KASTEN, HORIZON AWARDS PRESENTED

Because they can approach problems with a local understanding, community partnerships like the Cape Girardeau Community Caring Council have been extremely effective at helping Missouri's children and families become safer, healthier, more prosperous and more educated, according to the head of an organization that assists those partnerships.

"These partnerships are improving outcomes for children and families because they are seeking solutions to problems from the community level up rather than from the state level down," said Sandra Moore, chief executive officer of the Family Investment Trust. Moore was keynote speaker at the council's annual meeting, where officers were elected and awards were presented.

The two major awards were the Kasten Award for outstanding leadership on the council, awarded to Frances Gould; and the Horizon Award for outstanding new council member, which went to Denis Rigdon.

The local partnership has 275 members from 98 agencies who come together to work on making the community a better place to live.

The local council is one of 23 community partnerships in the state, Moore said. Through these partnerships, local agencies and organizations dedicated to helping children and families and other community issues work together to identify then prioritize problems and find solutions.

The Family Investment Trust serves as a bridge between these partnerships and the state agencies and private sector that can help with those solutions.

Moore said the community partnerships have been in the forefront of helping Missouri achieve the four "Show Me Results" the state set for its citizens five years ago. Those are for Missourians to be safe, healthy, prosperous and educated, she said.

"Your work is bringing Missouri closer to reaching those results," said Moore, who was recently appointed to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents.

The Kasten Award, named for Community Caring Council founder state Rep. Mary Kasten, went to Gould, director of Cape County Division of Family Services. Gould has been a council member for six years and is now chairman of the council's Inter-Agency Staffing Team. She is on the council's board of directors, is a past president of the council and past chairman of the Caring Communities board.

Rigdon, is coordinator of the recently created Faith-Based Mentoring Program. He is a member of the council board and is chairman of the Work Opportunities Committee. He got involved with the council on behalf of his church.