face, when she’s helping someone.”

years

200 and Counting

One of Boone County’s oldest log cabins shines like new.

BY JENNIFER TRUESDALE PHOTOS BY DREW PIESTER

There are plenty of historic homes in Boone County, each with its own story to tell.

Among the oldest in town is nearly 200-yearsold and still standing at 2800 S. Olivet in east Columbia. Built in the 1830s, it is one of the oldest log cabins in Boone County, and is reported to have been the rst two-story home in town. e property originally was two small log cabins, side-by-side, that were eventually merged into one home with a “dogtrot” design, meaning there is a large, enclosed hallway or breezeway between the two cabins.

When the opportunity arose to purchase the property, which is adjacent to several of their family members, realtor Samantha Gage, of Gage

& Gage Realty, and her husband, Gavin Bryan, of Renewal by Anderson, couldn’t pass it up.

But it meant spending a year practically gutting and renovating the 3,200 square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bath home on 17 acres, hopefully ensuring that it stands for another 200 years.

“It’s a mix between new and old. Whatever we could leave exposed, we did leave exposed,” Samantha says.

Nearly 200 Years of Histor y Samantha and Gavin don’t know a lot about the history of the house, but what they do know, they learned from Benjamin Patton, who owned the property from 2010-20, and who wrote down what he had learned from his own research and from speaking with the son of a family who owned the property from the 1930s-80s, Mr. Hartley.

1800s

“ e original land grant was signed around 1836 by President Andrew Jackson. e land was granted to the Turner family. e Turners owned a vast amount of property in eastern Boone County. ey were slave holders, so it is presumed that much of the original construction was provided by slave labor,” Benjamin wrote in 2010. “ ere were two rooms down and two rooms upstairs, with an exterior stairway on the south side of the home to reach the upper oors. e main hallway was made wide to aid in the construction of the home. e width of the hallway allowed a mule or ox to drag the hewn beams into the structure and the beams were then lifted onto the log walls to create the oor for the upper level. e axe cuts can be seen on the hand-cut beams.”

Photo by Samantha Gage

Samantha says it was important to them to keep as many original features as possible. e hand-cut ceiling beams on the lower oor are one of the rst things you may notice in this house.

e year-long renovation included removing all of the vinyl siding and chiseling away a two-inch thick stucco-like surface beneath, which exposed all of the original logs — along with a lot of wood rot and termite damage.

During the renovation process, they worked with an ex-Amish house framer, Vern Yoder, who meticulously reframed the damaged portions. Samantha says they couldn’t have completed the renovation without Vern, whose commitment to detail was unprecedented. e house has an astonishing 42 windows, which, along with all the doors, Vern had to individually reframe, shim and trim to make t properly.

“It is reported that at one time the home may have been used as a public house. Highway WW lies on the original Fulton Plank Road roadbed, a major east/west thoroughfare through Missouri in the 1800s,” Benjamin says. “Stage [coach] and covered wagon tra c traveled on the road from St. Louis heading west. e house was a stage [coach] stop, serving meals and providing lodging for travelers.”

Benjamin wrote the property was passed down to male heirs of the Turner family until the 1920s, as women could not own property in the U.S. until 1900. He said many Turners were born and died there, and while many are buried at the Olivet Church cemetery, there is a small plot on the property. Samantha con rms having found some headstones just north of the house that are so old they are di cult to read. Benjamin wrote that one of the headstones belongs to a Sarah Turner.

The 20th Centur y

According to Benjamin, the house and land were sold in the early 1920s to a family who converted it to a dairy farm. e family doubled the size of the original cabin by adding two rooms upstairs and two downstairs. “ ey also excavated underneath the house and poured cement to create a basement.”

Unfortunately, this family could not keep up with the mortgage during the Great Depression and had to deed the property back to the Turners. e Hartley family then purchased it from the Turners around 1936. Benjamin says electricity and indoor plumbing were installed in the house in the late 1940s.

“One full bathroom was installed upstairs, and served a family of six,” he wrote of the 1940s. “Over the years, the Hartleys made improvements and remodeled the house. e Hartleys

lived in the house until 1983, when they built the neighboring house at 2820 S. Olivet. Mr. and Mrs. Hartley moved into the new house and subdivided the remaining farm into separate pieces of property.”

After 47 years on the property, the Hartleys sold the property to Robert Brennan and his family in 1983. Benjamin says some “cursory remodeling was done” by this family, but no major changes were made.

e Finleys purchased the farm in June of 1993 from Brennan. In the ‘90s, the Finleys remodeled the upstairs bathroom, stripped and re nished the downstairs hardwood oors, and added a laundry room and full bath, as well as the wraparound porch, which Samantha says is her favorite part of the house.

The 21st Centur y

In 2010, Benjamin purchased the property, which he kept until 2020, when he sold it to Samantha and Gavin.

Samantha, 32, and Gavin, 38, were married in 2019, and have three children between them. Purchasing and undertaking a renovation of this scope just a year into their marriage was a huge undertaking.

An apartment on the second oor of a barn adjacent to the house is where they lived during the renovation. “We bought this and thought about bulldozing it because it needed so much work, but we worked on it for a year while living in the apartment,” Samantha says.

e front of the house originally was the back; they poured a large concrete pad o the back to make a porch. It's the perfect spot to sit and re ect on all of the families and travelers who may have passed through what was the entrance of the house 200 years ago.While uncovering the original logs, they discovered a window in what is now the dining room, and kept the opening as a design feature.

Samantha hung a curio in the dining room that displays some of the interesting artifacts they found during renovation, like old nails, tiny glass bottles, and porcelain knobs-and-tubes from old wiring. She says they also found old shoes and Columbia Daily Tribune papers from the 1940s in the walls.

Uncovering antiques and mystery windows aren't the only quirks that come with renovating a house as old as this.

e living room is without overhead lighting because that would have meant exposed wiring.

For that same reason, there is a separate HVAC system that services the second oor because running ductwork through 200-year old logs just wasn’t an option.

e original replaces were too far gone to be saved and were replaced with gas ones. ey saved bricks from some of the replaces, which they repurposed to create a walkway up to the front of the house. ey also added a pot ller and quartz countertops in the kitchen, modern features that owners could not have fathomed 200 years ago.

is secluded property, tucked away on a private gravel drive o Olivet, is a piece of living history, and thanks to Samantha and Gavin, it’s likely to be around long after they’ve gone.

A Time to Give

BY AMANDA LONG

Honoring Almeta Crayton’s legacy of giving.

believe that it is divine intervention that we are all connected, and we have come to this point. It’s been 25 years and we are still focused on community and making sure families eat, and that those that are in need know there is someone out there that is trying to help them.”

- Erika Buford, Executive Administrator for Powerhouse Community Development Corporation

“I

A Columbia tradition for 23 years,

“Everybody Eats” was founded by the late Columbia City Councilmember and community advocate Almeta Crayton who began the event in 1997 with a paper registration form and food distribution from her own front porch.

“Her idea was to make sure that everyone ate, from the mayor to the homeless. She wanted people to come together in a group and sit down and break bread,” says Erika Buford, who is the executive administrator for Powerhouse Community Development Corporation. “She was determined to feed everyone.”

After her passing on October 21, 2013, Almeta’s godson, Kentrell Minton, continued “Everybody Eats” through her foundation, until he himself died unexpectedly in November 2020. It was at this time when Powerhouse, already a silent funder of the event, stepped up to ensure that the tradition continued.

“Ms. Almeta’s foundation didn’t have the capacity to continue at that time — they were still grieving,” says CEO of Powerhouse Community Development Corporation Charles Stephenson, who had previously worked with Almeta and Kentrell in various capacities. “We didn’t want to see it falter.”

According to Charles, Powerhouse's previous experience providing meals to those in need in Saline County for the last 13 years came in handy, as the organization had approximately four weeks to prepare for last year’s anksgiving meal giveaway in Columbia.

Charles says it was Erika's idea to shift the name from "Everybody Eats" to "A Time to Give anks" in order to keeep the spirit of Almeta's event, while also marking its transition.

Powerhouse gave away more than 1,600 turkey boxes and fed approximately 1,200 residents in Boone County in 2021. e organization also partnered with home-school communicators through Columbia Public Schools. “We distributed between 200-to-300 additional anksgiving boxes with turkeys and all the xings to CPS families,” Erika says.

Additionally, Powerhouse distributed 600-700 meals to-go to Columbia hospital emergency rooms, police and re departments, and residents of Paquin and Oak Towers.

“After the meal, we took the leftovers to some of the homeless shelters and camps that we know of around town,” Charles says.

Charles predicts the numbers will increase for this year’s event due to skyrocketing food prices and the ever-growing need in the community.

A local nonpro t organization, Powerhouse has been in Columbia for ve years with the mission of moving individuals toward self-su ciency through a holistic approach and improving the health and well-being of individuals in the community.

Powerhouse provides a wide variety of free services to Columbians working to innovative public and private partnerships to maximize the use of community resources.

Recovery support services are offered through a partnership with the Missouri Department of Mental Health to help with the management of mental and substance use disorders.

e Fatherhood Program, a liated with the Missouri Division of Child Support Services, aims to provide services to help noncustodial parents achieve self-su ciency and empower participants. e employment-based service educates fathers and encourages them to increase their involvement in their children's lives.

Earlier this year, Powerhouse opened the doors to its new Women’s Regeneration Center at their Parkade Plaza location o ering free services to women who have been traumatized by domestic violence, drug use, and rape.

Powerhouse’s work with Commissioner Casey Clevenger, the Treat-

ment Court Commissioner for the 13th Judicial Circuit — which serves Boone and Callaway counties — has earned national recognition. Treatment courts are an alternative to incarceration for those with substance use or mental health disorders.

ey use a combination of court supervision, counseling, group meetings, drug testing, structure, and accountability to break relapse and recidivism cycles.

Boone County earned the 2021 Equity and Inclusion Award given by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the only treatment court to win the national award.

“We are proud of the work we do, but it is challenging because we do o er such an array of services,” Charles says. “But we are always striving to reconnect families, break stereotypes, and empower people to live a quality life.”

In order to address food insecurity in the community, Powerhouse partners with corporate food distributors like Tyson, Cargill, and ConAgra Foods, as well local entities like Veterans United, e Food Bank, and University of Missouri Extension.

Monthly food box giveaways are held at their Parkade Plaza location, where,

according to Erika, “We see the growing need now. People are lined up at 8:30 a.m. waiting in line for food. We know that at anksgiving it will be triple or more.”

During the summer, Powerhouse implements a community garden and programming for kids including summer camps that o er educational resources and free meals to participating children. “In previous years we have served breakfast to more than 300 children and lunch to more than 400 children as part of our summer camp program,” Charles says.

Due to a high volume of requests for help during the holidays, Powerhouse worked last year to provide Christmas for families in need.

“We had more than 250 families we helped with Christmas for last year through food boxes and gifts for children. We usually request a list of wants and needs and it was surprisingly more needs than wants,” Erika says.

“We would like to partner with a local company to get blankets and comforter sets this year. We got a lot of requests last year for these items that we weren’t able to ll, and we would like to be able to meet that need.”

How to Help Next Year

Thanksgiving Food Box Distribution

WHEN: Saturday prior to Thanksgiving

WHERE: Powerhouse Community Development Corporation: Parkade Plaza, 601 Business Loop 70 East, Suite 204

A Time to Give Thanks

In honor of Ms. Almeta Crayton and Kentrell Minton

WHEN: Thanksgiving Day, served midday: A free, hot traditional turkey dinner

WHERE: Columbia Senior Activity Center: 1121 Business Loop 70 East

To support these initiatives as well as their regular monthly food box distribution, Powerhouse is always accepting canned and boxed food items, monetary gifts and volunteer help. Find more information at pwrhousecdc.org.

