Missouri River Relief (MRR) is fantastic because it’s an incredibly passionate, grassroots nonprofit dedicated to connecting people to the Missouri River through hands-on conservation, education, and recreation efforts. Here’s why they stand out:
1. Massive River Cleanups
MRR organizes large-scale cleanups that bring together volunteers from all walks of life to remove tons of trash from the river. Since 2001, they've helped haul out over a million pounds of debris! It’s an amazing way to protect wildlife and keep the river healthy.
2. Inspiring Education Programs
They don’t just clean the river—they teach about it! MRR runs educational programs like Missouri River Days and floating classrooms, helping students and teachers connect with the river through science and hands-on learning.
3. Adventure & Community Building
Through paddling trips, river excursions, and speaker series, MRR brings people together to appreciate the beauty and history of the Missouri River. Their events foster a deep love for conservation and adventure.
4. A Strong Volunteer Spirit
This organization thrives on community involvement. They mobilize hundreds of volunteers every year, proving that small, passionate groups can make a huge impact.
5. They Make a Real Difference
MRR isn’t just about awareness—they take direct action. By physically removing pollution, educating future generations, and advocating for a cleaner river, they’re making a lasting difference for both people and wildlife.
Simply put, Missouri River Relief is an inspiring force for good, showing how local action can have a big impact on one of America's most important waterways. Have you ever participated in one of their cleanups or events? If not, make it a must-do on your list!.
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Missouri River Relief is such a great nonprofit. They work tirelessly to connect EVERYONE to the Missouri River, because everyone has the right to be out in nature. Whether you are interested in recreation, education or stewardship, Missouri River Relief has something for everyone, You can also rest assured that your donation to MRR will be wisely used to achieve their mission. - How do I know? I'm a volunteer and a member of the Board of Directors, so I see how donations are used on a regular basis. As a volunteer at their education programs, Missouri River clean-ups, Missouri River races and more, their dedication is unbelievable. Check them out yourself at riverrelief.org
Missouri River Relief is an exceptional organization of committed staff and volunteers making real change in lives and the environment. Their work brings people together from all ages, backgrounds and social groups to experience the joy and beauty of the Missouri River while at the same time educating them on the importance the river has to their lives. Their monthly speaker series, race events, grade school education programs, and community river clean-ups engage thousands of Missourians each year. With every activity and individual reached, MRR is planting a seed that will ensure the future health of the river and bring hope that our citizens learn to care for the natural world around them.
This nonprofit has helped introduce me to a great group of people who are passionate about keeping Missouri river clean and safe for all to enjoy. I strongly encourage anybody who hasn’t checked out the Missouri River relief page to do so. Great people and a great organization!
This is a fantastic organization that works to clean up, educate and generate awareness of the Missouri River and look to have a little fun while they do it. In a world full of screens, this organization works to take care of and connect people with this tremendous natural resource we have in the region.
I got involved with Missouri River Relief at their very first event in 2001. I brought a group of students to the river cleanup and have been involved ever since. Bringing more students to more cleanups, attending Speaker Series, volunteering at events, helping out with fundraisers, assisting in races, and joining the board in 2014. I have witnessed the growth of their education program which has connected nearly 40,000 students and teachers directly to the river through field trips, summer camps, and professional development. The passion that the staff and volunteers have for the Missouri River are evident at every event. I don't think anyone involved in the very first cleanup could imagine where this organization would go. It not only went there but went beyond. And they are not done yet. They are continuing to form new partnerships with people and organizations who recognize the importance and value of this precious resource, the Missouri River
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I have been involved with Missouri River Relief since its inception 20+ years ago when I brought a group of students to its first river clean up. I continued to bring students to local clean ups until my retirement. Each event was very organized and run with the safety of volunteers their top priority. I became a board member in 2014 and have seen the organization grow exponentially. This was mostly due to the growth of the education aspect. Now over 30,000 students and educators have experienced firsthand the Missouri River. Their main purpose is to connect people to the Missouri River. They have done an outstanding job doing that and have plans to increase that manyfold.
