MVCAA marks 40 years of service to area needy

Missouri Valley Community Action Agency Executive Director Ann Graff presented certificates of appreciation to Roy Hunter, Bill Orendorff (above, at right), and Rick Childers during Tuesday's 40th anniversary celebration. [Click to enlarge]

Tuesday evening, the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency (MVCAA) held its 40th anniversary celebration amid several beaming participants and community activists who have been instrumental to the organization's success over the past four decades.

"We're recognizing several folks that are strong allies with MVCAA," Keith Ward, client services coordinator at MVCAA, said. "We're thankful for that because one agency can't do it alone. I'm happy to see these agencies are helping us out and have been for the past 40 years."

"I'm just excited that we're able to celebrate. Our agency is on the verge of doing some great things," MVCAA Executive Director Ann Graff said. "We've been doing a lot of looking at ourselves both internally and externally, looking for ways to end poverty. This is a celebration of our community partners that are assisting us in ending poverty."

Cheryl Zimny, a MVCAA community development coordinator who has been with the agency for two decades, said the agency has been and will continue to assist those in need in any way it can.

"I was one of these people that was very excited 40 years ago when LBJ (former president Lyndon Baines Johnson) started this program to end poverty," Zimny said. "I've been here … watching the agency grow and evolve into what it is today. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to end poverty. But we have been able to help a lot of people and will continue to do so."

Much like her peers, MVCAA Community Development Business Services Coordinator Susan Hunter explained that the celebration was as much to honor the agency's community partners as it was to honor the agency itself.

"I think this is a special time to honor our partners that have pitched in to help end poverty," Hunter said. "I think reaching out to the community is what is going to be the factor that helps us end poverty."

Melanie Corporon, a community development director with MVCAA explained that it takes a group effort to end poverty while also praising the agency's community partners.

"We're still fighting and redirecting ourselves to ending poverty," Corporon said. "We can't do that alone. It requires a commitment from all of us here as well as our dedicated community partners and families that are committed to ending poverty."

Contact Eric Coley at

marshallfaith@socket.net