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Flashing lights dance over the runway while energetic music pumps through loudspeakers.

e audience whispers about what the newest collection will hold before a hush sweeps through the room—the rst model has stepped onto the catwalk. She is breathtaking, she is gorgeous, she is… a dog.

Seeing our four-legged friends in a fashion show would be shocking at Paris Fashion Week, but not at Pawject Runway.

A fundraiser for Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue, Pawject Runway is a take on the world of high fashion. After COVID-19 displaced plans for last year’s show, Pawject Runway will be back December 1 at Bur Oak Brewing Company.

“It’s just this big, festive event,” Melody Whitworth, founder and managing director of Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue, says. “It raises money for our organization and people get to meet some of our dogs.”

Watching pups strut their stu while wearing out ts sponsored by Lizzi & Rocco’s Natural Pet Market or handmade garments is the main event, but Pawject Runway has more to o er attendees.

“We have swag bags that go with every ticket, ” Melody says. “ ey’re usually very nice reusable bags lled with around $50 worth of things — coupons, gifts, treats for dogs, all kinds of things for humans and dogs — and they’re very popular.”

Pawject Runway attendees can peruse plenty of goods at the event or before the show starts at the Maker’s Market, a collection of local artisans selling their wares.

“[Pawject Runway] is right before Christmas and everybody’s got those last-minute gifts they want to get,” Melody laughs. “So why not have it be a one-ofa-kind gift from a local maker?”

To top it o , ticketholders can enjoy treats and beverage o erings from Bur Oak Brewing Company.

“We do it a little di erently every year so it doesn’t get stale,” Melody says. “We’ve had bu ets, a candy bar, a full chocolate bar, and one year we had mini pies!”

Furry Trendsetters Steal the Show

“Gosh, I think this might be our 10th year,” Melody says. “We started out with twelve people at the old record store. e rst few years, we really wanted to make it just like a fashion show. We had somebody come in and do hair and makeup [for the human

models] but as it progressed, we realized that people were really just into watching the dogs in their out ts.” It’s hard to fault anyone for that, as the adorable models will walk down the catwalk.

“People love to hear about the dogs,” Melody says. “It’s huge for us to bring people into the fold of what we do, so it’s amazing to get the opportunity to talk about our mission statement.

“Sometimes, if a dog is getting adopted but I really want it to remain in the fashion show, I’ll make a deal with the adopter. Like, ‘OK, you can adopt him, but you have to bring him back for the show!’” she laughs.

ough Pawject Runway is intended to help the animals, it helps the people behind the event, too.

“It's a great promotion for the businesses that are involved and everybody who

puts something in the swag bag,” Melody says. “Now that we’ve included the Maker’s Market, I think it’s really bene cial for everybody to meet them and they can promote their own small businesses.”

Trotting Down the Runway

Last time Pawject Runway was held, all 150 tickets for the event were sold out and more than $7,000 was raised for Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue. Melody is hoping for big things from this year, too.

“I think a lot of [Pawject Runway’s success] has to do with Lizzi & Rocco’s and Unchained Melodies — I mean, we are a great team. Whenever we do an event, it’s done right,” Melody says.

As Pawject Runway continues to grow, Melody hopes to make the event even more enticing to attendees down the line. She mentions the idea of bringing in live

performers, saying, “We have so many great live entertainers in Columbia, and we would love to be able to showcase that every year. at’s one of my biggest goals.” If you’d like to attend Pawject Runway, be aware that you are not alone — tickets will sell quickly. After all, there aren’t many fashion shows that allow you to adopt the models!

Get your tickets for Pawject Runway online at tinyurl.com/pawjectrunway.

Didn't get your hands on this issue until after the event? Subscribe to our digital newsletter and follow us on social to stay up-to-date about events happening in our community!

Supporting the Special Needs Student Population

BY JENNIFER TRUESDALE

If you are the parent of a school-aged child, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with your school’s Parent Teacher Association, if it has one.

Until recently, there wasn’t a PTA option for the parents and teachers of special education students in the Columbia Public School system. e creation of CoMO SEPTA (Columbia Special Education Parent Teacher Association) changed that. e 501c(3) organization serves the entire CPS system.

“We were founded in 2018 by Michelle Ribaudo,” CoMO SEPTA president Amie VanMorlan says.

Michelle is an education advocate for the Missouri Disability Empowerment Foundation, an advocacy lobby that

seeks to empower those with disabilities; SEPTA was created as a special project of MoDE.

“Basically, it was a group of [special education] moms who wanted to create a more accepting and inclusive environment for our kids. Michelle was our rst president,” Amie says. “We want to appreciate, support and thank our [special education] teachers.”

“Also, [we want] to help parents know it’s okay to have a place at the table,” SEPTA vice president Molly Meyers says.

Both women are mothers to sons with special needs.

Amie, a founding member of CoMO SEPTA, is a pediatric endocrinologist, and her son, Damien, who is 16 and a

freshman at Rock Bridge High School, was born with a genetic condition called Fragile X syndrome. Damien is not able to produce a protein needed for brain development, and as a result, has behavioral issues, learning disabilities, and struggles in overly sensory environments.

Molly, a stay-at-home mom to four children 11 years old and younger, is also a part-time Pilates instructor, and communications specialist for Kindred Collective — a healing, wellness and expressive arts center in Columbia.

“Will, 11, is my link into special education,” Molly explains. “Will is missing a third of the middle portion of his brain. He has partial agenesis of the corpus callosum. is means we have to

CoMO SEPTA Advocates for Inclusivity.

Kindness Walk

really teach him how to motor plan: to have the right side of the brain to communicate with the left side. He is classi ed as globally delayed. He reaches most of his milestones, he’s just delayed in doing so. He could speak a few words at 4, and he didn’t walk on his own until 4. But now he’s in the fth grade, and you can have a good two-way conversation with him.”

SEPTA’s mission is “to bring together those who support and celebrate the students who access special education services in the area. We hope to foster closer relations between home and the schools, provide workshops for parent education, help make events more inclusive for all, and recognize and support those who work hard for our students.”

SEPTA works with medical, dental, and pre-occupational therapy students, who help with parent education while also gaining valuable insight into the special needs patient population.

“SEPTA Science is a program in which we work with the medical students to come up with a science project for our kids, and the medical students are learning a lot about the kids, too,” Amie says.

Understanding the Need

About 9.8 percent of CPS students were in special education in the 2019-20 school year — that’s nearly 1,900 students. Missouri recognizes 16 di erent categories of disability that qualify a student for special education. ese range from sensory de cits, such as vision or hearing impairment, to an array of often overlapping intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as autism, Down syndrome, and fetal alcohol syndrome.

Students deemed eligible for special education based on those categories

approach learning via an IEP, an Individualized Education Plan, which acts as a customized roadmap to learning for each student.

Many special education students learn in a “district classroom,” often with students in di erent grade levels, each of whom is following their own IEP. It’s a lot for a teacher to juggle, which is why each of these students has multiple sta ers seeing to their needs, including case managers, learning specialists, physical/occupational/speech therapists, educational diagnosticians, school psychologists, and more.

It truly takes a village, which makes trust and communication between home and school crucial.

SEPTA facilitates that communication by “inviting community experts to speak at our meetings,” Molly explains. “We might have someone who deals with sensory regulation, like an occupational therapist, or a behavioral specialist from the ompson Center [for Autism and Neurodevelopment], or a nutritionist for picky eaters. We have IEP trainings to help parents understand how IEP [works], which is crucial to how a child learns. We have a closed Facebook group for members, where we post educational videos.”

“I think special education is a calling, it takes a really special person who wants to help people,” Aimee says. “I think the teachers are amazing because they’re so compassionate and understanding, but it’s also important that they push the kids to their maximum potential, and hold them accountable for their actions, because in the end, they have to be functioning members of society.”

Photos from top to bottom: Contents of Party in a Box. SEPTA members putting together Party in a Box. Mizzou med student’s poster presentation for the Kindness Walk. The pavilion at the Kindness Walk.

Amie says the teachers are practically family, because the children spend as much time or more with them during the school year. Molly considers the teachers to be “co-parents.”

Advocating for Kindness and Inclusivity

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely felt a steep learning curve at times. e role of a parent can feel challenging, isolating, and worrisome — and you’ve probably wished a time or two for the world to be a kinder, gentler place for your child. Having a child with special needs can often amplify these feelings. So, SEPTA decided to “be the change” by creating kindness themselves.

“Inclusion and being a kind person is really big for us,” Molly says. “One thing we do every year is Chalk the Walk. At the beginning of the school year — we do it the night before Jump Start Day for middle and high school — we chalk kindness messages at every school in Columbia. We host it, but we work with the school PTAs and the community [to put it together]. A small act of kindness can make a di erence for anybody.”

Another way SEPTA works to educate the community at large is through its biggest annual fundraiser, In It Together, A Walk for Inclusion. Every fall at the start of the school year (this year it was Sept. 10 at Cosmo-Bethel Park), “Medical students choose topics to do a poster presentation on that’s easy to understand for all ages, and we place those around the walk so people can learn about them as they go to experience when sounds are overstimulating, or what it’s like to be hearing impaired or be in a wheelchair,” Amie says.

Besides a small annual membership fee, funding for SEPTA relies heavily on the walk, a few grants, and selling t-shirts, in part to help with special initiatives for teachers. Membership currently is open via their website to special education teachers and parents, and SEPTA is exploring ways to include interested community members

Supporting Teachers

“Teachers of all subjects are amazing, but we have to give a shout out and

appreciation to our special education teachers because they have a whole other level on their plates that they’re dealing with,” Amie says, adding her own shoutout to Damien’s teachers, Mr. Rosen and Mr. Beard, at Rock Bridge.

Amie says that sometimes Teacher Appreciation Week doesn’t nd its way to the direct classrooms. While regular education classrooms are holding seasonal parties, those activities aren’t always suited to the special education students, leaving it up to teachers to fund their own parties out-of-pocket.

SEPTA creates and distributes a sensory friendly Party in a Box to every district classroom. A grant from Veterans United covered the cost of the boxes for the 2022-23 school year.

“We also provide mini grants to special education teachers, and traveling sensory rooms for events,” Molly says.

e grants are awarded to teachers seeking support for special classroom projects that bene t student

learning. And the traveling sensory room o ers respite to students with sensory issues at events like school dances, without which these students wouldn’t be able to attend. Molly says it’s something they would like to o er at community events.

Ultimately, SEPTA is a force for good in our community, working to make it a more inclusive place for all.

“[Special needs] children, just like everybody else, want a place where they are accepted, where they are welcomed, where they belong, and where they feel like they have a place in society,” Amie says. “ at’s one of our big goals, is to make the kids feel like everyone else, and we like to bring the community together [in doing so].”

Comosepta.com comosepta@gmail.com

The SEPTA Science event with Sarah Greenlee and Children’s Grove.

BY KIM AMBRA | PHOTOS BY ANTHONY JINSON

Not a week goes by that our community isn’t in some way influenced or inspired by one of our local nonprofits. From the volunteers and staff members, to the philanthropy of our community’s companies, we are constantly overwhelmed by the charitable spirit that resides in Columbia.

It is our privilege at COMO Magazine to honor their generosity by doing what we do best — telling their stories. Join us in celebrating our 2022 Impact COMO winners and honorable mentions.

Honoring the people and places who give back to our community.

Most Impactful STAFF MEMBER

Since 1965, Job Point has been linking people and jobs by providing career planning and job placement assistance. One of Job Point's most-successful services has been YouthBuild. e YouthBuild program provides educational opportunity, carpentry training, and leadership development for at-risk youth, and results in a ordable housing units sold to eligible families or individuals.

Jerrell Morton has run YouthBuild for 11 years and overseen the operation and management of a $1.3 million grant from the Department of Labor. rough these funds, YouthBuild has been able to provide free education/training services for people ages 1624 in Boone County and add to the a ordable housing market.