Missouri River Relief is an amazing organization. They are extraordinary at educating people about the importance of the Missouri River and do a great job at being hands on with the surrounding communities.
MRR got me hook, line, and sinker. I first became involved by participating in their paddle races. Once i started to look deeper i found more and more events they hold to benefit the river. I've since participated in river clean up efforts, volunteering for races, fundraising, and social advocacy. In all my involvement with MRR i have always felt welcomed and valued for whatever contribution i may bring. This organization is truly top notch with clear values and direction.
As an outdoorsman and conservationist, I'm very proud to perpetually support the mission of Missouri River Relief. This group of dedicated and bright individuals have designed and implemented a wide range of popular outreach/educational programs...with exciting new programs being onboarded such as "bank fishing for catfish".
~The MRR staff effectively use social media platforms to reach and educate the public about their many outdoor, riverside, educational field trips and speaker series programs. They welcome and serve community members of all ages...from toddlers to seniors. I’m most impressed with their commitment to our youth. Our fast-paced, technology-driven world has created a situation where children have much fewer opportunities to have meaningful, tactile experiences with nature. I know of no other organization that is so dedicated to reversing this trend...something dear to my heart.
~They’ll help you get your kid, grandkid, or even yourself out along and on the Missouri River to experience nature, learn more about our environment and how we can be better stewards of our resources, such as the Big Muddy. With opportunities to participate in outdoor classrooms, attend speaker series programs, be a passenger on a river boat excursion or learn how to bank-fish for catfish...all are amazing outdoor experiences and create life-long memories for participants.
~This organization is simply the best value for your non-profit, donation dollar.
I first encountered Missouri River Relief as a freshman in college on a college over night clean up. This experience had a major impact on the rest of my time in Missouri as well as my long term priorities and relationships with rivers.
We arrived at the site we were to launch from and it was much too muddy on the ramps to get the boats launched, the MRR team immediately adapted and gave the volunteers direction to clean up the site we were at by foot and they went to launch the boats upstream and meet us so we could continue with the clean up with boat access. Within an hour or two we had cleaned up the original launch site majorly and were onto other spots. My boat captain in particular was overly joyed by the excitement coming from a bunch of college kids to get dirty in love of environmentalism and rivers. He suggested maybe we could skip lunch and get one more spot, had us close our eyes to vote and every single person voted for that option. Coming from a very environmentally focused family this experience was the first time I felt understood and excited to be around college students. This had a major impact on the relationships I fostered for the rest of my time in school. The MRR team is quick to adapt and are genuinely so stoked on their mission. It is so warm to be in their presence.
I feel immense gratitude for this experience and the kind folks at MRR. To this day I am sure that my relationships with rivers were impacted positively by MRR!
