A local service agency wants to spread the message of hope through a contest showcasing poverty in Northwest Missouri.

The Community Action Partnership is hosting a photography contest where amateurs, students and professionals can showcase their talents.

“The whole goal is to maybe shock people with real photos of real families living in pretty sad conditions,” said Rachel McCoy, director of development at CAP.

Ms. McCoy said some people assume that the poor are the ones living by the river or that they have a certain look.

“You may not be exposed to the face of poverty,” she said. “From our perspective, we see it every day. It is a problem in Northwest Missouri.”

Pictures of Poverty is a photography exhibit to initiate a dialogue about how the community can commit to ending it. CAP thought the contest and exhibit could be a new way to advocate for the poor.

The contest is open to high school and college students, amateur and professional photographers. Entries must be submitted to CAP, located at 817 Monterey St., by 4 p.m. Oct. 6. The artwork will be a featured exhibit at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art from Oct. 17 to Nov. 1. A reception for the work will be held Oct. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m.

For more information on the contest, contact Ms. McCoy at 233-8281, or go to www.endpov.com.

Ms. McCoy said there are about 30,000 residents in Northwest Missouri who qualify as the working poor. “Many people that come in will have a work badge or ID on,” she said. “It’s a tragedy.”

But she and CAP believe it isn’t a problem without a solution.

“It’s not always a lack of money, but a lack of hope,” she said. “A lack of opportunity. It’s something that we can fix.”

The artwork to be featured through Pictures of Poverty could help illustrate the situation in the community.

“It’s an age-old problem,” Ms. McCoy said. “And it’s right here in our backyard.”

Jennifer Hall can be reached

at jennhall@npgco.com.