“[We see] the young people we serve through our YouthBuild program enter our doors lost, confused, hurt… nd their path to success as they grow mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally in our presence.”

Jerrell knows his purpose and passion in life is to serve others. He also drives a four-hour commute each day to do so. is work ethic does not go unnoticed.

Jerrell could undoubtedly make more money working elsewhere, yet he chooses to drive from Kansas City to Columbia every day. His mantra is that we are family and he puts that thought into action every day with his sta and students.

Whether it’s personally visiting an employee who is ill, ensuring students had plenty of food during the pandemic shut down, mentoring a new coworker, or calming down an upset student, Jerrell approaches all challenges using the philosophy of Love and Logic, Brenda Overkamp says.

Jerrell has many goals for the years ahead.

“Over the next several years, I would like to lead or be a part of two initiatives which would impact us locally and across the state of Missouri,” he says. “Locally I would like to work with a committee/team to address teenage homelessness. My statewide initiative addresses the need for the YouthBuild program model to echo across Missouri under a state funded coalition. Both initiatives will allow Columbia to lead the state and the nation in an innovative approach towards the protection and education of opportunity youth.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Ke ye Dubinski

City of Refuge

Since 2015, Kellye has been the o ce manager at City of Refuge.

“She has given much of her time, energy, and personal space, all in order to provide basic needs to our refugee neighbors and friends,” Leah Glenn says. “She believes in treating others with dignity, and helping others gain access to what they need so that they can be successful.”

Kellye shares life principles that have guided her along the way:

“Giving of oneself to others in need is one of the most gratifying things I have found in my life. When I die, there is nothing I can take with me. But if I have spent my time well, I will have left a little part of my heart with every person I was able to help,” Kellye says.

Mark Kirchoff

Flourish Initiative

For the past three years, Mark has been overseeing the daily operations of the Flourish Home, a program that houses people ages 1620 who are housing unstable. Since opening in October 2020, the Flourish Home has housed 23 people for more than 1,650 nights.

“Mark is a one-person show! He has hired and trained all the sta . He handles all HR functions, fundraising events, facilities maintenance, programming, and outcomes measurements,” Jessica Macy says.

“I would see to it that every person in Columbia had a safe and stable roof over their head daily. I believe that housing and shelter are a basic human right, and not just a privilege for those who have earned it,” says Mark. “We should collectively do everything in our power to reduce the stigma of homelessness and to educate our community on the complexity of the issue.”

Catherine Armbrust

CoMo Mobile Aid Collective

Most Impactful

Starting in 2018 as JB Mobile Soup Kitchen, CoMo Mobile Aid Collective has expanded their initiative to deliver direct mutual aid to marginalized citizens of Columbia with care and dignity.

In addition to building upon their mission, CoMAC has grown their available resources to include emergency seasonal assistance, meals, camping supplies, transportation to medical appointments, pet assistance, heaters, supplemental water and cooking fuel, and a rst-aid clinic at Loaves & Fishes.

One of the major leading forces behind CoMO Mobile Aid Collective is Catherine Armbrust. Catherine credits many with her and before her for the continued growth and support.

“I would not be able to physically, or emotionally do this work without the support of our wonderful team. Our core members (Dirk Burhans, Kelsie Smith, Stephanie Yoakum, Melissa MacGowan, Margaret McConnell, Gayle Link Chang, and Heidi Bennet) keep each other on track with humor and love. We also have a fantastic community of cooks, supply donors, nancial donors, and other volunteers that keep us running,” Catherine says.

“Cat recently presented a strong argument to our Columbia City Council members asking for their support to o er these folks a place to rest, a place to eat, rerouting bus routes so they can get to places like the social security o ce and to simply treat them with respect as human beings,” Melody Whitworth says. “Cat is a strong voice for the unsheltered, displaced members of our community and is making a huge impact on this ever growing issue.”

“I really appreciate being able to connect with folks who have varying, but similar goals to CoMAC,” Catherine says. “I continue to learn so much from them and our team. It really reinforces the fact that it takes a holistic perspective to assist folks. We must work together as a community! None of us are in this alone.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Sarah Greenlee

Kindness and Inclusion Programs, Columbia Public Schools

Sarah Greenlee is the founder of Kindness and Inclusion Programming in CPS including clubs such as the Kindness Club, Be-A-Friend/MakeA-Friend Lunch Club, and the Unite Programs. “ e Kindness Club and other inclusion programs allow all students, both general education and special education, to bene t from both the programming itself and the inclusion opportunities the programming provides. e programming and curriculum emphasize that everyone is valuable, a part of our community, and has something to contribute,” Sarah says.

“Sarah saw a need within her students to decrease bullying and negative behavior towards other students, especially special needs kids,” Kim Dude-Lammy says. “With her help and encouragement, we now have kindness clubs in every middle and elementary school in the Columbia Public Schools.”

Greg Grupe

Heart of Missouri United Way / Boone County Children’s Services Board

Greg Grupe's involvement as a volunteer with Heart of Missouri United Way began in the mid 1980s. He is also one of the original Boone County Children’s Services board members. “ ere are so many di erent ways each Boone Countian can nd ways to serve and give back,” Greg says.

“Greg's work goes well beyond United Way. As a member of the BCCSB, Greg's work as a teacher in Columbia Public Schools for 30 years included an untold number of discrete acts of mentoring, helping, and advocating for high school kids. Greg has always been drawn to helping at-risk youth and still seeks ways to be involved years after kids have left school,” Andrew Grabau says.

“ None of us are in this alone.”

Kelsey Hammond

Columbia Art League

Having been the executive director of the Columbia Art League for three years, Kelsey Hammond jokingly refers to an executive director as part octopus, part magician, part contortionist, and part cheerleader.

“You've got your hand in everything, you're trying to make funding appear out of nowhere, you've got to remain incredibly exible, and you happily share your enthusiasm for your mission and what your organization does,” Kelsey says.

Ann Merri eld says Kelsey’s success speaks for itself.

“ e Art Bus pilot program hosted 243 children, children’s classes enrolled 170 during the school year and 100 in summer workshops; CAL paid out over $44,000 to artists this year. CAL curated 29 gallery shows in 2021 and managed the Community Exhibits Program that hung 520 art works by local artists in government o ces and businesses in Columbia, and put on 36 outreach events in the past year.”

“Of all these accomplishments, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about Kelsey’s accomplishments with Art in the Park,” Ann says. “With 73 artists and almost 15,000 attendees, Art in the Park appealed to diverse audiences, showcased new features and expanded the presence of community non-pro ts such as the Missouri Symphony Society and 10 other local nonpro ts.”

Kelsey credits the incredible volunteers, board members, community members, artists, and former directors for keeping CAL going for the last 60+ years. “I am so happy to work for an organization that was built on the idea that Arts are essential to being human,” Kelsey says.

Mathew Gass

Burrell Behavioral Health

Mathew Gass’ list of personal goals and accomplishments with Burrell Behavioral Health is a list to be proud of. He has big goals over the next few years.

“To create an environment where every person in this community has access to the behavioral healthcare they need and knows how to refer a friend, co-worker or family member to care when needed,” he says.

“To get an idea of the volume of care under Mat’s leadership, think about this: In the last scal year, his 10-county area, including Boone, provided more than 173,000 services, serving nearly 12,500 clients. is represents a services increase of more than 68 percent, and a 30 percent increase in clients served, in just one year!” says Nathan Fleischmann.

Enola-Riann White

Columbia Entertainment Company

Enola-Riann White has been executive director of Columbia Entertainment Company for nine years. Some call CEC the “best kept secret” having now been around for 44 years!

Enola-Riann wants to get the word out.

“I don’t want us to be a secret. We have wonderful volunteers and so much talent on the stage and behind the scenes. ese people deserve to have their talents appreciated and their hard work recognized,” Enola-Riann says.

“Enola-Riann oversaw the return to our performance space and facilities so that we could present live theater to our community. CEC was able to return to our facility and stage six productions in large part thanks to the detail-oriented hard work of Enola,” Jim Little says.

“ You've got your hand in everything.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Ashley Emel has been a part of True North of Columbia for the last three and a half years, and board president since 2021.

“ ere are so many things that motivate me. For True North, it is the victims. I want this community to be a better and safer place. I want those that are in need to have the support and or shelter they need to keep moving. No person should feel they are alone when in a horrible situation. I have two girls of my own and want them to be safe and live in a safe community. I want to know when they are alone, they are OK. I also want to raise my children to know that there are many people that may not be as fortunate as they are and if they have the means to give back and don’t, then I didn’t raise them well.”

According to Jennifer Graves Hickam, also of True North, Ashley has helped form True North's protocols and procedures during an unprecedented pandemic, has initiated partnerships with new donors and sponsors, has worked hard to maintain the professionalism and cohesiveness of the board while ensuring agency sta remain supported during crisis periods.

“ roughout it all, Ashley has never lost her passion for serving victims of domestic and sexual violence and continues to bring her strong work ethic and an attitude of ‘we can do this’ to every problem or challenge brought before her,” Jennifer says. “True North has never been stronger — both nancially and programmatically — and this is in large part due to Dr. Emel's calm in the face of challenges, her ability to listen and guide sta appropriately, and her leadership of the board. e impact she has had on True North and our community has been positive and tremendous.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Carson Coffman

Love Columbia

Serving as board president of Love Columbia for the past ve years, Carson Co man credits the founders of Love Columbia.

“ ey have been amazing, they work tirelessly to identify and serve those in our community who need a hand up from a tough spot they nd themselves in,” Carson says.

“Carson is a gifted encourager,” Love Columbia executive director Jane Williams says. “He sees possibilities and opportunities and can build hope in even the most di cult moments. He is a fearless and inspiring leader who has encouraged us to press into pandemic need, the housing crisis and give it our all to bring hope and joy to those who need it most.”

Janet Davis

The Center Project

Janet Davis is the facilities coordinator on the board of e Center Project, and has been for the past two years.

“People do not realize quite often that a volunteer role is not our job in life. It is something we have a huge heart for and do in our free time outside of our regular life responsibilities,” Janet says.

“Janet has gone above and beyond over the last year supervising the renovation project for TCP's new house. She has coordinated with innumerable contractors, made herself available night and day, and poured gallons of her own sweat into TCP's space to make it beautiful and welcoming. Janet is an invaluable resource for e Center Project and I am so grateful for her hard work and dedication,” Amanda Jacobs says.

“ No person should feel they are alone when in a horrible situation.”

Beth Shepard, founder of Cranktivus

An idea came to Beth Shepard in 2014, which is now known as Cranktivus.

“I really had no idea what I was doing or that it would become the event it is today, but I am so happy it has become a fun and ful lling event for people to participate,” Beth says.

In a nutshell, Cranktivus is a food drive on two wheels. e way the event works is that participants show up to Walt’s Bike Shop where they receive a grocery list. e list has ve items they need to get from ve di erent stores. From there, they take o on their bicycles to secure the items. Upon their return to Walt’s, they then have ingredients to help create a holiday meal to donate to the Central Pantry. Cranktivus has grown from 11 riders in 2014, to 150 riders in 2021. Last year alone this fundraiser donated 280 meals and over $2,000.

“Beth is highly involved in the local cycling community, where she’s known for making the sport she loves inclusive and fun. Cranktivus is special because it is an inspiring example of one person rallying their community to turn a great idea into meaningful action,” says Kerri Schafer.

“I think the biggest misconception about Cranktivus is that you have to be a hardcore cyclist to participate. It is exactly the opposite,” Beth says. “ e event is set up for everyone to succeed and we have so many avenues for people to participate and still have a really great time while helping folks that deal with food insecurity.”

Li le Black Dress Gala

True North of Columbia

Sarah Butler, development coordinator for True North, says Little Black Dress would not be successful without their sta , volunteers, and board members.

