People Are Awesome: Web series about Zoo wins awards, flower sale funds Salvation Army

"Discovering Dickerson Park Zoo" wins awards

A nine-episode web series, "Discovering Dickerson Park Zoo," which was filmed and edited by students in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism, and Film at Missouri State University has won a Student Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Science.

Students taught by Jon Mabee, associate professor of film and television, spent three weeks filming at Dickerson Park Zoo in 2023. The episodes take viewers behind-the-scenes as well as highlight the animals, zookeepers, events, education programs, zoo medicine, staff, and animal care at the zoo. The episode "Medicine of Dickerson Park Zoo" won a Student Emmy Award for Best College Non-Fiction Long Form and won second place in the category Video Documentary from Missouri Broadcast Education Association. The episode "Education of Dickerson Park Zoo" received a Student Emmy nomination for Best College Non-Fiction Short Form.

The Emmy-award winning episode, Medicine of Dickerson Park Zoo, was edited by Trevor Huck and Jacob Lenhardt. Series credits include: executive producers, Jon Mabee and Joey Powell; producer, Lucy Atwood; directors, Jon Mabee and Autumn Girgin.

All episodes may be viewed on Dickerson Park Zoo’s YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/dpzoo.

MexiVAN celebrates enGAGE Mobility

enGAGE Mobility, a nonprofit focused on helping families fund wheelchair accessible vehicles, announced its upcoming fundraiser, MexiVAN 2024. The event will take place 12-2 p.m. May 5 at 4 by 4 Brewing Company’s Fremont Hills location.

The event is a celebration of the local families supported by enGAGE Mobility, who are now driving wheelchair accessible vans after receiving grant funding for their vehicle purchases. There will be a taco lunch, family-friendly games and entertainment, and opportunities for guests to help further enGAGE Mobility’s mission.

Tickets for MexiVAN 2024 are $15 for adults and $10 for kids and are available for purchase online at engagemobility.org/events or at the door on the day of the event. All proceeds from ticket sales and additional donations will directly benefit families in need of accessible transportation.

Event sponsors include: Alliance Rehab, Brandi & Ryan O’Reilly & Family, Crane Agency, Fabick Cat, Hayden Machinery, MobilityWorks, Monday Trailers, and United Access.

For more information about MexiVAN 2024 and enGAGE Mobility's mission, visit engagemobility.org.

Give 5 has new coordinator

Nancee Dahms-Stinson has been named Give 5 Springfield-Greene County program coordinator. She retired in 2021 from the Springfield-Greene County Library District and is a graduate of Give 5 Class 17.

Dahns-Stinson served as youth services coordinator at both the Springfield district and at the Missouri State Library. She has a bachelor’s degree in recreation and park administration and a master’s degree in library science from University of Missouri–Columbia. She follows Renie McClay and Sony Hocklander, who have both served as Give 5 program coordinators.

Give 5 was created in 2018 to help prevent social isolation among those age “60 and better,” while helping vital nonprofits provide much-needed relief to those in need. Give 5 participants are providing a wide range of assistance to various Greene County nonprofits, from facilitating strategic planning to doing data analysis, building sheds and maintaining facilities and maybe one of the most helpful activities: recruiting additional volunteers.

Recruitment is underway for Class 25, which will be held on May 16, 23, 30, June 6 and 12.

For more information or to apply to participate, visit sgfgive5.org.

Statewide partnership aids United Way programs

United Way of the Ozarks is participating in a statewide partnership of United Ways designed to uplift at-risk families across Missouri.

For the first time, UWO is receiving funds from a state allocation of $5 million distributed across Missouri in partnership with the Missouri Association of United Ways. This impact investing strategy expands existing programs and infrastructure statewide to improve the trajectory of Missouri families and their communities.

The funds are from the state’s TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) grant. Locally, TANF funds are being dispersed by UWO partners, Community Partnership of the Ozarks (CPO) and Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation (OACAC).

Funding for eligible families will be available through June 30 or until funds are depleted. Interested individuals living in Douglas, Greene, Hickory, Laclede, Texas, and Wright counties can contact Community Partnership of the Ozarks at 417-888-2020.

