Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES— Waynesville High School senior Megan Howard was awarded the $500 Claude and Irene Morgan Scholarship. Very active in her school, Howard was involved in cross country, track, National Honor Society, MU Alpha Theta, Future Health Professionals (HOSA), and the Freshman Mentor Program. As a volunteer, she worked for the Lifecare Center of Waynesville, helped with Special Olympics and the 463^RD MP CO’s Family Readiness Group.

Howard has been accepted into Drury University for Pre-Occupational Therapy. Howard wrote in an email: “I am pursuing occupational therapy because I want to help children with autism overcome difficulties with fine motor skills and sensory processing.”

The Claude and Irene Morgan scholarship was established through the Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) and Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO).

MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and is an affiliate of 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 60 funds totaling over $1.36 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 3,200 charitable funds totaling approximately $285 million in assets, as of June 30, 2017.

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. A professional staff of 23, 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.

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/.

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