“ is fundraiser would not be possible without the work of our board members and committee volunteers who give their time to make this event better each year. Additionally, the event would not be successful without our loyal event sponsors and attendees whose nancial contributions make the event successful, allowing True North to continue to provide services to victims of domestic and sexual violence in our community at no cost,” Sarah says.

“ is fundraiser is True North's largest fundraiser and is a fun event for so many women in our community. Because so many attend, this is True North's largest fundraiser of the year. e money raised helps support women of domestic violence and assault,” says board member Ashley Emel.

State of Inclusivity Conference

Journey Committee

e Journey Toward Inclusive Excellence formed following a presentation focused on implicit bias observed in the expulsion rates in early childcare centers across the country. In response, the Journey Committee saw the bene t of continued collaboration, working toward making Boone County, Missouri a model for inclusive excellence.

e Journey Committee kicked o its rst Journey Toward Inclusive Excellence Conference in 2018.

“We are so excited to begin creating opportunities for networking and collaboration for DEI professionals and those doing work in DEI spaces. We want to discuss the needs in the community, network, and share resources and ideas for action each quarter at locations around town,” says Kari Utterback, planning committee team member.

“I think the biggest misconception about Cranktivus is that you have to be a hardcore cyclist to participate. It is exactly the opposite.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Last year the Veterans United Foundation celebrated their 10-year anniversary, and what better way to celebrate than giving away $10 million to more than 100 nonpro t organizations.

“We gave our Veterans United employees (who are our donors) $10 million to spend in their local communities. Not only was this impact enormous for those who received grants, but it directly connected our coworkers with the mission of the Foundation and the reason they contribute part of their paychecks to the Veterans United Foundation,” says Erik Morse, president of Veterans United Foundation.

Just a few of the many local nonpro ts who have bene ted from the Veterans United Foundation; True North of Columbia - $1.2 million; North Village Art District - $231,530; Rainbow House - $1 million; Welcome Home$286,000; Job Point - $575,000. Veterans United Foundation has also pledged $1.3 million to the Columbia Housing Authority.

Erik says what excites him about working in the nonpro t sector in Columbia is the collaboration, “Somehow we have more than our fair share of brilliant hearts and minds in this small (but still large) community. We’re loaded. And the more everyone is collaborating and working together on making Columbia better for everyone who lives here, the more that becomes evident.”

Boone Electric Community Trust

Established by the Boone Electric Board of Directors in 1997, the BEC Community Trust helps fund local 501 (c)(3) organizations and public entities, such as local school districts, within the Boone Electric Cooperative service territory.

e Boone Electric Community Trust has awarded more than $4 million in grants to local nonpro ts, benevolent groups, school districts, and local re and law protection agencies.

e Boone Electric Community Trust is managed by an independent volunteer board appointed by the Boone Electric Cooperative Board of Directors.

e Cooperative donates 100% of the administrative expenses related to the Trust, so that every dollar can be used toward helping people and helping the communities in Boone and parts of Audrain, Callaway, Howard, Monroe and Randolph counties.

“ Not only was this impact enormous for those who received grants, but it directly connected our coworkers with the mission of the Foundation.”

HONORABLE MENTION

WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOW

ANNE TUCKLEY ANNE TUCKLEY HOME

BRENDAN ROST ROST LANDSCAPING

SHAUN HENRY ATKINS

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR OVERNIGHT GUESTS

By Anne Tuckley Find more at AnneTuckleyhome.com

The end of the year is rapidly approaching, which means the holidays are near. While the holidays bring about wonderful gatherings of family and friends and are a fantastic time to reconnect with loved ones, for many that means one thing is guaranteed - overnight guests. And let’s be honest, hosting holiday soirees and the influx of overnight visitors can be, well, a tad stressful.

As a host you want to ensure your guests are comfortable without sacrificing your own comfort. The following is my go to list when I know overnight guests are headed my way to add that little something extra to their stay while simultaneously simplifying my efforts.

Towels: No one likes to play the guessing game as to which towel to use or have to dig around in your cabinets. Simplify the process by having your guests’ towels folded and placed in the guest room for them.

WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOW

ANNE TUCKLEY HOME

Anne has been in the interior design industry for more than 20 years and has resided in metropolitan cities ranging from NYC to Houston while honing her skills. Her specialties are interior design and home staging with a focus on unique perception. Anne graduated with a BFA in fine arts with a concentration in design and illustration. She has extensive experience in designing new construction as well as remodeling and conceptualizing out-of-the-box ideas. She ensures cutting-edge design and superb customer service.

4250 E. BROADWAY SUITE 1043 COLUMBIA, MO, 65201 (573) 639-1989

ANNETUCKLEYHOME.COM

Coffee: Are your guests early risers? Set your coffee timer or prepare the pot to simply turn on, and place out some mugs, creamer (if not refrigerated) and sweetener, so they can pour themselves a fresh cup in the morning.

Water Glass: Many people like to have a glass in the bathroom for when they brush their teeth. Ditch the disposable cups and place pretty water glasses (I prefer stemware

ones) next to the towels in the guest room for them to use.

Slippers: Do you prefer it when guests leave their shoes at the door? Place a pair of slippers for them at the entrance. Many people are self conscious about their bare feet or socks, so it is a way for them to abide by your house rules while maintaining their comfort.

Snacks: People get hungry at different times. No matter how fantastic your dinner is, your guest may crave a midnight nibble. Place a basket or bowl of healthy goodies (think bottled water, nuts, fruit, etc.) so they can indulge without feeling like they are raiding your pantry.

Night Light: No matter how many times a guest has been to your house it is always a bit unnerving for them to make their way around in the dark. Help them during the night by adding motion-activated night lights in the hallways and bathrooms.

Blanket and Fan: Ah, the temperature battle keep your guests comfy by including ways to warm up or cool down at night.

BUILDING THE PERFECT OUTDOOR KITCHEN

By Brendan Rost Find more at rostlandscaping.com

Outdoor living spaces are a growing trend in landscape design. They enhance your space’s livability, increase your ability to host or take the edge off, and they add value to your home. Whether your outdoor living space is centered around a pool, fireplace, patio, or recreation area, all that leisure can really work up an appetite. Outdoor kitchens are a fantastic complimentary piece to any outdoor living area but getting the perfect setup for you may require some expertise.

With each new outdoor kitchen, we first want to assess the space and your needs. For the minimalist in your life, a simple grill station and some prep area can be sufficient. A quality cooking station can be built to last and look the part by building the grill into a masonry cabinet and adding extra countertop space. Natural stone or concrete blocks, concrete panels, or steel framing with a stone veneer can be utilized to create a wide variety of aesthetics and create a functionally beautiful focal point for your back yard. From there, there are endless possibilities of features that can be added.

With each outdoor kitchen, we try to include bar-height seating connected to the counters of an island makes the kitchen space a communal space. We’ll design the prep and cook areas close to the seating so you can watch the grill and still be a part of the party. Add a sink and garbage disposal and all the cooking and cleaning can take place without taking a step. I like to build trash receptacles into the cabinets for easy clean up and to

eliminate any worry about weather or pests creating a mess. Large pellet ice makers are an under the radar accessory that can be built into cabinetry to keep the refreshments flowing while a mini-fridge and freezer keeps you stocked with the essentials. Some more niche accessories can go a long way in adding function. For example, we love a wood fire pizza oven and having cookouts where everyone can make their own personal pizza in just a few minutes. It’s something fast, easy, and a fun unique experience for all your guests.

Outdoor kitchens are not just a functional space, they are catalysts for social gatherings. Whether you’re hosting friends and family or cooking dinner for the family, the cook(s) won’t want to miss out on the fun. By adding amenities to your outdoor kitchens, you can create a striking accent piece to your yard that enhances all your social and family gatherings and makes your next hangout spot a one-stop shop.

WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOW

Brendan Rost is a Columbia native and son of Rost Landscaping owners Tim and Toby Rost. He grew up playing at the garden center and nursery and has worked in all divisions of Rost Inc. Brendan received his degree in horticulture and design from MU and now works as a designer in the landscaping division. He thrives on building relationships and creating unique landscapes that complement their space.

ROSTLANDSCAPING.COM

HOSTING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

By Jake Baumgartner Find more at baumgartners.com

Hosting family and friends for the holidays can seem overwhelming because you want to create the perfect experience that will create perfect memories. The truth is, our guests have that same stress, because we all want that elusive “perfect” holiday. But think about it. What makes our holiday experiences unforgettable is that they are intertwined with authenticity: authentic connections, shared connections, and comfortable connections.

At Baumgartner’s Furniture, we understand the unique challenges of creating a welcoming, memorable space for holiday guests. And we have the solutions for those challenges. There’s also a yearround bonus here. The extra-cozy ambiance you create for guests will be all yours when the guests have departed.

Avoiding the frantic scramble to find extra chairs or other seating is a top priority for guest comfort. (And yours!) A few extra dining room chairs might be in order. As an alternative, you might want to start with adding a dining bench along with a bench with an upholstered seat that will work with the living room, game room, or guest room.

A bench with or without a back is a versatile addition to the dining area, with a range of styles available from Ainsley, Newport, and others. Newport also has a wide selection of upholstered seat options for that living room addition. Styles range from simple to elegant in the selections from Liberty Furniture Industries, including from the Lawson and the Magnolia Manor collections.

It’s not always about extra arm room or leg room, but table room. And what better way to solve that dilemma — do you keep a drink on your lap or on a table — than by adding a round end table, side table, or more traditional end table to living room arrangements?

JAKE BAUMGARTNER BAUMGARTNER’S FURNITURE

WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOW

Jake essentially grew up in the furniture industry, as he is the fourth generation involved in Baumgartner’s Furniture. Working very closely with his father, Alan, Jake has been devoted to the stores full-time since 2004. His greatest enjoyment, however, still comes from working closely with the customers. He is married to Sarah, and they have two active boys, Noah and Laine. Jake received his degree in finance from Saint Louis University. (573) 256-6288

BAUMGARTNERS.COM

Liberty Furniture’s Lake House collection has stylish designs and wood patterns to accentuate any furniture and living room design. These pieces are not going to overwhelm the ebb and flow of guests coming and going or having conversation. The Sterling collection by Liberty Furniture offers a more modern, even minimalistic style that will work especially well where there’s ample natural light.

And speaking of lighting, perhaps this is the ideal time to add a dash of extra light with a table lamp or floor lamp. The way a strategically placed floor lamp seems to create a conversation nook in the corner of a room is a subtle way to make your space even more welcoming.

At Baumgartner’s, our knowledgeable staff works to create an enjoyable, hassle-free shopping experience. We go above and beyond — because that’s what you expect of yourself when making your home comfy and welcoming for your guests.

In this season of memories, be sure to remember this: Your holiday touches, whether an upgrade or an accessory that LOOKS like an upgrade, will become a subtle but indelible part of forever holiday memories. But the best part? Those special touches will make your home more memorable, livable, and memorable all year-round.

COLD WEATHER LAWN CARE

By Shaun Henry Find more at AtkinsInc.com

Although the meteorological winter technically doesn’t begin until December 1, it feels like it’s already here some mornings. We start to focus on our winter projects and concerns for the lawns and landscapes we help manage.

One of the bigger concerns for your lawn this time of year is frost damage. The grass blades are approximately 90% water, so when the temperatures are low enough, the grass will freeze. Then, when someone walks across or runs a piece of equipment over it the cell walls in the grass blades are fractured and can kill the tissue causing it to desiccate (dry up and turn yellow-brown). This leaves tracks behind. The grass may recover and fill in the damaged area sooner than later.

The remaining days in 2022 are flying by, but there is still time to fertilize lawns to help prep them for winter and for next spring’s “green up.” The winterizer application in the late fall can improve your lawn’s color and overall health as we head into the winter months. Although your grass isn’t growing now as fast as it was back in May, it is still active and growing. Proper fertility now can help with root development and those benefits will carry over into next season.

