West Central Missouri Community Action Agency (West Central) and the Missouri Rural Health Association (MRHA) seek volunteer drivers to help with healthcare rides in the region. Drivers receive a mileage reimbursement of $.80 per loaded mile, volunteer insurance coverage, flexible schedules, and training as HealthTran drivers.

Appleton City, Missouri, is a small town, quite far from any major highway, that is quietly and deliberately building new Main Street culture and commerce. It’s a great story about innovation and investment in our rural west central Missouri region.

There is power in making your place, your hometown, a wonderful place to live. This may be obvious, but quality of life is often an afterthought in the economic development work of growing jobs and businesses.

CAUTION: This article starts with a platitude, and then it hits you with reality. You’ll be glad you read it, because you will find a way to make a difference. Platitude (cliché truism): If you give someone a fish, you will feed them for the day. If you teach someone...

Rides to Health and Wealth is a collaborative west central Missouri effort to build thriving people and places by increasing access to healthcare and community services using the HealthTran ride scheduling and resourcing platform. Rides to Health and Wealth...

Driving 30 minutes for their daughter’s soccer practice used to be stop-and-go traffic stress for Shellie and Jonas Unell. It turned into rolling countryside and gorgeous sunsets when they moved back a few years ago to Shellie’s rural hometown of Appleton City,...

Rural Missouri health network plans regional ride system Rural communities across America know very well how stranded they are without decent transportation options. Children are not able to participate in extracurricular activities. Retirees must move away to places...

Local farms and organizations partner up to build up farm to fork connections Putting farmers who grow fruits and vegetables together with people who want and need healthy food makes a lot of sense to Noel McKay. He is Social Service Coordinator with the national,...

Discussion lasted long after the Fifth Monday luncheon ended 1 p.m., Monday September 30, at the Liston Center in El Dorado Springs. Ideas flowed and connections grew after the panel of workforce development program directors addressed the crowd of more than 60...

Join us September 30 for our next 5th Monday community economic development luncheon at the The Liston Center (aka ElDo Youth Center) in El Dorado Springs, MO! Support for job providers and job seekers is the focus of west central Missouri’s next 5th Monday...