Life, visions, experiences and perceptions of a river rat on the Missouri River. I've spent the last 50 years on and around the Missouri River. Every day for the last 50 years I've had some experience with the Missouri River. I've been to the headwaters of the Missouri River and I've been to the confluence with the Mississippi with numerous stops in between. My home is situated one mile Upstream from where the Osage meets the Missouri. I own farmland along the Missouri and lived on the income from these pieces of land during the good years and suffered through the flood years. I keep a boat on the Missouri River and a part of each day is spent running trotlines or just going out for a boat ride. Years ago very few people used the river for recreation. Out of ignorance they felt the river was that big brown monster that was there to swallow them up. And yes it was polluted with trash, human waste, and whatever was dumped by others into the river. The Missouri River has been discovered by large number of people for recreational purposes . Today it's not uncommon to see kayakers pass, and the Missouri is used by fishermen as a good source of large catfish. On weekends the sand bars are covered with families enjoying a day on the river. What has caused these people to discover the Missouri River and it's recreational possibilities. I think a lot of credit goes to Missouri River Relief. I've been a part of this great Organization for a number of years and I've seen large number of young and old experience their first boat ride on the Missouri. I've watched as childen picked up trash and learned the importance of keeping our streams clean. I've helped with educational events that explained to large groups of students all the uses of the water along the Missouri. I've worked wih River Relief as a safety boat for the MR340 a canoe race from Kansas City to St Louis exposing hundreds of people each year to this fine river. Missouri River Relief is a group of people from various economical backgrounds, a combination of various political views, a group of old and young people, and it even has a few vegetarians. But the one common denominator of this group of people is they are all hard-working and have a love for the Missouri River. I encourage you to reacquaint yourself with the Missouri River and if you have the time and the desires to help to preserve our unique natural and historic resource become a member of Missouri River Relief.....Soda Popp, R.R.E ( River Rat Extraordinaire). 1 Gods County Road. Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
Our Girl Scout troop is located in Saline County, which has many miles of Missouri River frontage. Although we see the Missouri River on a regular basis, we learned so much from our day with the Missouri River Relief team! The event was planned thoughtfully, and the open schedule allowed our girls the opportunity to spend as much or as little time as they wanted with any particular part of the activities. The enthusiasm of the volunteers was unfailing, despite the large number of participants. We loved the raptor portion, and the cordage activity was surprisingly wonderful as well. The boat ride upstream and then drifting downstream was a perfect way to celebrate life on this river and to understand the role we play in helping to keep it clean and vibrant. Thank you so much for sharing your time and knowledge with us.
We had a wonderful time at the Missouri River last Sunday! Everything was well thought out, it was family friendly, exploratory, and so fun. Thank you so much for hosting events like this!
Missouri River Relief is the perfect blend of education and caretaking. This organization introduces people of all ages to the River in a way that inspires and promotes a sense of stewardship of one of our most precious local resources. With impeccable attention to detail, every activity is designed for participants of all abilities to get the most out of the experience. I highly recommend attending any program designed and facilitated by this stellar nonprofit.
I have been involved with MRR for over 10 years, including being a previous board member. as well as an ongoing donor. The staff and volunteers involved are passionate about the mission and are running the operation on a tight budget. They are mindful of how they can most efficiently spend their dollars and at the same time maximize the benefit to the Missouri River. As an avid outdoorsman, I appreciate MRR's efforts!
Bryan Johnson
Principal
Colliers Kansas City
To whom it may concern:
I would like to use this letter to nominate Missouri River Relief (herein, MRR) for the 2023 Top Rated Badge on Great Nonprofits. MRR’s mission is to engage individuals and communities along the Missouri River in the exploration, enjoyment, restoration, and care of the river through hands-on river cleanups, education programs, and recreation. I’ve been a volunteer since November of 2019, and I feel that of the 20 nonprofits that I’ve been involved with over the years, MRR is probably the most welcoming, and very proud to be part of their “family”. It is an emotional high when you get to see people for the first time have the opportunity to get out onto the river and experience a boat ride, and then be able to connect them to some unique wildlife encounter, or a historical location, and then put the team on a sandbar to help clean it up. I’ve witnessed and participated in these joyful, adventurous connections a lot, especially after we leave a stretch of shore bank a hell of a lot cleaner!
This past May I helped MRR with their Missouri River cleanup near the Omaha/Council Bluffs area. I don’t remember the details and I personally wasn’t involved, but during this particular cleanup mission, MRR worked with another local nonprofit that specializes by working with homeless folks. It turned out, with cooperation it was possible to offer a bit of assistance through already established trust. And through the spirit of offering stewardship and dignity towards others, volunteers, working together were able to gain a bit of peripheral access within a homeless encampment (where people live), and help steward their community. I learned later that these folks were quite appreciative. Another time a few years earlier, I was helping with a cleanup somewhere in Missouri along the Missouri River and another homeless individual asked what was going on, and he offered to help. Again, that day MRR gave another member of the community, a fellow human being a ride on the river to help not only with stewardship, but enjoy the fun of a boat ride on the river with the companionship of others. That’s emotional!
