Genesis Promise Academy recently received a grant for $152,767 from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City to support the partial salaries of four counselors and the time of a Family Resource Specialist. The Genesis Counseling Program provides individual, group, and psycho-educational group therapy to approximately 290 students per year ages 5-14 at the school. The goal of the program is to help children cope more effectively with the impact of trauma and psychosocial stressors at home and in the community.

Avenue of Life recently received a grant for $25,000 from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City to support their Impact Wednesday event.   Impact Wednesday is a collaboration between numerous community organizations created to alleviate homelessness for youth and their families in the Kansas City, Kansas Public School district. Avenue of Life’s Equipping Center serves refugees, low-income families, and people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds experiencing unemployment, underemployment, and homelessness.

The Whole Person (TWP) recently received a grant for $15,000 from the State Street Foundation to support the delivery of Employment Services Program. TWP provides ongoing Supported Employment services to clients for additional assistance both on and off the work-site. Supports from job coaches may include addressing work performance, social interactions that negatively impact employment success, conflict resolution with coworkers/supervisors, maintenance of job skills, and motivation retention to ensure continued engagement with the program. Long-term vocational support is an individualized service, provided as often and as long as the person needs it for the purpose of maintaining a job. Job intervention may be needed as well as support for developing skills for promotion and career development that lead to personal growth and financial stability. 

Comprehensive Mental Health Services, Inc. (CMHS) recently received a grant for $416.000 from Jackson County COMBAT Treatment Program to support their Addiction Recovery Services Program. The program promotes abstinence by providing residential, outpatient day treatment, and supported recovery services to men and women over the age of 18 with drug and/or alcohol addictions. Staff seek to help clients improve their functioning, make progress on their treatment goals, and demonstrate positive life changes through trauma-specific services. Services also assist many clients in reducing or eliminating criminal behavior and improving their employment or educational status. The program encourages a high level of family involvement to support participants’ health, improve family relationships, and strengthen their recovery support network.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from the American Century – Community Partnership to support their Child Advocacy Program. CASA will use funds for its Child Advocacy program that will provide 450 children with 185 Volunteers who advocate directly for children involved in the court system due to abuse, neglect, or divorce-related custody and visitation disputes.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from American Century Investments Foundation to support CASA’s Teen Advocacy program. CASA’s Teen Advocacy program grew out of a need to provide specific training for CASA advocates working with youth ages 14-18 most likely to age out of the court system without anyone to help them transition to adulthood. 

Comprehensive Mental Health Services (CMHS) recently received a grant for $34,980 from the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Department of Aging Services to provide mental health services for clients over the age of 60. CMHS will address critical mental health issues of elderly individuals through the following services:
  • Mental health evaluation and assessment;
  • Individual therapy;
  • Group therapy;
  • Case management;
  • Information and education services; and
  • Community support services.

Developing Potential, Inc. (DPI) was recently awarded a $58,032 grant from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City to support their Access to Services Program. The program supports better health for people in the day services program, increases program participation, and improves quality of life for participants.

Metro Lutheran Ministries (MLM) recently received a grant for $18,750 from the CommunityAmerica Credit Union Foundation to support the Family Empowerment program. Metro Lutheran Ministry will use the funds from Community America Credit Union Foundation to support its Family Empowerment program. Financial literacy is a key component of this program providing initial stabilization of two months of direct weekly financial literacy instruction leading into ten months of working side-by-side with clients as they learn how to integrate what they have learned into their life.

The YMCA of Greater Kansas City recently received a grant for $300,111 from the United Way of Greater Kansas City – Early Learning to support the YMCA Head Start/Early Head Start program. The YMCA Head Start/Early Head Start program provides quality early education, nutrition, and health services for income-eligible children.  The YMCA operates eight Head Start/Early Head Start programs.  These sites offer full-day care (four hours of Head Start programming) and up to seven hours of additional wraparound programming and care for children under the age of five.