Missouri Organization Empowers Individuals to Make a Difference

The Heartland Foundation located in St. Joseph, Missouri supports forward-thinking projects that create opportunities for progress and change. At the Foundation's emPowerU campus housed in a transformed warehouse building located on a federally designated Brownfields site, the Research and Solutions Center offers a unique environment for diverse groups of all ages to gather, discuss and promote leading edge ideas designed to improve a community's health and vitality. From this innovative center, a continuum of multiple activities are introduced that lead to participatory projects that encourage civic engagement, promote health, build workforce development skills and address economic realities.

Projects tackle such issues as building strong educational systems through business partnerships, health improvement for school-age children, youth civic engagement, and community collaboration and transformation. Community members gather at the campus and throughout the region to discuss various issues confronting the community. Though topics may change, the guiding principle remains clear - through collaboration and new ways of thinking individuals can improve their communities and themselves.

Youth and adults return from their visits at emPowerU with a commitment to improving their community. After completing the emPowerU immersion and the Foundation's nationally-recognized emPower Plant curriculum, one group of students from the Benjamin Banneker Charter Academy of Kansas City planted an inner-city garden with Jump Starters funding support through a partnership with Heartland Foundation and Learn and Serve America. In less than five months the garden yielded over 500 pounds of produce for the Harvesters Food Network.

Heartland Foundation's work spans a 30-county region and beyond encompassing a four state area: Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota. For more information see heartlandfoundation.org.