Meghan Drakas, Author at ABC17NEWS

Veterans get vouchers for housing at Jefferson City church

March 14, 2024 5:42 PM Meghan Drakas

Central Missouri Community Action and the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital teamed up Thursday to connect eligible veterans with housing vouchers awarded by the Office of Housing and Urban Development.

Mid-Missouri schools, volunteers try to help large numbers of homeless children

February 15, 2024 5:37 PM Meghan Drakas

Some have signs of depression and some are diagnosed with it. Some have been diagnosed with PTSD, says Angelayah Carter, the Rainbow House shelter program director.

Mid-Missouri school districts seeing hundreds of homeless students each year

February 14, 2024 11:57 AM Meghan Drakas

Each night in the United States hundreds of thousands of students are without a regular place to sleep.

More than 2,000 calls to Columbia police in 2023 involve homeless people

January 18, 2024 9:06 PM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Police Department Assistant Chief Lance Bolinger has seen an increase in the homeless population over the years. “When I first started policing 18 years ago, we did not have nearly the homeless population that we have in Columbia today,” Bolinger said. “I would say today it consumes a lot more of

Data breach revealed for company of school safety app Mid-Missouri schools signed up to use

January 12, 2024 9:23 PM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A popular school safety application used by thousands of schools across the country — including some in Mid-Missouri — had thousands of documents accessed that contained sensitive information. Cybersecurity researcher Jerimiah Fowler said he discovered a breach in Raptor Technologies on Dec. 20 and notified the company of the flaw. Raptor Technologies’

Coordinators train to count Missouri homeless population for 2024

January 4, 2024 10:54 PM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A few dozen coordinators from across the state gathered virtually on Thursday to receive training ahead of a count of Missouri’s homeless population. The Point in Time Count is a census of those who are unhoused on a single night. According to the Missouri Balance of State Continuum of Care website, this

Dozens of Columbia households at risk for eviction getting to stay in their homes for the holidays

December 19, 2023 3:32 PM Meghan Drakas

Love Columbia Program Director Conrad Hake says his organization has served 48 households with assistance from a recent campaign, which equals around $45,000. That campaign was launched on the first of the month and is based around “Roof over your Head Day” which falls on Dec. 3.

Need for affordable housing grows in Mid-Missouri as state’s homeless population expands

December 3, 2023 5:07 PM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Sunday marks national “Roof over your Head Day” which reminds people to be thankful for basic necessities such as a home. It also creates awareness for the current housing crisis in the United States. ABC 17 News obtained the latest Missouri Point in Time Count for region 5. Region 5 contains most

Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness sees new people using services weekly

November 27, 2023 12:58 PM Meghan Drakas

Some organizations involved in the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness say they’re seeing new faces every week.

Homelessness affects hundreds in Mid-Missouri

November 13, 2023 3:44 PM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Homelessness affects more than half a million people nationwide, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Mid-Missouri is no exception. According to the 2022 Point in Time Count, 1,571 individuals in Missouri were experiencing homelessness. One-third of those individuals are considered “unsheltered.” That means those individuals are living on the

A day in the life of a lifelong Columbia resident experiencing homelessness

November 11, 2023 5:27 PM Meghan Drakas

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Homelessness affects more than half a million people nationwide, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Mid-Missouri is no exception. That includes lifelong Columbia resident, Chris Eubanks who says he has been homelessness for the past two years. “It can literally happen to anybody,” Eubanks said. Chris Eubanks is a

Jefferson City community shares personal stories of how Alzheimer’s has changed their lives

October 13, 2023 2:36 PM Meghan Drakas

Jefferson City resident Joey O’Connor lost his mother Betty Jean O’Connor on March 11. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease two years ago.

Alzheimer’s Impact Movement working with lawmakers to advocate for Alzheimer’s policy

October 12, 2023 3:09 PM Meghan Drakas

The Alzheimer’s Impact Movement works with lawmakers to advance and develop policies to help with the research, care and support of people with Alzheimer’s.

How artificial intelligence is being used to research Alzheimer’s disease

October 11, 2023 10:50 AM Meghan Drakas

Some researchers in Columbia studying Alzheimer’s disease are using artificial intelligence to help identify the “most important factors.”

Mid-Missouri resources available for people affected by Alzheimer’s and their families

October 9, 2023 10:14 AM Meghan Drakas

This week, ABC 17 News is continuing our ‘Living with Alzheimer’s’ coverage leading up to the Jefferson City Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday.

ABC 17 News Anchor Meghan Drakas shares her family’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease

September 29, 2023 10:47 AM Meghan Drakas

ABC 17 News Anchor Meghan Drakas is sharing her family’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease in the leadup to Columbia’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday.