Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES—The Bourbon Elementary School received a $2,500 grant from Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) through the Rural Ozarks Health Initiative to address health issues in relation to substance abuse. The group will use the grant to implement a staff educational training program focusing on addiction and substance abuse. The training will be provided by Prevention Consultants located in Rolla, Mo. 

The program will provide the prevention curriculum designed for students kindergarten through fourth grade. The curriculum will assist in the schools goal to educate students about healthy choices, living a drug free lifestyle, and improve health in the Bourbon community. The program is a joint effort through the elementary school counselor and the school-based therapist and will impact approximately 400 students enrolled in the Bourbon Elementary School.  

MRCF awarded five grants to local programs aimed at combating substance abuse. Other projects included:

• Baseline for the Future Project – $1,500 to the Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team to offer the Baseline program to all 9^th grade students in Osage county;
• The Bedroom Revealing Drug Use Project – $2,500 to the Mid-Mo Addiction Awareness Group to renovate a camper into a bedroom that will show parents typical and non-typical hiding places for drugs and drug paraphernalia to be used as an awareness and education exhibit; 
• Meramec Region Safe Rx Storage Project – $1,250 to the Meramec Community Enhancement Corporation (MCEC) for 96 lockable storage bags to seniors in the Meramec Region to reduce illicit acquisition and diversion of prescription opioids; and 
• Overcoming Barriers in Substance Use Disorder Recovery – $2,500 to MCEC for a job fair focused specifically on those individuals with substance use disorders who are struggling to recover due to barriers in employment and other safety net resources. 

Funding for these grants was provided by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Missouri Foundation for Health. 

MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and is an affiliate of Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) in Springfield. The regional affiliate was formed in 2010. Its 12-member board includes representation from each of the eight Meramec counties and from MRPC. Vicki Lange of Osage County serves as president of MRCF.

Currently, MRCF has 54 funds totaling over $2.9 million.

CFO is a public foundation serving the Missouri Ozarks. The foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region through resource development, community grant-making, collaborations and public leadership. Formed in 1973, CFO has since grown to include 49 affiliate community foundations and more than 3,100 charitable funds totaling approximately $283 million in assets, as of June 30, 2018. 

MRPC, in addition to establishing the regional foundation and providing the initial investment to create a grant program, provides staff support to MRCF. 

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Gasconade County Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel serves as chairman of the board. A professional staff of 25 offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.orgor on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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