Initiative to unite resources and improve lives
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jacqué Breedlove-Harness
417-888-2020, 417-350-8783 (cell)
jharness@cpozarks.org
Sept. 11, 2018 (SPRINGFIELD, Mo.) – Prosper Springfield announces a new website to provide information on resources and updates related to education, health, housing, job/financial security (workforce development) and transportation. The Prosper Springfield initiative was created from the Impacting Poverty Commission (IPC) that met for almost two years to study the causes and effects of poverty. One of the outcomes from the IPC was a Call to Action Report that was published in October 2015 with several endorsements and action items. Prosper Springfield is charged with following up on the recommendations to provide updates to the community. Updates include the Zone One Blitz work that is continuing and is now part of Prosper Springfield.
One of the action items in the Call to Action Report was to create an online portal to provide one place to go when community members need information about resources and services. It was also recommended that the online portal provide updated information with the status of the recommendations from the Call to Action Report. Several recommendations are still being researched to learn the status. However, Prosper Springfield will update the website on a regular basis when additional information is available. Prosper Springfield will continue to work toward creating systems of approaches to align and connect existing programs to better serve the Springfield community. Through this work, duplication of services is being reviewed as well as identification in gaps in services. The online portal is one tool available to the community to learn about services or updates related to this work.
The website has two sections: Get Help and Get Informed. The Get Help section provides information about available resources from different agencies with the agency telephone number and a link to the agency’s website. The Get Informed section provides the most up to date information on the status of the Call to Action recommendations. This section also provides links to various reports related to our community goals to increase postsecondary attainment and reduce poverty by 2025. Prosper Springfield uses a collective impact model with Community Partnership of the Ozarks and United Way of the Ozarks as the backbone organizations. Backbone organizations are key factors to support collective impact models. Over the lifecycle of a collective impact initiative, backbone organizations provide support in the following ways:
- Establish shared measurement practices
- Build public will
- Advance policy
- Administrative support
- Support aligned activities
- Mobilize funding
Prosper Springfield is pleased to also work with two key partners: The City of Springfield and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information on Prosper Springfield, please visit the new website, www.prosperspringfield.org.
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ABOUT PROSPER SPRINGFIELD
Prosper Springfield is a collective impact initiative focused on a shared community vision to improve economic mobility in the Springfield community. The Prosper Springfield mission is to build community relationships and align community resources to create pathways that help move people to prosperity. For more information about Prosper Springfield, contact Francine Pratt at 417-888-2020