Leaves! Don’t forget to get those piles of leaves off the lawn. If left for a long period of time, the leaves will mat down and smother your turf. Some lawns are easier to keep leaves off than others and if you are lucky, you will only need to do it once!

It’s time to put those sprinkler systems to bed for the winter. A properly installed irrigation system will have the supply lines buried at least 12” deep to help avoid freeze issues, but to protect your investment you will want to have the system winterized. The process typically includes the use of a large air compressor, capable of supplying 85 cubic feet per minut and blows nearly

SHAUN HENRY ATKINS

A Columbia native, Shaun Henry found a home at Atkins in 2000 when he started his career as a turf technician. Shaun holds a commercial applicator’s license through the Missouri Department of Agriculture and is a member of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the Mid-America Green Industry Council, and the Missouri Green Industry Alliance. Shaun strongly believes in the importance of a great customer experience where the Atkins staff knows their clients and anticipates their needs accordingly.

Shaun is an MU alumnus and has a degree in plant science.

all of the water out of the irrigation lines as you run a couple of cycles through your system. You can try to DIY, but most of us don’t have an air compressor like this sitting in our garage, so you’ll want to call on a professional for help with this service. Now if you happen to have seeded the lawn or planted some new trees or shrubs, you may want to postpone shutting down your sprinkler system until December so that you can water during any dry periods this fall.

Dormant feeding of your ornamental trees and shrubs may very well be the most important things you can do for your landscape plants this fall/winter. The feeding of your landscape plants will help them recover from summer stress and prepare them for putting on new growth next spring. You can also address nutritional problems at this time by adding iron, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, copper zinc, boron, manganese and others. If you have any new plants, fertilizing them this fall is a good idea to further help them get established so they can tolerate the extremes likely to come in the summer of 2023.

As the holiday season nears, many of you may be planning on climbing up and down ladders and scaling your roof tops in order to display a little bit of your inner Clark Griswold. If that’s the case – please be careful. Make sure you have someone who can assist you in holding the ladder, handing you tools and anything they can do to keep your feet firmly on the ground. Don’t reach out too far from either side of the ladder. This is an easy way to get off balance and pitch the ladder one way or the other so it slides off the gutter and both you and the ladder crash into the ground. Starting a bit early in the season may be a good idea so you’re hanging lights while it’s still a little bit warm outside.

Welcome Home celebrates 30 years of providing care for those who’ve served our country.

LIFTING UP OTHERS

Mobility Worldwide empowers people around the globe who are unable to walk by giving the gift of mobility.

ROOM AT THE INN FINDS A HOME

New shelter site jumpstarts Columbia’s homelessness solution: Opportunity Campus.

“

We are REDI. Through REDI we’ve been able to grow our business through our work using the HUB. REDI has helped us garner business relationships throughout the local community to include other HUB clients. WE ARE READY through our invested interest as well as our desire to assist other REDI clients any way we can.”

Curtis Tolson & Eric Magruder, Owners, M & T Solutions

Star’s Brides

Star’s Brides recently made the move to the Columbia Mall, which allowed them to double in size.

is was a much-needed move for more visibility to spread the word about the newest bridal shop in Columbia. e location was perfect, being located in the JCPenney wing and right across from the children’s play area.

“We have created a space that our brides will love and feel comfortable while making one of the biggest decisions they will make in their wedding planning and we are super proud of this,” owner Star Simmons says.

Available by private appointment, their goal is for every one of their brides to feel like a star by having the entire space to themselves.

“I wanted another option for our brides to nd the dress of their dreams. I also started because I feel like this industry needs to be more diverse when it comes to race. I believe with time it will also focus

designers to get on the same page and they will give more thoughts when picking models to represent their brand and even the fabrics they use when creating these amazing gowns we carry,” Star says. 573-445-1113 COLUMBIA MALL 2300 BERNADETTE - JCPENNEY WING STARSBRIDES.COM

Crosshair Pest Control

Crosshair Pest Control wants to be known for their personalized — and prompt — service in pest control. It includes the elimination and prevention of common household pests and treatments for mosquitos, ticks, garden, and arboreal pests.

“We are a private company and longtime residents of this community with no intention of leaving. We will always provide same-day service, if possible, and our primary concern is the quality of our service,” owner Johnny Wingate says.

Johnny has been involved in the industr y since his father opened his rst pest control business in 1979. e Wingate family has been providing pest control services in Columbia for more than 40 years, and Johnny is proud to carry on that tradition. Crosshair Pest Control prides itself in o ering safe, e ective, and environmentally friendly pest control for your home and business at a ordable prices. And don't think that your pest issues are over just because colder weather has moved in. “Pests continue to thrive in the winter. ey just move indoors,” says Johnny.

573-810-0323

CROSSHAIRPESTCONTROL.COM

Belly Market & Rotisserie

If you’ve lived in Columbia for any amount of time, you are likely familiar with Hoss’ Market. Previous owners, Trish and Hoss Koetting, have entrusted their establishment to Ben Hamrah and Amanda Elliott, owners of newly established Belly Market & Rotisserie.

“We are incredibly grateful to have been passed the torch by Trish and Hoss Koetting and their boys Joey and Sean. Hoss’ Market has been a staple in our community for 20 years. Amanda and I are moving forward with the new name Belly Market & Rotisserie, a play on our names that started out as a joke that we’ve now grown to love (Ben + Elliott = Belly),” Ben says. “We are very excited to take everything that the Koettings have built and show our perspective on the Market. We are making some changes to the menu, but guest favorites like e Seaner D, the Joe Joe, and e Big Hoss will always remain as not-so-secret o -menu o erings. We will continue to o er fresh seafood, prime steaks, fresh made sandwiches, salads, soups, and hot case specials, as well as exciting retail o erings.”

573-815-9711

1010 CLUB VILLAGE DR. EATBELLYMARKET.COM

Briefly in the News

CELEBRATION

Columbia Farmers Market Ranked Second in the Nation and First in Missouri in America’s Farmers Market Celebration

Columbia Farmers Market has been recognized as the No. 2 Farmers Market in the nation and No. 1 Farmers Market in Missouri in America’s Farmers Market Celebration. More than two thousand markets nationwide participated in the 2022 celebration with over ten million supporters engaged through voting, visiting the celebration website, and engaging with the celebration on social media. National winners are awarded $5,000 for rst, $2,500 for second, $1,500 for third, $750 for fourth and $250 for fth. ese funds are awarded to markets for marketing, communications, and other needs that help expand the market’s reach and impact. “To be recognized as one of the top markets in the country, for the second year in a row, is such an honor for our organization. Our community has supported our hard-working farmers and producers for 42 years and has allowed us to grow into the thriving organization we are now. With the help of those supporters and the recognition of this competition, we’ve had the best year on record. We owe such a big thank you to the Mid-Missouri community for supporting our producers, our market, and voting for us in this competition,” says Corrina Smith, executive director, Columbia Farmers Market.

COMMUNITY

Roots N Blues Festival Celebrates Historic Attendance in

2022

e Roots N Blues Festival, the only entirely women-owned major music festival in the United States, wrapped up another successful year. e three-day festival took place on two stages, and was once again presented by Veterans United Home Loans. e attendance for Roots N Blues this year nearly doubled last year, with Saturday being the largest attendance day in the event's history, since it became a ticketed event, with more than 10,000 attendees. Friday and Sunday each saw more than 8,000 attendees per day.

COMMUNITY

Coyote Hill Approved for Nearly Half a Million Dollars in Tax Credits

Coyote Hill, a foster-care organization working to end child abuse and neglect in this generation, has been approved to receive tax credits through the Neighborhood Assistance Program in the amount of $499,950. Donations of $1,000 or more from businesses or individuals with a business interest are eligible for a 70% tax credit. CEO of Coyote Hill, Bill Atherton, shares his excitement over this news,“We will use these tax credit funds for our Foster Care Services program serving mid and northeast Missouri children. e Foster Care Services program is changing the landscape of foster care. All donations support the work of

training, licensing, and advocating for foster families. ere are more than 14,000 children in foster care and fewer than 5,000 foster homes in the state of Missouri. We are working to ll the gap. In the last two years we have licensed over 100 new foster families thanks to the support of our community.”

State Historical Society of Missouri Collecting Material for Route 66 Centennial

Route 66 is celebrating its centennial in 2026. To prepare for the iconic road’s 100th anniversary, the State Historical Society of Missouri is launching a Route 66 collecting initiative focused on preserving the road’s history within the state. Examples of items SHSMO is interested in includes photographs, postcards, lm and home videos along the route, records of roadside businesses, oral histories of people who traveled or worked along the road, small souvenirs or artifacts, artwork, and architectural drawings of iconic structures and places.

“We’re very interested in stories and materials ranging from the road’s origins to its peak period in Missouri (circa 1926-1960) to its decline following the rise of the Interstate Highway system,” says Kathleen Seale, coordinator of the State Historical Society’s Rolla and Spring eld Research Centers. Missouri is where Route 66’s name became o cial, as the highway received its number assignment via a telegram sent April 30,1926, to Spring eld during a gathering there of the proposed highway’s supporters that included Cyrus Avery, the Oklahoma highway commissioner now widely known as the “Father of Route 66,” and John T. Woodru , a Spring eld attorney and business owner who was Missouri’s leading proponent of highway development.

Missouri Colleges Fund Distributes CIC/UPS Scholarships to Missouri Private Colleges and Universities

Missouri Colleges Fund, Inc. has distributed $51,200 in CIC/UPS Scholarships to assist 16 students at private colleges and universities in Missouri. e scholarships were made possible by a grant from the Council of Independent Colleges in Washington, DC, through the CIC/ UPS Educational Endowment. Colleges in Missouri that received CIC/UPS Scholarships this year from MCF include: Avila University, Central Methodist University, Columbia College, Cottey College, Culver Stockton College, Drury University, Hannibal-LaGrange University, Lindenwood University, Maryville University, Missouri Baptist University, Park University, Rockhurst University, Southwest Baptist University, Westminster College, William Jewell College, and William Woods University. e CIC/ UPS Scholarships Program has made a private college education possible for more than 21,000 lowincome, rst generation, and

minority students and has had a transformative impact on individuals, families, and communities across the country. CELEBRATION

Peace Love Paws Pet Sitters Named a Finalist for Pet Sitter of the Year 2023

Peace Love Paws Pet Sitters, LLC has been selected as a top 5 nalist for Pet Sitter of the Year with Pet Sitters International (PSI), an organization of nearly 7,000 independent professional pet-sitting services throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad. Founded in 1994, PSI is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters. is award originated in 1995 and a Missouri pet sitter has never been awarded “Pet Sitter of the Year.” e ve nalists were chosen on the merits of two of their clients and a local veterinarian’s questionnaire answers on their ability to provide excellent care for pets, along with their credentials within their communities. An essay and video process will be included in the nal decision for e Pet Sitter of the Year 2023 and will be announced January 1, 2023.

MEGAN STEEN

Burrell Behavioral Health and its parent company, Brightli, are pleased to announce Megan Steen has been named to the new position of chief operating officer, Central Region.

Megan, who was previously Burrell’s vice president, Central Region, will oversee day-to-day operations for Brightli’s Central Region which encompasses 17 counties. This area includes programs and services of Burrell, where it serves as the statedesignated Community Mental Health Center, as well as certain mental health and substanceuse recovery services under the Preferred Family Healthcare umbrella in Mid-Missouri.

“Her promotion into the role of regional operations officer is a testament to her success as a leader and innovator in the community behavioral health space,” Burrell Central Region president Mat Gass says. “In this new role Megan will be able to further align our programs and services to meet the growing needs of Mid-Missouri.”

