Dear Members of the Missouri Community Action Network:

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. Therefore, it is with great disappointment that I share with you today that due to circumstances related to COVID-19, Missouri CAN has been rendered unable to conduct this year’s event. 

While the world we currently live in looks considerably different to what any of us could have imagined just a few short months ago, we want to commend the strength of our Network in responding to this ever-changing situation. Though we are still unable to safely come together in person, the unity of Community Action has been felt as deeply as ever through the hard work and perseverance each one of you shows every day. Missouri CAN remains committed to serving you as we all navigate our current reality, and though the Annual Conference will not take place, we are already looking into ways to provide you with critical and timely training opportunities to enhance your professional development throughout this time. We thank you for your continued support and all you do to serve the low-income residents of Missouri.

2021 marks the 50th year of Missouri CAN as an organization, and plans are already underway to make next year’s event more dynamic than ever! I know the Missouri CAN team looks forward to sharing these plans with you soon, and welcoming you all when the time is right and the Network can meet face-to-face again.

In light of these circumstances, the Charles Braithwait Leadership Award and Outstanding Community Service Awards will not take place this year. If you submitted a nomination for either of these two awards, your information will be maintained on record, and those nominations will be considered in 2021.

It has truly been one of the highlights of my Community Action career to serve as your Board President for the last two years. Although I am disappointed, as many of you are, that we cannot gather together this year, I know that the amazing commitment, dedication and passion you all display in this work will continue to shine. The lives you touch, the communities you serve and the change you drive make a difference everyday. I thank you for your dedication and for your service, and I look forward to the new world Community Action creates in the wake of this pandemic. Together we are strong. Together we are innovative. Together we are Community Action.  

With deepest sincerity,
Your Missouri CAN President,

Angela Hirsch
Missouri CAN Board President
Chief Program Officer, Central Missouri Community Action