Tough Talks focus on faith

Community Partnership and the Have Faith Initiative have scheduled a series of Tough Talks focusing on faith in the Ozarks. These events are held in partnership with Missouri State University School of Humanities and Social Sciences along with MU Extension.

Titled Learning Together, these talks focus on bringing together representatives of different faith groups around the Ozarks with the goal of having community conversations to increase understanding of diverse faith groups in our community.

The first of two sessions was held April 11. The next session will be 7-8:30 p.m. May 9 in the Plaster Student Union Theater at Missouri State University and free parking is available in MSU lots 22 and 24.

Panelists will be Rev. Christopher Miller — Trinity Presbyterian Church, Dr. Nolan Porter — University Heights Baptist Church, Colleen Appel — First Unitarian Church of Springfield, Aziza Ettaif — Islamic Center of Springfield, and Fr. Patrick Ike — Pastor Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Geranium sale supports Salvation Army

The Salvation Army of Springfield Women's Auxiliary will host its 32nd Annual Geranium Sale, sponsored by Wickman Gardens. This community event offers 3.5-inch potted geraniums for $6 each.

Through this collaboration with Wickman Gardens, the Auxiliary aims to raise funds to support The Salvation Army's initiatives, including providing food assistance, shelter and educational programs to those in need.

Orders are due by April 24, with a pick-up date of May 9. Several ordering options are available. You can mail an order form, call for more information, or go to https://linktr.ee/salvationarmysgf to order electronically.

Historical society seeks fellowship proposals

The State Historical Society of Missouri is seeking proposals for two Center for Missouri Studies fellowships to begin Jan. 1. Each fellowship carries a stipend of $5,000 for a project that results in the completion of an 8,000-10,000-word scholarly essay.

Topics for 2025 Center for Missouri Studies Fellowships are:

• Route 66 in Missouri: In commemoration of the Mother Road’s centennial in 2026, proposals are requested for a study of the legendary highway’s impact on Missouri and Missourians.

• Missouri Migrations: Proposals are sought for a study of a population movement within Missouri and how it affected the history of the state.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Sept. 3. The competition is open to both academic and independent scholars. The fellowship awards will be announced in December.

Further information regarding the fellowships and how to apply for them is available online at shsmo.org. Proposals may be submitted online at shsmo.org/awards/center-fellowship.

Inclusion & Belonging Grants announced

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has selected the latest recipients of the Inclusion & Belonging Grants for the 2023-24 grant cycle.

The five recipients include Children’s Center of Southwest Missouri, $3,000 for signage; Drury University, $1,500, in partnership with Springfield Public Schools, to support a summer program for Black youth and adults; Marshfield Saddle Club, $3,000, with support from the American Indian Center of Springfield, to revitalize the Marshfield Powwow; Queen City Rock Camp, $1,500 to support volunteer stipend costs for a week-long summer day camp for girls, transgender and nonbinary youth; and Springfield Public Schools, $3,000, in collaboration with its English Language Development program, to support a new mural emphasizing the cultural and linguistic diversity of Parkview High School students.

About $11,000 remains available in the Inclusion & Belonging Grant Program. Agencies may apply for up to $3,000 to support expenses related to ensuring diverse representation in leadership roles and the community; providing students with equitable opportunity for community engagement and leadership; and hosting events that ensure visible representations of belonging in the Ozarks.

Applications are reviewed and awarded through mid-June. To learn more about the CFO’s grant application process, visit cfozarks.org/applyforgrants.

Kiwanis, CU breaking ground for inclusive playground

The Kiwanis Club of Springfield South, City Utilities, community partners and donors have worked with Cunningham Recreation to design and build an inclusive playground in accordance with Play Core’s 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design.

The project is fully funded and preparing to go under construction in early May. A July opening is tentatively being planned.

City Utilities has offered the land and agreed to maintain the play space for its lifetime. Also, the CU team has donated in-kind services, with more site amenities planned in the future.

Play 4 ALL, a division of Cunningham Recreation, has helped the Kiwanis group lead a fundraising campaign that mobilized $500,000 for this project.

Groundbreaking for Springfield’s first inclusive playground will take place at 1 p.m. May 3 in Miller Park near Fellows Lake, 4216 N. Farm Road 189, Fair Grove.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: People Are Awesome: Web series about Dickerson Park Zoo wins awards