Community Outreach Ministries of Bolivar MO

COM will provide effective programming and develop strong inter-agency partnerships in order to bring the poverty rate in Polk County below 13% by 2030.

COM's strategies are multi-faceted. First, we address immediate needs by providing food to low-income individuals and ensuring enrollment in SNAP benefits for eligible individuals and families. We also partner with the Salvation Army to provide financial assistance to households in the areas of rent, utilities, shelter, medication, and gas. Addressing these immediate needs helps stabilize families and prevents them from falling further into poverty.
Second, COM has case management and employment access programs to connect households to needed resources and skills training to empower them to get out of poverty and create sustainable lives.
Third, COM partners with community agencies and organizations, including the City of Bolivar and Polk County, Polk Co. Health Center, SBU, churches, and other social service programs to create a holistic, community-wide strategy for alleviating poverty in Polk County.
Finally, COM is committed to sustainable practices as we believe that environmental justice also helps promote economic justice. COM offers a recycling program to the public and also provides education to the public on sustainable gardening and recycling.

COM currently has a large food pantry that serves over 1,000 individuals every month. As a member of Ozarks Food Harvest, our regional food bank, we are able to acquire large quantities of food for cheap or free and also receive a USDA grant for TEFAP commodities.
We partner with the Salvation Army to provide immediate financial assistance to households in need, typically worth about $30,000-$40,000 per year between The Salvation Army and COM funds.
In 2019, COM acquired a forklift and industrial baler to begin offering a recycling program for Polk County residents. This program is also being integrated into our new Employment Access Program (called "Project Thrive") which offers job and life skills training to underemployed individuals.
COM also partners with local agencies such as OACAC, Polk County Christian Social Ministries, churches, Southwest Baptist University, the University of Missouri Extension, Polk Co. Health Center, and more to ensure clients receive wrap-around services for whatever needs they have.
Finally, the organization's financial capacity is strong as we have grown our savings to sustain the organization for 4-6 months if a crisis were to wipe away every other revenue stream. We have also invested in donor development and saw a 75% increase in monthly donors in 2020, as well as a 66% donor retention rate overall for 2020 (about 20% higher than the national average for nonprofits.)

COM began in 2007 as the Bolivar Area Ministerial Alliance before rebranding in 2014 as Community Outreach Ministries. Over the years, we have done a great job in establishing safety-net programs to address the immediate needs faced by families experiencing poverty. Our food pantry regularly assists over 500 households every month and is regularly cited as a strength of the organization. Our ongoing partnership with the Salvation Army has also allowed us to serve financial needs throughout the year and has kept many families sheltered and housed. These services have been vitally important in keeping many people in our community from falling deeper into poverty and hunger.
As we look toward the future, COM is expanding our programming beyond simply addressing the immediate needs into more long-term solutions. In particular, we began an employment access program at the end of 2020. This program provides training and work experience, soft skills classes (in partnership with other area agencies), and case management to increase clients' marketability and employment skills. We also have case managers who help clients analyze and address the obstacles they face in overcoming poverty in the first place so they can be less dependent on services like the food pantry.
Finally, COM is exploring better ways to utilize technology to serve clients, increase efficiency, and address poverty and hunger in Polk County. For example, in 2021 we increased our capacity to send text message and email broadcasts to clients and volunteers. In 2020, we upgraded our phone system to a VOIP system which has increased both staff productivity and ease of access for clients and the public. We are also currently exploring possible ways in include online ordering within the food pantry to decrease wait times for clients and reach more individuals who may experience food scarcity in their homes.