An Overview
In response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Missouri Community Action Network has compiled a series of resources for Community Action Agencies and community members related to agency service delivery during the pandemic, legislative activity relevant to COVID-19, and links to critical information hubs. The well-being of our member agencies and their customers continues to be our paramount concern.
Missouri CAN is working with national Community Action partners, fellow state associations, our state’s Community Action Agencies, and other non-profit and public health leaders to learn how we can respond effectively to the changing environment. We are having daily conversations with members across our Network about their concerns, their questions, and their strategies for continuing our work.
As of January 27, there have been 454,573 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state of Missouri, with 9,180 newly confirmed cases in the past 7 days. This number continues to increase daily. For the most recent data about COVID-19 cases throughout the state, refer to the following resources:
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services COVID-19 Dashboard
Emory University COVID-19 Health Equity Interactive Dashboard
Missouri CAN recognizes that measures to limit the spread of this virus may affect many aspects of business operations. In addition to the resources included in this section of our website, the information here also explains what steps we are taking to protect our staff, our member agencies, our partners, and our community, and how those steps will impact the way we do business. As the situation continues to evolve, we will monitor and post updates accordingly.
Current Emergency Response
Missouri CAN recognizes that any national crisis always hits the families Community Action serves the hardest. We also acknowledge that local Community Action Agencies will face their own challenges in terms of responding to this crisis. Unlike some organizations that can adapt to staff working remotely or changing their work environments, Community Action is only effective when we are in the community, particularly those communities where there are fewer resources to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. With that, Missouri’s Community Action Agencies are committed to continuing their services as they are able.
Each Missouri CAN member agency has reviewed its own policies and practices and made modifications to service delivery as necessary and in line with any local orders or advisories due to COVID-19. Because many of our agencies offer services that provide face-to-face contact between agency staff and customers, some agencies have modified service delivery or even temporarily made some services unavailable.
As the state begins to re-open, so too will Community Action Agencies begin to re-open their doors for face-to-face contact. Missouri CAN will continue to work with our members to identify how the coronavirus threat has changed what they are able to offer to customers and will make that information available as information is shared with us. Please see the Missouri CAA Operations section of our website for details.
Missouri CAN Staffing
As of January 2021, most Missouri CAN staff have returned to work in our physical office on a part-time basis. We will continue to increase physical presence in our office as we monitor COVID-19 infections in mid-Missouri.
Missouri CAN staff continue to be available via email, so please contact staff as you normally would. You may also call the Missouri CAN office at (573) 634-2969. The staff who are working in the office can assist you, or direct you how to get in touch with the staff member you need to reach.
Missouri CAN Meetings and Trainings
Missouri CAN conducts and/or facilitates a number of meetings and trainings. Many of these gatherings involve bringing together staff from Missouri CAN member agencies and partner organizations for sharing of information, discussing common problems, and learning about new tools and resources. Although the face-to-face aspect of these meetings is invaluable, all in-person meetings at the Missouri CAN office have been cancelled through May as a precaution to protect the health and wellness of our staff, members, and community partners. Missouri CAN will work with member agencies, partners, and others to identify appropriate alternatives to continue our work during the current public health crisis. If you had planned on attending a meeting at Missouri CAN anytime through the end of April, expect to hear from our office with additional details about plans for holding the meeting remotely or postponing the meeting for another time.
2020 Missouri CAN Annual Conference
The Missouri CAN Annual Conference is an event we look forward to each year for the opportunity it provides to receive professional development, network with others from across the state, and reinvest in our commitment to the Community Action promise. In March of this year, however, the planning efforts were forced to change due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Missouri CAN team, in conjunction with the Executive Committee of the Board, began exploring possible alternatives to format and event dates, only to find no viable options. Due to circumstances related to COVID-19, Missouri CAN has been rendered unable to conduct this year’s event. Read the full statement from Missouri CAN Board President Angela Hirsch here.
Regulatory and Executive Orders
Below is a compilation of stay-at-home orders; public health or executive orders; state of emergency orders; and re-opening, recovery, and response orders; and mask/face covering orders issued by local governments throughout Missouri. In general, Community Action Agencies are considered “Essential Business” in most orders; however, please read the order for your locality – if one exists – to ensure you understand the parameters of the order.
The full state of Missouri is currently operating under Phase One of the “Show Me Strong” Recovery Plan, which will last through June 15, 2020. At that point, the state will move into Phase Two. For detailed information about the “Show Me Strong” Recovery Plan, see the state’s recovery plan website.
For information about how Community Action Agencies around the state are handling program operations during the recovery plan, please see the Missouri CAA Operations section of our website.