“ What a spirit spring is bringing round my head
Makes me feel glad that I'm not dead
Singin' what a spirit spring is bringing round my head
Makes me feel glad that I'm not dead
Witchi Tai Tai, kimarah
Whoa Ron-nee Ka
Whoa Ron-nee Ka
Hey-ney, hey-ney, no-wah” Brewer and Shipley - Witchi-tai-to - YouTube
Yours truly,
Shawn E. Hawks
1235 Brook LN
Boonville, MO 65233
712-389-8856
Missouri River Relief is one of the most effective "on the ground" nonprofits I've experienced in volunteering for an organization. Since my initial involvement in 2007 I've seen MRR grow in their mission, staff, facilities, programs, and outreach to become one of the most respected nonprofits in the state and beyond. Every new step is an advancement and improvement. As crew, one of the jobs I most like is getting to be the person who identifies and tallies things that are removed from the river. We see everything from fishing line to living room couches to refrigerators come out of that river and it never stops. It just keeps on coming. MRR has advanced to public education for keeping the river clean through prevention. Our river cleanups are attended by hundreds of volunteers all over the state. I used to have to explain the mission of MRR. These days if I mention MRR I get a big smile and a thank you for what we do. I especially love to recall the day in Omaha when a 7 year old boy would not stop digging in the sand around a 4 inch metal piece which turned out to be a 300 pound antique tractor tire. Another good memory is the creation of a "flume" to bring hundreds of rusty cans and broken bottles down a hillside dump at the side of the river which we thoroughly planted with baby trees the next day.
I've been a volunteer with Missouri River Relief for about four years, mostly hoping with safety boat operations during river races the organization either sponsors or assists with. The River Relief team is well organized and constantly on the go with events that link people of all ages to the Missouri River and teach them about its ecosystem. The people involved with this group are a wonderful and eclectic collection of personalities. The tireless work they do to clean up the Missouri River watershed is simply astounding.
Missouri River Relief wants to connect you to the Missouri River, to the cultural and natural resources of this exceptional lifeway. With each event, you meet fellow river guardians and get to develop relationships not only to the river but with each other.
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Journey with me to a Missouri River Relief cleanup. It might be a little wet and muddy. As part of the crew, I enjoy guiding volunteers out onto the river for an adventurous spin on the water plus a chance to make the river safer for wildlife. My goal is to facilitate a positive experience with the river by inspiring a greater understanding of the creatures that rely on the river for life. Volunteers are given the opportunity to connect with the river by showing a little love through appreciation, gratitude and action. This could be admiring a rock, marveling at otter tracks, or picking up trash. Volunteers are also given the opportunity to build a sense of belonging with other folks that care about the Missouri River. The simple act of removing trash from the river with a group of people can create community. Missouri River Relief makes these experiences possible! And I love being a part of this community!
Missouri River Relief is an organization that is really trying to make our little piece of the world a better place - and in my opinion, they are succeeding. In everything they do, whether it's providing opportunities for volunteers to pick up trash on a clean-up, giving 4th graders their first-ever boat ride on the Missouri River, providing a safe space along the river for preschoolers to play and learn, or providing support for racers wanting to test their mettle against nature, Missouri River Relief is constantly working to find ways to get people outside to experience and appreciate the mighty river that flows though our beautiful state. As a result, the people and wildlife of Missouri and all those downstream have benefitted from a cleaner river and a better understanding of the natural world. Missouri River Relief's success is enhanced by a dedicated and creative staff, an active volunteer network, and incredible support from like-minded organizations.
I became aware of MRR when reading an article in the Columbia paper. They were hosting ALL Columbia School fourth graders for a field trip to Coopers Landing. I decided to volunteer for the program. Bus loads of kids arrived, super excited to learn and have fun!
