We believe a strong community is comprised of caring people who come together to support local organizations. Community has been a part of our foundation since 1857. That commitment was instilled in us by John C. Harris. He was a founding member of the Callaway County United Way, and was our former president and chairman of the board.
Because we want to give back to the communities that have helped us grow in the past 154 years, we are involved in many community organizations. One that we feel very strongly about is The United Way. We are a pacesetter organization (a pacesetter sets the standard for leadership and community support) in both Boone and Callaway counties. United Way is an organization that supports local agencies such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the American Red Cross and many more. If you’re personally looking to get involved in the community, the United Way is a great place to start.
Another organization that we strongly believe in and support is TRYPS (Theatre Reaching Young People and Schools). TRYPS is a local youth theatre program helping students understand the arts while giving them a creative outlet for their talents. They give kids the experience of live theatre while teaching respect, responsibility, team work, confidence and positivity. This is an organization that works hard to enhance children’s lives.
Of course, our local schools are also of high importance to us. We believe our future generations need a good education and positive role models. We have partnered with Russell Elementary School to provide the children in our community the support they need to succeed. From that relationship, we now support Junior Achievement, an organization that teaches entrepreneurship and a strong work ethic at a young age, helping instill these lessons for life.
Those are just a couple of the organizations that we believe help build the type of community we want to live in and raise our families in. What organizations are you passionate about?