TRAVIS KEMPF

Real estate agent Travis Kempf of Weichert, Realtors - First Tier was recently selected for the Missouri REALTORS 2023 Leadership Academy. Travis was one of just 12 agents in the state of Missouri selected to attend the program. The Leadership Academy identifies Missouri REALTORS who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential. The program trains participants in leadership, increases their

awareness of challenges in the real estate industry, and gives them the opportunity to network with other leaders and members. Travis was born and raised in Boone County and earned a bachelor’s degree in personal finance and planning from the University of Missouri in 2003. He’s worked in the real estate industry since 2004, and joined the team at Weichert, Realtors - First Tier in 2017. Travis has been an agent for many years and has built his own team of talented and dedicated sales professionals.

recurring maintenance for Coil projects, as well as things like remodels, equipment additions and replacements, and paving. Prior to joining the Coil team, Jason served as the assistant vice president for facilities management at Central Bank. He also worked in facilities management at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Jason has a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration from the University of MissouriColumbia and a master’s of business administration from Columbia College.

CHAD M c MINN

Central Bank of Boone County welcomes Chad McMinn as a relationship manager. In this role, he will build relationships with current customers of Central Bank of Boone County and serve as their connection for their banking needs. Chad joined Central Bank of Boone County in September 2022 after working for The Club at Old Hawthorne as the director of membership and marketing. He is working on a bachelor’s of science in business administration and marketing degree from Columbia College. Chad has previously worked and volunteered his time at Rainbow House.

JASON MORGAN

Coil Construction is pleased to announce a new director of facilities management, Jason Morgan. At Coil, Jason will oversee the small projects division, as well as act as director of facilities management. Jason will focus on warranty work and

KATIE HARRIS

The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is pleased to announce the hiring of its first executive director, Katie Harris. As the first executive director in the Foundation’s 26-year history, Katie will be responsible for the leadership and management of the nonprofit organization. She is a CPS graduate, having attended Shepard Boulevard Elementary, Jefferson Junior High School, and Hickman High School. Katie graduated summa cum laude from Drake University with a bachelor's degree in English and psychology after which she obtained a MFA in creative writing from George Mason University. Katie is currently the director of marketing communications for Knorr Marketing Communications and is also past co-chair of the Nora Stewart Early Learning Center Board of Directors and a past chair of the Cultural Affairs Commission for the City of Columbia.

STEEN KEMPF

M c MINN MORGAN HARRIS

An Address & a Phone Number

Welcome Home celebrates 30 years of providing care for those who've served our country.

BY LAUREN SABLE FREIMAN PHOTOS BY CHARLES BRUCE III

What happens when you take 350 veterans each year and give them a chance to reintegrate into the community, get back into the workforce, and provide for their families?

Welcome Home knows they change lives. Driven by the mission to honor veterans and restore their lives, Welcome Home has been making a big impact by serving veterans and their families around Mid-Missouri since 1992.

“We established our rst shelter and started providing programs and services to veterans in 1992,” says Welcome Home's executive director Megan Sievers. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come in the last 30 years.”

Founded by a group of Columbia Vietnam veterans, Welcome Home was created to support other vets who came home and “didn’t land well,” Megan says.

“ ere were a couple brothers who were homeless vets, sleeping on railroad tracks in Columbia,” she says. “One passed away due to the cold, and the other had to have his legs amputated and survived. is group of veterans said, ‘Enough is enough, we can do more.’ So, they pooled their resources and started to do whatever they could to help homeless veterans.”

A VISION BECOMES REALITY

e group began working with churches and community groups to provide a variety of supportive services to vets. One of the co-founders took out a second mortgage on his home because he believed so much in the need for care for returning heroes.

Welcome Home purchased its rst shelter at 1206 Rangeline Street — 2,500 square feet of space that could house 13 male veterans on any given night. e space was extremely functional, and throughout the years that followed, it served the veteran community in immeasurable ways. But it wasn’t ideal. One of those 13 spaces was a couch in the o ce quarters.

1992

Their first shelter opens at 1206 Rangeline St. with six rooms. The shelter can accommodate 13 male veterans on any given night.

2008 The shelter is consistently at maximum capacity with two beds in each room and a couch in the office. It becomes evident that a bigger space is needed to meet community need.

2012 Welcome Home begins having conversations regarding a capital campaign to help expand their facilities.

2014 - 2017

Throughout the course of three years, their capital campaign raises $3.5 million.

2017 Welcome Home moves into their new campus at 2120 Business Loop 70 East.

2022 Welcome Home celebrates 30 years of serving veterans.

“Our founder R.C. Higgins had a vision to provide a shelter, an address and a phone number to veterans, and that space served a powerful purpose for many years,” Megan says. “In the Vietnam era, if you didn’t have an address or phone number, you couldn’t access your veterans bene ts, and if you couldn’t access bene ts, you had no resources to fall back on. e shelter helped them get back on their feet.”

While Welcome Home could o er emergency shelter, it was not equipped to handle many of the issues that were plaguing veterans and keeping them from returning to their full potential.

“It was turning into more than the volunteers could keep up with, and the founders began to recognize that they were band-aiding a situation. ey were seeing the same people over and over,” Megan says. “ ey decided to o er wraparound services in addition to the shelter, to get and keep people o the street. Programming started to pick up and they started building relationships with funding sources and Veterans A airs.” ough not a medical facility, Welcome Home partners with other resources to provide veterans with mental health and substance use support.

GROWING SUPPORT FOR A GROWING CHALLENGE

Welcome Home continues to focus on three pillar programs: Emergency and Transitional Shelter, VETS Work, and Permanent Housing.

On average, Welcome Home can move a vet from shelter to permanent housing in 100 days, and provide the advocacy and connections necessary to get them in permanent housing or help keep them in their current housing in an average of 28 days. rough VETS Work, case managers work with vets one-on-one to create job applications, resumes, prepare for interviews and search for jobs.

“We have over 200 employers in our network who are ready to work with veterans,” Megan says. “A lot of times, we enlighten vets on the skill sets they have and empower them on what they have to give as an employed individual.”

But, despite the wealth of programs and services Welcome Home was o ering to the veteran community, the team was well aware of the number of veterans, including female veterans, that they were regularly turning away due to lack of space.

“ at was unacceptable in our eyes, especially in Columbia where we have the best, most philanthropic community,” Megan says. “In 2012, conversations started to strengthen and a capital campaign was created to plan and build an incredible facility that could serve more people, bring the community into the fold, and raise awareness for the mission of supporting homeless veterans.”

During the three-year campaign from 2014 to 2017, Welcome Home raised $3.5 million through state and federal contributions and generous support from local companies, foundations, families, and individuals.

A NEW HOME

In September 2017, Welcome Home moved into their current facility at 2120 Business Loop 70 East. e new space features 32 rooms, including two family rooms and quarters for female veterans.

ADA compliant rooms accommodate those with disabilities. A commercial kitchen prepares and serves three meals each day. A technology and resource center provides veterans with access to computers and printers where they can conduct job searches and stay connected to the outside world.

While all substances are prohibited on the Welcome Home campus, as an organization that adheres to a Housing First approach, there is no requirement that residents are substance free.

“We meet people, most of the time, at their worst,” Megan says. “ ey can be going through di erent issues, including substance use and mental health challenges, that we have to navigate through. ere are a lot of required trainings and additional trainings we provide to make sure our front line sta are equipped to take care of anything that comes their way.”

As Welcome Home cares for veterans, it also cares for their families, as well.

“We never want to separate the family unit, we will keep you together because as a family, you are going through this together, and we want to make sure we help you together,” Megan says. “ is is crucial in the process.”

Community Strong.

You keep banking. We’ll keep building.

Strong communities are built by strong people. Banking is about more than deposits, loans and checking. It’s about changing lives.

Come discover the difference! www.fscb.com/communitystrong

Member FDIC

Lifting

Up Others

Mobility Worldwide empowers people around the globe who are unable to walk by giving the gift of mobility.

BY AMANDA LONG | PHOTOS BY LANA EKLUND

Missionary Larry Mills was changed by what he saw during a trip to Africa in 1994: A woman crawling through the grass carrying her child on her back because she was unable to walk. He reached out to his friend and fellow missionary, the Reverend Mel West, to share the great need he saw for a mode of transportation for people with mobility issues. Reverend West, in turn, worked with Earl Miner, a designer, and the rst mobility cart prototype was built and put to the test only one year later.

Today these sturdy, three-wheeled wooden carts are distributed worldwide to those disabled by polio, birth defects, land mines, and other conditions. e carts give users the ability to navigate difcult terrain found in developing areas of the world.

Although the carts are now made in 21 a liate locations across the United States, Mobility Worldwide got its start in a 9,000-square-foot warehouse on Heriford Road in northeast Columbia. In 2000, with the help of local donations and volunteers, Reverend West set up a production, receiving, and shipping facility to assemble and ship carts to various areas of need around the world.

Last year Mobility Worldwide opened a new 12,500-square-foot facility at 4825 E. Meyer Industrial Drive in south Columbia, built by Coil Construction. e new building, named the Mel and Barbara West Cart Center, has a mission to eliminate immobility worldwide.

“It’s amazing how these carts changes lives — lifting someone out of the dirt, o the ground and giving them a sense of pride,” says Gary Moreau, executive director since 2013. “ eir self-esteem is raised and that is what is really special about it.

ese carts create a way for people with mobility issues to sustain themselves. ey can get around and be a businessperson or nd work to support their family.”

Gary started at Mobility Worldwide as a volunteer in 2004. “I was just the guy who cut the chain for the carts — it comes in 100-foot spools,” he laughs.

Over the years, more than 20,000 carts have been built in Columbia and distributed completely free at the request of front-line, established, and responsible agencies who work in the geographic areas of need for the kinds of mobility that the carts provide.

Gary Moreau, executive director

“We have shipped to 106 countries. We put the un-assembled cart in a box and they can be shipped pretty much anywhere in the world,” Gary says.

With a goal of 50 carts per week built in Columbia in 2022, Gary says Mobility Worldwide is always seeking additional volunteers to help assemble.

“Our volunteers really enjoy doing this, it is very rewarding. While it is mostly seniors and retirees, we also have shifts for younger people — we can work with your schedule,” he says.

ere are four types of carts available: e standard large crank mobility cart, the pull cart for those who do not have the upper-body strength to use the hand crank, the small crank mobility card and mini-mart kit. All are made with treated wood and include box of tools and reassembly photo instructions with a cost of $350 each to produce.

Mobility Worldwide is a nonpro t organization relying on volunteers and donations. eir annual fundraiser, Craft Beer and Carts, is held mid-summer in partnership with Rotaract, with next year’s date scheduled for Sunday, July 16, 2023.

e event is held at the MU Health Care Pavilion and includes live music, local breweries and food trucks. Sponsorships are available at varying levels, including a cart sponsorship opportunity.

“For a $350 donation you or your organization gets a cart to decorate – it’s a lot of fun. After the event, we break the decorated carts down and ship them to Kenya. Once they are delivered, we take a photo of the person who received the cart, which we then give back to the sponsor. We sold 115 carts last year!” Gary says.

Mobility Worldwide recently joined the Heart of Missouri United Way’s Give 5 – a newly created social program that matches innovative volunteer opportunities with retired (or almost retired) baby boomers ages 60+ who live in Boone County. Each Give 5 Class meets 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., once a week for ve weeks, visiting more than 20 nonpro ts over the course of the program to introduce potential volunteers to opportunities that are available in the community.

For more information, to make a donation, or to volunteer, visit mobilityworldwide.org/ affiliates/missouri-columbia, email info@giftofmobility.org or call 573-886-7877.

Photo provided by Mobility Worldwide

In the Trenches

The Flourish Initiative helps fill the need gap for local youth.

BY LAUREN SABLE FREIMAN

As the Veterans United Foundation explored ways to ll a needs gap in the community that would have a longterm impact, social mobility data from Boone County emerged. at data revealed marginalized populations and minority subgroups in Columbia are in the bottom 17 percentile for upwards mobility in the nation. at means those groups have a very poor chance of moving up the income ladder or of doing better than their parents, economically.

