Community Power Project wouldn’t exist without the partnership and history of the Coalition for Truth in Independence. CTI officially began in 2013 as community groups made up of members who were dedicated to being radically inclusive and fully intersectional while tackling community issues. Some of the first groups focused on important issues such as fixing pot holes and adding curb cuts in their local neighborhoods.

It was important to coalition members that CTI groups remained independent of governing organizations. CTI’s mission was to mitigate the physical and attitudinal barriers that can exist when working within a corporate structure. CTI grew to have 12 community groups that shared information and supported each other’s community projects. Eventually, these 12 groups combined into STL city and county groups to leverage the allyship they had created.

Today the mission of CTI remains the same, to provide grassroots opportunities for community members to benefit from having a strong community around them. Community Power Project is the newest iteration of the original CTI groups for the St. Louis area. Inspired by the power of community and the rich legacy of CTI, we are making more space for disabled adults to gather, grow, and empower each other.