Boone County and City of Columbia
General Coronavirus Information and Resources
The websites below are key resources for regular updates regarding COVID-19:
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Guidance Issued by Federal Partners
Guidance from Community Action Program Legal Services (CAPLAW)
Guidance from Office of Community Services
Guidance from Office of Head Start
Guidance from U.S. Department of Energy
Guidance from U.S Department of Energy – WAP – Phase One
CSBG IM 2020-157 Immediate Guidance on COVID-19 Response
Information Memorandum – Administrative Flexibilities for ACF Grantees
CSBG Dear Colleague Letters – List of All Letters Issued in 2020
CSBG State Lead Agencies and Eligible Entities CARES Act Roles – Dear Colleague Letter July 10, 2020
Administrative Flexibilities – CSBG Dear Colleague Letter March 31, 2020
Administrative Flexibilities – LIHEAP Dear Colleague Letter March 31, 2020
Administrative Flexibilities – Head Start Letter March 31, 2020
Missouri Community Action Agency Services
Each Missouri CAN member agency is examining its own policies and practices and will make modifications as it deems necessary. Because many of our agencies offer services that provide face-to-face contact between agency staff and customers, some agencies may modify service delivery or even temporarily make some services unavailable. However, as stated above, Community Action is only effective when we are IN the community, particularly those communities where there are fewer resources to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. With that, Missouri’s Community Action Agencies are committed to continuing their services as they are able. Missouri CAN will work with our members to identify how the coronavirus threat has changed what they are able to do with their customers and will make that information available as we move forward.
COVID-19 and the Impact on Low-Income People
It is almost always the case that when disaster strikes, people living in poverty are often affected disproportionately. A lack of resources limit both these families’ ability to prepare for emergencies and their ability to recover. As the novel coronavirus spreads across the country and more Americans are contracting COVID-19, we can expect that low-income Americans will be hit especially hard. Read our full blog about the coronavirus and its impact on people with low incomes here.
Safety Net Benefits and Supports for Missourians
Key supports, including MO HealthNet, SNAP, and childcare subsidies have been given a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic. See below for information from the Missouri Department of Social Services.
Missouri Department of Social Services COVID-19 Information Hub
Missouri Department of Social Services COVID-19 Press Releases
Missouri Department of Social Services COVID-19 Food Stamp Information
Food Stamp/SNAP Recertification Resumes July 1
Food Stamp/SNAP and TANF Work Requirements Resume in August
Pandemic Food Stamp/P-SNAP Benefits Extended through September
Online Purchasing Now an Option for Missouri Food Stamp Households
LIHEAP Benefits Increased through September 30
Households Eligible for Free or Reduced Price School Meals Can Get P-EBT Benefits
MO HealthNet and Child Care Subsidy Extension
Missouri Department of Social Services Virtual Assistant
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has launched a Virtual Assistant to answer basic questions and immediately connect Missourians to needed information anytime day or night. The Virtual Assistant answers general questions online regarding the Food Stamp/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Child Care Subsidy, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits, as well as Child Support. Get help from the Virtual Assistant 24/7.
Missouri Services Navigator System
Missourians in need can also find essential services in their area, such as nearly 240 food pantries, food banks, school meal programs for students, diaper banks, and more through the online Missouri Services Navigator system. There are currently more than 2,000 services listed, with new services added daily. Search by keyword, location, and/or service to find program information and contact information.
Missouri Public Service Commission COVID-19 Information Hub
Unemployment Benefits
The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits end July 25. People receiving unemployment benefits will no longer receive the weekly $600 unemployment federal supplement after July 25.
Missouri Department of Social Services has resources to provide employment training as there are less jobs currently available with businesses such as stores, restaurants, factories, and hotels.
SkillUP is a voluntary program to help Food Stamp (SNAP) recipients get help with skills, training, and employer connections at no cost in order to get a job or a better job.
Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) helps Temporary Assistance (TANF) recipients become ready for a job, get real work experience, find employment, and keep a job.
Advocacy and Public Policy
As the situation with COVID-19 changes daily, so too does the response of state and federal lawmakers. Here you’ll find brief updates about the status of lawmaking at both the state and national levels, along with links to key resources.
State Updates
Missouri legislators concluded the Second Session of the 100th General Assembly on Friday, May 15. When all was said and done at 6:00 pm on the last day of session, of the 2,000+ bills filed this year, our General Assembly had “Truly Agreed and Finally Passed” 50 bills and sent them to Governor Parson for his signature.
This session, legislators missed nearly six weeks of lawmaking due to the coronavirus pandemic. When lawmakers returned in late April to complete the last three weeks of session, the focus on passage of the state budget and pandemic-related legislation that had been promised became only a backdrop to other daily activities at our state capitol.
For all the details related to the 2020 state legislative session, check out our Special Edition Network Advocate.
Governor Parson has now called for a special state legislative session to begin on July 27. The session will focus solely on violent crime throughout Missouri.
Federal Updates
Earlier this year, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Several extensions or add-ons were included in safety net benefits for families, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid. See the Safety Net Supports and Benefits section for more details.
And on March 27, 2020 President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This third coronavirus supplemental includes $1 billion in additional Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding. In the act, Congress also approved $900 million for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
In May 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the fourth coronavirus package, known as the HEROES Act. However, most experts say the Senate will not entertain this particular package of supports. As a result, human service advocates throughout the country have been meeting virtually with U.S. Senators throughout the summer to express the need for key supports in the next supplemental package. These supports include a 15% increase in SNAP benefits, an extended moratorium on evictions or monetary supports to assist renters to stay in their homes, and many more. Recommended actions in the next coronavirus supplemental package are available from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
GovPredict Coronavirus Resource Center
Missouri Budget Project COVID-19 Economic Impact Report
National Community Action Foundation
National Conference of State Legislators Daily COVID-19 Announcements
National Conference of State Legislators COVID-19 Resources
Summary of HR 6201 – Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Summary of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act