According to Rae Cooper, VU’s social impact manager, the Veterans United Foundation took notice. With the desire to facilitate positive change, the Foundation piloted the Douglass Project with Douglass High School.

“We piloted activities like mentoring and professional development opportunities, but the principal came to us and said that they have kids who don’t have a place to stay,” Rae says. “ ey were worried about their basic needs.”

After regrouping, rethinking, and exploring best practices, a new idea took shape. In 2019, Fostering Life-Changing Opportunities, also known as e Flourish Initiative, o cially launched to support homeless students in Columbia. With a multi-pronged approach to serving youth and those in need, Flourish is already making a big impact.

utilities, we started the Flourish Home,” says Mark Kirchho , Flourish’s director of housing and basic needs.

e home currently has six beds, and by the beginning of the year, four more beds and additional community space will open to provide a haven to youth eeing abuse and neglect, Mark says.

Since housing its rst resident in the Flourish Home in October 2020, Flourish has housed 20 unaccompanied youth between the ages of 16 and 21 for 1,900 bed nights. While it initially only housed students from Douglass High School, today, the Flourish Home has housed youth from each of Columbia’s public high schools.

The Flourish Initiative

MISSION

FOUNDED 2019 BOARD

• Loreli Wilson, President (Director of People Services at Veterans United)

• Rae Cooper, LCSW, Treasurer (Social Impact Manager at Veterans United)

• Jewell Simms, Secretary (IT Manager at Veterans United)

• Joe Ellison (VP of Capital Markets at Veterans United)

MOVING QUICKLY TO

FILL

THE GAP e team behind Flourish quickly realized that it’s challenging to focus on education or employment when you lack access to basic needs like shelter, food and safety. So, Flourish’s Emergency and Basic Needs Assistance Program began to provide students with funding to ful ll those needs. To date, the organization has answered 159 requests for emergency funding with $52,022.32 in assistance.

“After seeing that basic needs were met through funding to help with a quicknancial in ux for things like housing and

• Claire Slama, LCSW (Behavior Support Coordinator at Columbia Public Schools)

• Dr. Eryca Neville (Principal at Douglass High School)

Weaving resources and relationships together and providing life-changing opportunities so all youth flourish.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

Flourish’s $AVES program was created in response to data showing that low-income students who have saved $500 or more for higher education are three times more likely to begin higher education and four times more likely to complete it, Rae says.

rough $AVES, students earn deposits into a 529 educational savings account by participating in personal and professional development activities. e money, a maximum of $5,000, can then be used on tuition for trade or technical schools, two-year or four-year degree programs, or a diverse array of other higher education programs.

“We will coordinate personal and professional development activities, but we will also incentivize for other non-pro t programs in the area,” Rae says. “Our students could already be engaged in those programs and earn their deposits from us. We are trying to leverage what is already awesome in the community, and use our structure to maximize the impact of those things.”

ough initially piloted with a small group of 20 students, $AVES is now open to students in fth through twelfth grades who are experiencing social or economic barriers.

“To participate in the $AVES program, a student must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, be a member of a marginalized community like LGBTQ+ or have behavioral health challenges,” Rae says. “If a student considers it a barrier, there is exibility for us to determine if they’re a t.”

Today, 103 students have saved $82,250 through $AVES.

Flourish’s multifaceted approach to supporting students also includes mentoring, as well as a two-part internship program in partnership with Veterans United. Prep 1 for rising seniors and Prep 2 for recent graduates each pay $2,500 upon successful completion. When combined with dollars earned through $AVES, students can earn up to $10,000 towards their education. According to Rae, students are still able to apply for additional scholarship funding through Flourish.

Forty- ve interns in Prep 1 and Prep 2 have completed nearly 4,757 hours of personal and professional development to date.

Also in 2020, Flourish created a scholarship program to support youth of col-

or within 30 miles of Boone County. To date, 106 students have received a total of $473,085 in scholarship funds.

CREATING CHANGE IN COLUMBIA AND BEYOND

In addition to being on the ground to provide hands-on, direct services to students in need, Mark has worked to help teens receive quali ed minor status, Missouri’s version of emancipation.

“ is provides them the ability to sign a lease, sign for their own medical or behavioral health care or open a bank account,” Mark says. “It allows them to be self-supporting.”

While Mark’s work has positively impacted local teens, he has also conducted 12 trainings on quali ed minor status for nearly 60 organizations around the state.

“Mark is making a positive impact for teens across Missouri who are not yet adults, but who don’t have any adult support or other resources,” Rae says.

AN UNPARALLELED PARTNERSHIP

Because Columbia is a philanthropic community with a rich array of social supports, Rae says Flourish isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel or repeat services. Instead, the organization aims to harness

the power of everything that already exists in the community to support the city’s most vulnerable.

“Columbia has a ton of resources but coordination is a challenge between the resources, so it’s nice to have a structure that allows us to be exible and responsive,” Rae says. “Flourish is made possible by Veterans United employee contributions to the Veterans United Foundation, and Veterans United kicks in additional money to support $AVES, scholarships and internships.”

Veterans United also provides Flourish with accounting and administrative support, which allows Flourish’s team of 14 full and part-time employees to focus most of their time on supporting teens.

”Receiving funds from a private partner has increased stability and allowed us to be creative in providing services and stability for youth who are experiencing the largest needs barrier,” Mark says. “We’re giving them a place to stay and be a kid.”

THE FLOURISH INITIATIVE www.allyouthflourish.org info@allyouthflourish.org @allyouthflourish

Flanagan + Hildreth

Wedding

Haley (Flanagan) and Zane Hildreth were married on October 29, 2021 exchanging vows at the beautiful United Methodist Church with a reception held at The Atrium on Tenth in downtown Columbia. The day was full of sweet moments shared between the couple, their family, and their friends.

Haley and Zane’s wedding celebration was completely “them”. There was a modern twist from the classic all white floral and greenery to the hint of disco balls throughout the reception. With guest tables full of candles and the packed dance floor all night their wedding was truly a celebration of their unique love story.

The couple carefully chose their vendors to ensure their family and friends had a completely stress free and fun day. After they danced the night away they left with full hearts and memories to last a lifetime.

Haley and Zane reside in Columbia with their newborn daughter Billie Wen.

VENDORS:

Planning & Design: Delight Events

Ceremony: The United Methodist Church

Reception: The Atrium on Tenth

Photography: Rachel Reyes Photography

Videography: James Smith Films

Floral & Decor: D-Zines by T Flowers and Gifts

Rentals: A1 Party & Event Rentals

Vintage Rentals: Pretty Little Things

DJ: Complete Weddings & Events

Transportation: Any Event Luxury Transportation

Hair: Blanc Studio

Cake: The Pear Tree Kitchen & Bar

Grooms Cake: Cakes by Krystina

Photo Booth: Picture Perfect

Bridal Gown: Breeze Bridal

to Go Nowhere ButUp

The story of how the Upward Mobility Initiative came to Boone County involves a letter of intent, a grant application, and the selection by the Urban Institute as one of only eight cohort communities in the country — and the only rural one — to receive $125,000.

is might seem like another typical project. ose in government, business and civic organizations, and various nonpro ts garner grant funding intended to improve life in Boone County. While it may have started out that way, the Upward Mobility Initiative is di erent. It’s driven by the community. It’s driven by results-based accountability. And it’s designed to create systemic change.

WHAT IS UPWARD MOBILITY?

e premise of creating opportunities for upward mobility in communities is simple, and it leads o the Boone County Mobility Action Plan Community Report:

“Upward Mobility is the idea that everyone deserves the chance to improve their lives, to strengthen their economic well-being, to be valued and feel they belong, and to have power and autonomy.”

BY MICHELLE TERHUNE

Nowhere

THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY

Boone County residents enjoy a good quality of life. People own homes, businesses thrive, unemployment is low, employers provide access to bene ts, and educational attainment is above the norm. But when you break down the data according to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, something else comes to light.

As written in the report: “Families of color, speci cally Black families, disproportionately experience higher poverty rates, poorer school outcomes, more referrals to juvenile justice, and poorer health outcomes. ese disparities mean, if you are a person of color within the county, you are at a severe disadvantage for economic mobility. ose in poverty, within the county, are impacted by limited upward mobility across generations.”

ree initial areas of focus materialized from the data: Early grade literacy; fair and inclusive housing; and jobs and workforce development. Joanne Nelson, director of Boone County Community Services, looked to Cradle to Career Alliance to help identify individuals willing to facilitate workgroups to tackle each issue. ey needed people who had the life experience and leadership skills to lead these e orts.

IT’S PERSONAL

Alvin Plummer and Alvin Cobbins, both members of the Men’s Minority Network, and Brittany Hughes, a political and religious organizer, answered the call. ese stakeholder facilitators convened people a ected by their respective issues, neighborhood and community leaders, stakeholders, and elected o cials to dive into the numbers, elucidate problems, and develop strategies for long-term solutions.

Solving systemic problems in these areas is personal to each of these facilitators. From the outside, looking in, it’s also personal to Janet ompson, Boone County District II commissioner. She moved to Columbia at 2 years old, shortly before Eliot and Muriel Battle moved their family here.

“I went to school with the Battle kids.

e Battles are now considered to be icons in our community, but not so long ago Muriel and Eliot Battle couldn’t buy the house they wanted just because they were Black.”

e eld, Janet says, has been far too unlevel for far too long.

EARLY GRADE LITERACY

Alvin Plummer’s workgroup looked at the data and found that access, equity, and poverty keep some youth from achieving literacy in Boone County. e workgroup hopes the outcome of efforts in this area mean that all children learn to read and view themselves as readers and writers. To get there, early

Boone County’s Mobility Action Plan aims to solve the root causes of disparity keeping some residents from flourishing.

have to do it better, not for us, but for the next generation.”

Janet Thompson, Boone County District II commissioner

“We

childhood experiences across the board need to improve, as do wraparound services for children that address not just educational needs, but emotional, behavioral, physical, and mental needs as well.

“Although all three focus areas of the Upward Mobility Initiative are crucial, Early Grade Literacy may be one of the most di cult to get our arms around,” Alvin says. “I say this because there are so many nuances that impact desired solutions.”

“From my perspective, the desire to include a broad cross-section of organizations and people that are on the front lines where real change can be effectuated is most encouraging,” Alvin says. “While our committee is currently small in number, there is a deep concern for improving early grade literacy and a sincere desire to implement the changes necessary to make much-needed improvements.”

FAIR AND INCLUSIVE HOUSING

Increasing the amount of a ordable housing available, creating an adopt-ablock home maintenance program, and fostering second-chance leasing opportunities for residents whose history might block them from quality housing are key strategies.

“I think the most hopeful thing was seeing how many folks from across the county we were able to get to sit around the table with us at each meeting,” Brittany says. “All of the folks who showed up for our work sessions had di erent experiences around housing, and some had been more impacted by the current system than others. But everyone had the same clarity around why we were in the room. All Boone County residents deserve safe and a ordable housing, point, blank, period. It’s amazing what we can do when we’re all clear about our ‘why,’” she says.

JOBS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Racism was identi ed as a deep-root cause for why not everyone is Boone County can live, learn, grow, ourish, and prosper equally. Alvin Cobbins’ workgroup wants to focus on increasing social capital usually missing among those with a lower socio-economic status. ese stakeholders want employers to take more responsibility for providing fair, living-wage employment opportunities. And for those seeking to escape poverty and earn a living through entrepreneurship, their e orts should be supported.

Workgroup strategies include programs providing leadership opportunities for Boone County youth and pathways to education and training beyond high school. ey also include supporting those with criminal records seeking employment and adopting Ban the Box.

“ is issue is about careers versus jobs,” Alvin says. “ ose who come out after being incarcerated get the jobs that are at the bottom of the barrel. We need employers willing to invest in people who want to be stable and positive employees.

