A Slam Dunk for Faith and Fun
There’s an electric tension in the air — a mix of anticipation and the energy of the players on the court. The audience is on the edge of their seats, their collective breath held, and the only sounds are the rhythmic “thud” of the basketball and the squeak of sneakers. As the most skilled player […]
MR340: Scores of Paddlers Ready for Annual River Race
More than 500 boats and nearly 700 racers will begin the 19th Annual Missouri American Water MR340 river race at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23. Participants will paddle 340 miles from Kansas City to St. Charles in non-motorized boats, kayaks, and canoes in a four-day race to the finish line. “The Missouri American Water […]
Community Land Trust Helps Protect Investments
The Columbia Community Land Trust (CCLT) is a pioneering model for creating permanently affordable housing. Put into a sentence, the CCLT may sound miraculous, but the concept can take a moment to digest. Anthony Stanton, CCLT’s most impassioned ambassador as well as president and founding member of the CCLT board, was initially a skeptic. The […]
Unchained Melodies: Rescue, Rehab, Rehome
Unchained Melodies advocates for the dogs with no voice.
Instilling Hope: Missouri Girls Town
In 1953, the Missouri chapter of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs recognized a need in the state. Missouri had homes for abused and neglected boys, but it did not have any residential facilities for girls in the same situation. Fundraising began and six years later, Missouri Girls Town opened its doors. The home, […]
Change a Child’s Story
CASA is an acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocates. What makes these advocates special? It could be that they aren’t hired hands but rather well-trained volunteers who work within our judicial system; or it could be the people for whom they advocate: children in foster care. Beginning and Growth In 1976, Judge David W. Soukup […]
Accelerating Dreams
There is much more to Job Point than meets the eye. In a nutshell, it offers training and education to those seeking a meaningful career. Founded in 1965 by the Columbia Cosmopolitan Club, Job Point is a nonprofit organization that has professionals coming together to make a difference in the community. As its website says, […]
Junior Achievement Promotes Boundless Possibilities
Columbia’s landscape of vibrant nonprofit organizations can be likened to a grove of trees growing in the background, spreading their branches and showering the ground with colorful leaves. Some aren’t as flamboyant or visible, but chop one down and its absence would be sorely felt with ripple effects on the community’s future. Junior Achievement (JA) […]
Woodhaven Champions Embracing All Abilities
In the Columbia of 1961, parents of developmentally disabled children had no resources available to help them in the formidable task of raising a special needs child. When Dr. and Mrs. Frank J. Nifong donated land to the National Benevolent Association — an arm of the Disciples of Christ church — planning for the “Haven […]
Big Wheels Keep on Turning
What has two legs, four wheels, and has been volunteering to bring hot, homemade food to the doors of Columbians for fifty-one years? It’s Meals on Wheels of Columbia (MOW) and its hundreds of volunteers who show up on the front porches of people who need them. Consider some of the other impressive numbers of […]
First Responder Support Hosts ‘Shop With a Hero’ Event
First Responder Support, a Columbia nonprofit that aims to promote goodwill between first responders and the community, will host an upcoming “Shop With a Hero” (SWAH) event at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 12, at Walmart, 1201 Grindstone Parkway. One of the highlights of this year’s SWAH campaign is a video featuring Shaunda Hamilton, who is the co-founder […]
Deeply Rooted in History — and Faith
First Baptist Church celebrates 200 years of history in Columbia.