Convening at MFH

Our campus hummed with excitement as we invited partners and community members to celebrate our June 2022 open house. The event marked the first such gathering since spring 2020. It also served as a renewal of purpose: creating a space that embodies our spirit and core values, and sharing it with other organizations committed to health equity in Missouri.

We always envisioned our meeting spaces and event support as paths to facilitate convening. That includes providing a neutral physical space for people to come together and share ideas while working toward consensus on the issues we are all passionate about. It also goes deeper: convening groups for thought partnership is a core changemaking tool for used in MFH’s work.

Starting in 2019, people came together and imbued our spaces with a commitment to improve the lives of Missourians. Our halls and meeting rooms were full – we welcomed over 25 groups that year.

With the onset of the pandemic, we – like so many – eschewed in-person gatherings in the name of safety and followed public health guidelines in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus.

The open house served as a re-dedication, and we’re ecstatic to welcome visitors to our space again, with a few stipulations for safety. Group capacity is currently limited, and visitors are required to verify vaccination status before they spend time on our campus. However, we’ve already welcomed over 550 people since our reopening.

Paid Leave Convening

Here are a few convening highlights:

Wilma Saunders Schmitz, a former member of our Community Advisory Council, and the team from Missouri CLAIM shot a video encouraging people across the state to enroll in Medicaid.

Missouri Firearm Suicide Prevention Learning Cohort came together in September for its first in-person convening since February 2020. Over the course of three days, the grantees shared updates and learnings from their local efforts and connected across organizations.

Alliance for Justice held in-person trainings in our convening space as part of their Bolder Advocacy program. Trainers are attorneys that help clarify what state and federal laws govern Missouri nonprofit organizations’ advocacy activities. The course is a must for anyone considering significant advocacy efforts, or those that need a refresher. If you're interested in learning more about an Alliance for Justice training, please contact Jennifer Carter Dochler, Director of Government Affairs.

CHANGEMAKING NOW

Winter 2022

Healthy Schools Healthy Communities story button

Healthy Schools
Healthy Communities:
Leading Locally

Once and For All:
A Vision of Collaboration

Ending Family Fire with
Safer Firearm Storage

Dr. Ashlea Cardin Chosen as
10th Annual Walentik Leadership Awardee

Convening at MFH

What the Pandemic Taught Us
About Creativity, Collaboration,
and Iteration