“My workgroup embraced this. ey are the most dedicated, creative, and honest people who keep coming back to work on solving these problems.”

BEGINNING WITH THE END Results-based accountability begins with looking at key indicators for the entire population. What it takes to e ect longterm change is “Turn the Curve inking” at the program level.

“If you’re just looking at the big picture, it’s going to be hard to move the needle on these issues,” Joanne says. “Let’s not put a Band-Aid on there. Let’s look at why people are having trouble and look at the programs a ecting them.”

Navigating the curve may require backing up a few times. As Alvin Plummer says of his workgroup, “We have articulated an action plan, but we must

return to step three to identify more partners who have a role to play in ‘turning the curve.’ Once more partners are identi ed, we will be in a better position to implement the action plan.”

“ is method provides a di erent way of looking at data,” says Alvin Cobbins. “Everybody looks at it but sees it through di erent lenses. e gaps in the data are obvious, but we’re looking at the populations below that gap. To do that, we need to have everyone at the table who should be, listen to other people’s ideas, share ideas, and let everyone have a voice.”

What the workgroups have produced to date are just the beginning. Although the Community Services Department will take the lead in implementing the “Action Plan,” everyone who’s been involved and others who should be will continue the work. at long-term commitment and deep community buy-in sets this e ort apart.

“I think this e ort is di erent in that the analysis, solutions, and strategies for how to accomplish our goals were community driven. I believe that if things in our world are going to change and change for the bene t of all of us, then it has to start at the grassroots level,” she says. “I can’t make promises about the future, but my hope is that because this e ort was rooted in that philosophy that somewhere down the line, we’ll see the fruits of our labor.”

Janet agrees there are no quick xes when addressing systemic problems.

“ is will live much longer than Janet ompson or anyone working on this initiative. is will go on and on,” she says. “We have to do it better, not for us, but for the next generation. We have an obligation to our community to see that happens.”

Boone County Department of Community Services

605 E. Walnut Street, Suite A 573-886-4298

Room at the Inn Finds a Home

New shelter site jumpstarts Columbia’s homelessness solution: Opportunity Campus.

BY JODIE JACKSON JR.

In the seven years Room at the Inn has provided overnight shelter from winter’s cold for Columbia’s homeless, the strong coalition of churches and faith communities that host the shelter on a rotating basis expressed a common theme among volunteers and organizers: what additional services for housing, mental health, and other supports including case management could be provided if Room at the Inn had a permanent location?

It was the same question — asked with equal and mounting passion — being asked by Loaves & Fishes and Turning Point, the evening meal program and day program that calls Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church home. Combining the forces and resources of Voluntary Action Center (VAC) and other leading social service providers in one location is not a new idea for those organizations.

“We’ve talked about this for many years,” Room at the Inn board president Debby Graham says.

One after another, others in social service work echoed Debby’s statement, including Ward 4 Councilman Nick Foster, who was elected to the City Council in April after serving more than nine years as executive director at VAC.

Now the concept of a permanent location for Room at the Inn with a complement of other services and agencies, including Turning Point and Loaves & Fishes, isn’t just an idea. e Columbia City Council recently approved the $865,000 purchase of the former VFW building and

grounds at 1509 Ashley Street — just east of the city power plant and north o the Business Loop — to house an overnight shelter. e potential development of Opportunity Campus, under the auspices of VAC — and with a projected price tag of $15 million to $18 million, within a stone’s throw of the VFW building — would bring all the services aimed at serving and addressing homelessness to one location.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

“No single approach alone is going to completely address the need we have,” says Nick, who is no longer part of VAC’s organization. “But there are some things we know we can do.”

Room at the Inn is planning to be at the VFW site for one to three years until the Opportunity Campus is ready, though that development faces enormous nancial and possible legal challenges before becoming a reality.

“We’ve been a homeless shelter without a home,” Debby says. “ is solves that problem. is was such an unexpected turn of events because we had already started making plans for winter.”

Debby and others involved in years of ongoing discussion about a permanent location for homelessness services said the VFW site will give them “a head start on the Opportunity Campus,” and to see how such a facility might work.

“We’ve all signed on to be part of that e ort,” she added. “ is gives us a chance to be in one location in the meantime.”

"We’ve been a homeless shelter without a home. This solves that problem."

- Debby Graham, Room at the Inn Board President

Room at the Inn opens for the winter season on November 27 at 7 East Sexton Avenue, the former site of City of Refuge. Organizers hope a location can be in operation at the VFW site before Christmas. Loaves & Fishes and Turning Point may begin shifting some of their services to the VFW site, too.

Randy Cole champions the possibilities and success of the proposed Opportunity Campus because he has seen success among public housing residents who have achieved better nancial standing thanks to having stable housing. Randy, the CEO of the Columbia Housing Authority, was the lead author of a bid-awarded comprehensive homelessness services plan for the city.

Randy and his sta submitted a plan September 30 that includes the Opportunity Campus, along with budget numbers for construction and ongoing operation, with a day center, RATI, Loaves & Fishes, Turning Point, and other services. e plan also includes a focus on a ordable housing, “the piece we do,” Randy said.

“ e end goal is to get people stabilized and into housing,” Randy said, noting the Housing Authority’s history of mitigating homelessness.

Public Housing Makeover

In addition to outlining a vision for the Opportunity Campus, the Housing Authority’s plan to curb homelessness includes a $22 million redevelopment

of a 70-unit public housing project on Park Avenue. Built in the late 1950s and early 1960s as part of the city’s urban renewal plan, Park Avenue is the city’s oldest public housing project.

“Housing instability is one of the main reasons for homelessness,” Randy says, pointing to a ordable housing as the best path out of homelessness.

“Our residents do pay a portion of their rent,” he says, adding that seven residents are paying full rent with no subsidy “because their income has increased over time. We have a lot of success stories every month where people have taken advantage of things to improve themselves and move on.” e comprehensive plan comes with milestones that outline steps along the way, including feasibility of the projects, fundraising, and ongoing costs.

Randy said the Housing Authority should nd out December 9 if state tax credits will be allowed for the project, which could break ground either late next year or in early 2024, with completion in fall 2024.

Funding for the Opportunity Campus would come from private fundraising, contributions from the faith communities, and the city and county making contributions from pandemic relief funds. Mark Palmer, the retired long-time executive at Woodhaven, is the Opportunity Campus coordinator, hired by VAC in March. Mark recently said that some “pretty signi cant dominos” were expected to fall soon,

Homelessness in COMO

Coming up with firm numbers to quantify Columbia’s homeless population, as well as citing the impact on the local economy, is challenging. The 2020 pointin-time count provided by the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness reported some 238 families or individuals experiencing homelessness.

Randy points to the Housing Authority’s waitlist of 1,200 households who are at risk of homelessness. With an average household of 2.3 people, that could be “3,000 people who are living doubled up with family and friends, couch surfing, or in housing that just isn’t stable,” he said.

Add to that the estimated 16,000 Columbia residents who spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing and the 7,500 who spend more than 50 percent of their income on rent, and the total is even more alarming, Randy added, because that part of the population is at greatest risk for homelessness.

The monetary costs also add up in terms of strain on emergency visits and additional police calls— and not necessarily crime, but mental health crises that prompt law enforcement calls and involvement.

“The impact is felt throughout the community,” Nick added. “One of the concerns we have is that we relieve the police department of so much of what they’re doing to address homelessness. That’s not really their expertise.” Case managers and crisis teams connected with the Opportunity Campus can fill that need, he said.

Mike Griggs explaining the proposed use of the VFW building on the VFW grounds during a public forum on Monday, October 10, 2022.

a reference to likely positive responses to funding requests for the campus and the city’s comprehensive approach to the issues.

Whether the VFW property would continue to serve as the RATI shelter and base for other services when the Opportunity Campus comes to fruition remains to be seen. e site could also be used to relieve overcrowded city o ces.

‘This

Isn’t a Silver Bullet’

City sta hosted an open house style public forum Oct. 10 under the VFW picnic shelter to gather input from residents and social service providers.

“Short-term, the plan is for Room at the Inn" to use the facility, Assistant City Manager Mike Griggs says. “ ey can do that right away. at’s one of the reasons we’re purchasing the building.

e city de nitely doesn’t want to be in the business of operating the shelter,” but rather wants to “work with social service providers who are experts in that eld and allow them to operate it.”

Regardless of how the overnight cold weather shelter and Opportunity Campus come about, the measures are “not a silver bullet” for solving homelessness, said Mayor Barbara Bu aloe. “ is is just a piece of the puzzle. It’s not going to x everything.”

Meanwhile, a potential legal snag lingers over the Opportunity Campus plan. VAC has a contract to purchase the property from an LLC owned by Betsy Peters, who is the Sixth Ward representative on the city council. Betsy has recused herself from voting on items relating to VAC and funding programs since summer.

As the city’s legal department reviews the sale for potential con icts of interest, the property’s former owner has hired a lawyer to challenge the property’s use as a homeless shelter with regards to zoning codes and potential impact on residential property values.

e purchase contract lists the price at $602,000. Betsy purchased the property in December for $600,000. She has signed a pledge to donate the funds back to VAC with $100,000 payments over six years.

Ongoing Conversations

e overnight shelter at the VFW building and the proposed Opportunity Campus has vocal critics and criticism. e Business Loop Community Improvement District has speci c concerns about current public safety issues, lack of sidewalks, and other issues. ose concerns, shared by Carrie Gartner, the CID’s executive director, include lack of a plan for “over ow problems” where people refused entry due to shelter rules about substance abuse and behavior problems remain in the area.

“ ese projects do meet several key needs for Columbia including temporary housing, storage, health care, and other assistance,” Carrie added.

Based on a meeting with Mike and ongoing conversations with city ofcials, Carrie is con dent that e Loop’s concerns were heard.

“At this point, we are optimistic that the city understands that the Business Loop has been asked to shoulder this for all of Columbia and is committed to mitigating possible negative e ects,” she says. “Overall, we hope the city understands that they should invest in the Business Loop, not just to solve a problem, but in a proactive way to make the area more pleasant, safe, attractive, and accessible for everyone.”

Debby said Room at the Inn has established strong, supportive relationships through the years with neighboring property owners around the churches that took turns hosting the overnight shelter. Nick is emphatic that Room at the Inn “has a great reputation.”

Debby also concedes that some will continue to have concerns or that NIMBY (not in my backyard) will fuel opposition no matter where the shelter or the Opportunity Campus are located. e VFW site, she says, is “an ideal location.”

“It’s in the middle of an industrial park for the most part,” she says. “In terms of locating a homeless shelter somewhere, I would be really surprised if there was an enthusiastic welcome in any neighborhood. I don’t know where we could be more out of the way than here.”

FOR THOSE WHO ARE WONDERING:

What happened to VFW

Post 280?

From VFW 280’s Facebook page: “It is sad to say goodbye to our home. But as membership declines (age), eligibility (not as many who meet requirements), we really need a newer smaller facility. Thus, we will in time have a new home suitable for our needs.

The city of Columbia presented us with a unique opportunity. We could assist the city in their efforts to find a shelter for the homeless and in so doing we could also help the many veterans who are among the ranks of the homeless. We realized the reality of having the resources to find a smaller more efficient facility and be able to further our community outreach.

We thank the community for the continued support you have so generously provided over the years.”

Baumgartner’s

Boone

Callaway

Commerce

Designer

First

Hawthorn Bank 100

Lizzi

Lombardo Homes 9

Mediacom 66

Mid America Bank 72

Rave Homes 76

REDI

Selfie Love 32 & 33

Shelter Insurance - Mike Messer 20

State Farm - Phyllis Nichols 95

Superior

The Bank of Missouri 45

The Broadway Hotel 72

The Trust Company 3

True

True North 8

Wilson’s Fitness 95

Woodhaven 18

“We

Impact

PHOTOS BY CHARLES BRUCE III