Children’s Advocacy Center Receives Matching Grant Funds

R-T Photo/Diane Lowrey
The North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center has received a $7,500 matching grant as a part of CoBank’s Sharing Success program through the Chula Farmers Cooperative. According to NCMCAC Executive Director Verna Kelsey, the funds will be used to renovate a portion of the center’s building to create space for an adult counselor, who would provide services to the caretakers of the children served by the center. A portion of the Victims of Crime Act grant received by the center would be used to match the CoBank Sharing Success program grant. NCMCAC provides services to victims of child abuse in a 12-county region of north Missouri, including Grundy, Mercer, Daviess, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Putnam, Sullivan, Caldwell, Carroll, Clinton and DeKalb counties. Chula Farmers Cooperative has partnered with CoBank for the past seven years and through the Sharing Success program has distributed funds in excess of $70,000 to qualifying recipients located in the Green Hills Region. Pictured are, from left, Forensic Interviewer Tammy Nickell, Family Advocate Ashlay Berry, Chula Farmers Cooperative Office Assistant Jami Beck, Family Advocate Stacey McCullough, Executive Director Verna Kelsey, Chula Farmers Cooperative Office  Manager Larissa Regan and Development Coordinator Amanda White.