Strategic Partners
Strategic Partners are organizations willing to work alongside ForColumbia to forward our mission.
Strategic Partners are organizations willing to work alongside ForColumbia to forward our mission, namely to bring Christians together to share God’s love by serving our community, side by side. Some organizations partner with us to identify individuals in our city who could most use the help of our volunteers. Others donate their time, talent and/or goods toward making it possible for us to do more. To these organizations and companies, we simply say “Thank you.” We could not do everything we are doing without their willingness to partner.
Boone County Lumber is a family-owned business that has been serving Columbia and mid-Missouri since 1965. Now run by the second generation of the Eiffert family, this company has always seen relationships – with customers as well as employees – as key to its success. We appreciate BCL’s significant partnership with ForColumbia, providing discounted material and free delivery to each work site, as well as offering expertise in construction as we assess volunteer opportunities. We’re grateful for BCL’s commitment to help make ForColumbia a successful serving event.
City of Columbia-Office of Neighborhood Services: Each year, the City of Columbia helps us identify areas in our city where our volunteers might have the greatest impact. The city has donated supplies, mulch and other items to help us serve Columbia and even more significantly, works with us to identify homeowners who are struggling to maintain their properties. We are so appreciative of this annual partnership, working together again to love and serve our neighbors.
Columbia Housing Authority: The Columbia Housing Authority provides affordable housing for hundreds of low-income families in our city, and ForColumbia is partners with CHA each year as a way of developing relationships and serving our neighbors directly. We are grateful to be able to partner with these folks who work hard all year long to care for those in need of sustainable shelter.
The Columbia Missourian: The Columbia Missourian is a community news organization managed by professional editors and staffed by Missouri School of Journalism students who do the reporting, design, copy editing, information graphics, photography and multimedia. The Columbia Missourian debuted Sept. 14, 1908, the same day classes started at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Columbia Police Department Community Outreach Unit: The Community Outreach Unit of our city’s police department works diligently to build relationships with residents in three specific neighborhoods of Columbia chosen by the city for additional resources. These officers work year-round to build relationship with residents in these areas and to strengthen community partnerships. ForColumbia is privileged to work alongside CPD to identify individuals and neighborhoods that would benefit from our efforts.
Giving Gardens: Giving Gardens is a CMSE-started non-profit that provides meaningful work for people with disabilities. The service-oriented landscaping and garden experts at Giving Gardens have provided invaluable guidance as we chose plants for serving sites, and we are delighted to partner with Giving Gardens as we both work to make Columbia a better place to live.
Johnston Paint and Decorating is a locally-owned business that has been serving Columbia since 1925. Their website emphasizes their commitment to our community and we can confirm that they are truly a company that lives it out. As an outgrowth of their commitment to our city, Johnston Paint reached out and proactively joined us as a significant partner in 2018. Since then, Johnston has donated paint, flooring and discounted products for our serving sites each year. This level of support by Johnston and other local businesses continues to stretch our funds such that we can do more work and serve more people in our city. We are very pleased to partner with Johnston once again.
Love Columbia: Love Columbia works in our city to mobilize local churches to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ; they do this by developing relationships with individuals in need and making connections between those individuals and churches, along with other local community resources. ForColumbia has partnered with this organization since 2015, and we are delighted to continue our annual efforts to identify individuals in our city in need of assistance.
Ratliff Tree Service: Ratliff Tree Service has worked with ForColumbia for several years, each year increasing their commitment to this effort as we meet homeowners at risk of a tree falling on their home, yet lacking the finances to do something about it. In 2021, Ratliff began serving on the day of our event, removing yard waste and brush from our serving sites. This is a huge help for homeowners, volunteers and our organizers!
Relevance is a custom search engine optimization (SEO) company offering digital PR and strategic content planning. In 2022, Relevance joined hands with ForColumbia as a financial partner both for service projects tied to sustainable housing as well as helping us maintain a social media presence. This entrepreneurial company is bringing their own specialized expertise to an area that will benefit our city, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the help!
Services for Independent Living: This non-profit organization works to empower disabled individuals in our community to maximize their independence. Each year, SIL has referred individuals to us with needs they could not themselves meet. ForColumbia is thrilled to partner with SIL annually, as they identify individuals in our city who are living on their own and would be greatly helped by having volunteers assist them in various ways.
SERVPRO of Columbia: SERVPRO has been a trusted leader in the restoration industry for over 25 years. In 2021, this community-oriented business approached us to join ForColumbia’s efforts. We are grateful for their interest in serving our city, and we look forward to continuing to serve others, side by side.
United Way: ForColumbia partners with Heart of Missouri United Way, an organization with a long history of supporting non-profit organizations in our community. Together, we hope to increase the number of ways in which United Way and ForColumbia work together to serve the families in our city with all kinds of needs.
Westlake Ace Hardware: Westlake Ace Hardware has been an active supporter of ForColumbia annually, the first business to offer help for our efforts; we are so thankful for their ongoing support. Since 2016, Westlake has partnered with ForColumbia by providing discounted materials for the many, many projects our volunteers will be completing. Their partnership makes it possible for us stretch our resources a little further and do a little more to love and serve our city.
