LINN  — Osage County Community Organizer Jenn Millard of Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) hopes to launch a free online resource map for those needing services by the end of August.

“We’ve taken our time and put a lot of planning into this,” said Millard. “We didn’t jump to strategies right away.”

In April, CMCA began looking at the data, and by July, the group had developed a plan to combat food insecurity health.

CMCA specifically hopes to answer the following questions:

— What number and percentage of people in the county are food-insecure?

— What number of food-insecure people are ineligible for assistance programs?

— What percent of people are without health insurance?

— What number of youth use alcohol and/or drugs?

— What percentage of premature births occur among Osage County’s population?

“We want to hear from people in the health field,” said Millard, noting the goal is that “All people in Osage County will experience health and well-being.”

CMCA conducts a community needs assessment every three years.

“The needs assessment guides our work and ensures we are providing services that align with the needs of our community,” said Millard. “We look at income, employment, education, housing, health, nutrition, and select social characteristics.”

CMCA also surveyed area individuals and businesses to identify underserved areas or barriers preventing help to people in need to determine what partners were available to address these areas of need.

“We needed to know what is already being offered in Osage County and what we need to do to fill the gaps,” said Millard.

Using results-based accountability, CMCA used data walks and facilitated discussions, which led to identifying and prioritizing county needs. “We took a deep dive into the root causes of the issues and how we can help people overcome the challenges they face,” said Millard.

The resource guide covers CMCA’s eight-county service area that takes in Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, and Osage counties. This comprehensive guide includes all resources available to help lower-income individuals and families in need.

“We will continue to seek resources, even after our map goes online,” said Millard.

Anyone interested in participating in the next group discussion, plan to attend on Aug. 24 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Osage County Library. RSVP to Millard at jennifermillard@cmca.us.

For more information, visit cmca.us.