The kids were divided into groups so they could rotate through the different areas. The Missouri Dept. of Conservation gave a talk while other kids went on the Katy trail and got to hear about flora and fauna. They were given a safety talk and then a boat ride on the Missouri River. There was also a station for the kids to create a painting of the river area. Many kids had never been to the river before and they all loved it!
Since that time I have volunteered each year for that event as well as MR 340 race, cleanups of he river area and a program they offer for kids 6(?) and under to experience he river as well.
MRR helps take care of our rivers and streams, promotes citizen use of the river and helps encourage people to take advantage of one of our greatest resources and recreational attraction.
Missouri River Relief held several sessions this summer for kids teaching them about the Missouri River. My granddaughter loved it and had a wonderful time. We missed one of the short learning boat trips and will be sure to make it next time! I appreciate their time to help young children learn about Missouri’s waterways.
I have been volunteering for river relief for several years. I have also been able to take advantage of the education programs for my sons. My children have loved learning about the river through river cleanups and the various educational programming. They are looking forward to their school field trip.
My son attended their summer camp both in person and virtual. He had a great time and was able to teach us more about our own city. He also was able to make new friends who enjoy the river.
I’ve been volunteering with Missouri River Relief for 4 years. So many things I love about the organization but a couple that really stand out…. The warm, welcome from the staff and crew members is amazing. From the outset we were welcomed by all! Another is participating in the wonderful education programs. The kids and adults we’ve worked with have loved all parts of the programs. Watching the kids discover the beauty of the Big Muddy has been nothing short of amazing! The community cleanups offer people the opportunity to see what a difference each person can make.
I've been volunteering with Missouri River Relief for six years and have observed the success of this organization in connecting people to the Missouri River, and the delight of participants in coming to know this great waterway.
Over it's 20-year history, dedicated Staff and volunteer Crew have hosted regular trash cleanups on the River, educational events for all ages, a series of distinguished speakers who describe their journeys and expertise about the River, and now the MR340 - an internationally-recognized paddling marathon showcasing the hundreds of river miles that cross our state.
Missouri River Relief demonstrates a culture of inclusion and kindness, and every new participant becomes part of this river 'family'. The relationships I've developed within the organization started with common interests in community and nature, but have developed into closer connections thanks to the many adventures MRR hosts that bring people together for a great cause.
I have always admired Missouri River Relief since they held their very first river clean up 21 years ago. Work and Family life kept me from participating as much as I would have liked but I always maintained a watchful eye though donations and mutual friends and associates. When our family life maintained some balance I was happy to join the MRR board 4 yeas ago. I still don't have as much time to give the organization as I would like but serving on the board does allow me to help and provide key skills that I have developed as a business owner for over 30 years. The next ten years are going to be a great challenge and will compound the already truly ground breaking success that this organization has achieved over the past two decades.
Missouri River Relief is more than just a great cause, it's a great community filled with loving, caring, accepting, exceptional humans. The work is great, but the educational component is even more compelling. I'm so impressed with the outreach and how this organization connects people to nature and to one of our greatest natural resources.
*Offers very informative programs delivered by interesting presenters, in person and online.
*Sponsors educational events that engage supporters and the public, including youth.
*Conducts environmental programs, tracks results, and reports impact.
*Engages area culture, like song writers and artists
We had the best time working with the Missouri River Relief efforts last year. We found this agency to be well organized and had fantastic communication skills. They made sure we were updated on the progress and the outcome of our efforts. We used it as a community service project for our agency (Juvenile Office) and everyone enjoyed it. It is no easy task to appease juveniles who are being forced to attend. We appreciated Missouri River Relief staff being so courteous. I would highly recommend everyone take a day to help them with their efforts. We found it to be a perfect way to spend time helping the community while still having a little fun by seeing what unusual items other groups found in their areas.