Soon after arriving for the first time at Missouri’s State Capitol, a group of members from Kansas City’s Palestine Senior Citizens Activity Center huddled with a LINC community engagement specialist to talk strategy.

“Your questions have to wrapped around your priorities as a senior,” the LINC specialist, Steve McClellan said.

“Housing . . . access to grocery stores . . . access to health clinics, access medicare, access to technology.”

The Palestine members — Margie Price, Carma Franklin and Lyle Davis — leaned in to hear under the echoing noise of the Capitol Rotunda, each with a list of their state representatives and senators in their hands.

They came as special guests to join staff from LINC on a day to support the work of Missouri’s statewide Community Partnership Network. LINC is one of 20 partnerships in Missouri that gather public and private resources to help communities work together to build stronger families and neighborhoods.

The Palestine members met several of the state lawmakers, and were given special recognition when they were introduced at the start of the day’s House session by state Rep. Yolanda Young of Kansas City.

“LINC is back in the House,” Young said. “Many of you have heard from them,” she continued, referring to the variety of work by community partnerships. “And they are also supportive of our seniors.”

Palestine, near 35th and Prospect Avenue in Kansas City, is part of Young’s neighborhood, the representative said. “I am so proud to be able to serve them.”

Young, in her introduction, also recognized that LINC’s work with Palestine represented some of the best collaborations of similar partnerships thriving throughout the state, and encouraged the House to support this work by continuing state funding.

“Palestine and dozens of other sites exist because Missouri made a commitment to community partnership funding,” Young said. “LINC is one that honors that commitment every day.”

Another of the lawmakers who met with the Palestine members was state Rep. Melissa Douglas of Kansas City, who listened to some of their concerns and then thanked them for being there.

Their advocacy is important, Douglas told them.

It encourages the House and Senate to support organizations like LINC and Palestine “so we can support the families and make sure (the resources) are embedded in the communities, making sure we are providing the support necessary to show that this is the result of good work. This is the outcome of the investment in our community.”

Price, Franklin and Davis ended the day satisfied with their Capitol experience.

“Overall I think we accomplished something today,” Davis said. “Hopefully we can continue to work with these Representatives down the road to accomplish a lot of our goals in Kansas City.”

Said Franklin: “I am so thankful I was able to come here and to listen in . . . and meet with a few of the Representatives.”

“That’s why we came,” said Price. “To talk to our Representatives and tell them what seniors want.”