Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the John W. and Effie E. Speas Memorial Trust to support the general operations of the organization. CASA will use these funds to help support staff members who train and supervise volunteer advocates, as well as to help cover organizational administrative costs. CASA’s program staff members coordinate the activities of nearly 200 volunteers, pairing volunteers with children in need of a compassionate adult, and guiding those volunteers as they help children navigate the family court system.

Comprehensive Mental Health Services (CMHS) recently received a grant for $7185 from the Missouri Department of Transportation to help provide transportation services. Comprehensive Mental Health Services (CMHS) provides transportation services to mentally ill, elderly, and dually diagnosed (a mental illness/disorder and a chemical addiction) clients in Kansas City, Missouri and Eastern Jackson County.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri recently received a grant for $5,000 from the St. Joseph South Side Progressive Association to expand Girl Scouts membership and adult volunteer participation in Title One schools in St. Joseph, Missouri. In this project, girls at five St. Joseph schools will be offered membership waivers for entering Girl Scouts. Girls will also receive subsidies for troop fees, uniforms, books and other learning materials. Funds will also support a full-time volunteer coordinator (Manager, Volunteer Training and Support) to guide and support adult volunteers in order to grow the volunteer base in the community. As Girl Scout troops form at the schools, the initiative’s goal will be to increase membership each year, as well as to retain current scouts.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties (CASA) recently received a grant for $10,000 from Country Club Christian Church to support their Youngest Victims program.  This program provides specialized training and support for CASA staff and volunteers advocating for children from birth to age five who are involved in the court system due to abuse or neglect.

Metro Lutheran Ministries (MLM) was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from Oppenstein Brothers Foundation to support the new Northland Service Center. The new Northland Service Center will increase MLM’s ability to provide direct services which promote self-sufficiency for disadvantaged people in Clay and Platte counties.  The new Northland Service Center will be a visible and strong anchor in North Kansas City, and a beacon to those in economic crisis who need a lifeline.  A new 4,300 square foot Service Center will be created through a renovation of the former sanctuary of St. James Lutheran Church.  Over 3,460 square feet of the former sanctuary will be renovated for the new Service Center and an additional 840 square feet will be added through construction to the existing space.  This Service Center will have locations for food storage, three offices for case management, a reception and waiting room for clients, a bathroom, additional storage space, and room to grow.  A dock and ramp will be added to aid food deliveries.

Developing Potential Inc. (DPI) recently received a grant for $74,924 from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City to support their Access to Services program. DPI’s Increase Access to Services program utilizes a full-time, registered nurse to oversee participants’ on-site medical needs. The comprehensive spectrum of integrated services provided by DPI – high-quality day habilitation services combined with professional medical support – allows adults with developmental disabilities to actively participate in the Day Habilitation and Community Integration programs where they can progress toward self-care and the highest level of independent living possible. These services foster client’s need for independence while addressing their mental and physical health needs.  This allows them to enjoy the basic qualities of life that have often been out of reach and gives the client and their caregivers the tools needed to advocate on their behalf.

Metro Lutheran Ministries (MLM) was recently awarded a $60,000 grant from the William T. Kemper Foundation to support renovations to their Northland Community Service Center. A new Service Center for MLM will be built to increase MLM's ability to serve the Northland community. The new Northland Service Center will be a visible and strong anchor in North Kansas City, and a beacon to those in economic crisis who need a lifeline.  A new 4,300 square foot Service Center will be created through a renovation of the former sanctuary of St. James Lutheran Church.  Over 3,460 square feet of the former sanctuary will be renovated for the new Service Center and an additional 840 square feet will be added through construction to the existing space.  This Service Center will have locations for food storage, three offices for case management, a reception and waiting room for clients, a bathroom, additional storage space, and room to grow.  A dock and ramp will be added to aid food deliveries.

Metro Lutheran Ministries (MLM) recently received a grant for $25,000 from the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund to support the MLM Saturday Breakfast Program. The Saturday Breakfast Program is one of the more recently established MLM programs for the homeless and near homeless in the Kansas City metro area. The goal of this successful program is to provide a hot breakfast to people facing poverty.