Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

St. James—The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and Phelps County Public Housing Agency (PHA) Family Self-Sufficiency will host a free workshop July 21 in St. James on “Tackling the Touch Skills.”

The workshop will cover attitude, communication, problem-solving, responsibility and preparing for the workplace.

The workshop will be held from 10 to noon at Phelps County PHA, 4 Industrial Drive, St. James, and will be presented by Christy Saylor, Missouri Ozarks Community Action (MOCA) county projects coordinator.

Workshops are offered at no cost to the participant. For more information or to RSVP, contact Linda Hollandsworth at 573-265-4200 ext. 132.

Free training classes are a part of MRPC and PHA’s efforts to help prepare families who are interested in purchasing their own homes and make them aware of the resources available to assist with homeownership.

These trainings are a part of MRPC’s outreach efforts in partnership with senior citizen housing groups and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, which provides grant funds to renovate senior citizen housing complexes throughout the region.

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. A professional staff of 21, directed by the MRPC board, 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.

MRPC provides staffing to the Phelps County Public Housing Agency that provides rental assistance to over 700 low-income families in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps (outside the city limits of Rolla) and Washington counties. The PHA also offers the Family Self-Sufficiency Program where clients develop a goal-oriented, five-year plan that moves them toward self-sufficiency and independence from government programs.

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