Blog

The YMCA of Greater Kansas City recently received a grant for $15,000 from the Prime Health Foundation to create healthy living strategies that meet the needs of their members. The Y seeks to deliver a weight-loss program with a research-based curriculum that helps individuals get moving, eat healthy, and make lasting lifestyle changes in order to lose weight and reduce the risk for developing chronic diseases.

ReDiscover recently received a grant for $15,000 from the Oppenstein Brothers Foundation to support their “You Are Enough” School-Based Therapeutic Intervention Program. ReDiscover’s “You Are Enough” school-based therapeutic intervention program will provide on-site therapeutic services to low-income students at Raytown High School (RHS), addressing issues like bullying, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance use. The full-time therapist will provide behavioral health/suicide prevention training to administration/staff and therapeutic services to high-risk students who may not otherwise have access to services due to cost, transportation, or other barriers. A Student Service Fund will provide assistance for tangible needs like clothing, school supplies, and hygiene items.

United Inner City Services (UICS) recently received a grant for $40,000 from the M.R. & Evelyn Hudson Foundation to support the Arts@St.Mark initiative which infuses the arts into the St. Mark Center’s learning environment and offers community experiences in the arts. Funds will be designated for Arts@St.Mark and will support a full-time arts educator, daily arts instruction, teacher training, and family engagement activities for children ages six weeks to five years with activities designed to align with developmental needs.

KidsTLC, Inc. was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from the Edward G. and Kathryn E. Mader Foundation to support their Trellis Clinic Playground. KidsTLC will purchase and install a high-quality sensory playground directly outside of the Trellis Center that will include fine motor, gross motor, tactile, and visual inputs. Children will have opportunities to interact with staff and peers to model appropriate social behaviors, improve motor function, and even improve language skills.

KidsTLC, Inc. was recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the REACH Healthcare Foundation to support their Gender Affirming Care/LGBTQ+ Training Project. Funding from the REACH Healthcare Foundation will support trainings that will enhance and strengthen the capacity of KidsTLC and other youth-serving agencies to provide high-quality, culturally competent, and equitable care to LGBTQ+ consumers. This capacity grant will be integral in bringing a two-and-a-half-day conference to the Kansas City area put on by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Ten to twelve KidsTLC clinicians as well as professionals from the community at large will attend the conference. Funds will also allow KidsTLC to put on a one-day training on our campus (for internal staff only) hosted by the KC-Anti Violence Project (KCAVP). KidsTLC staff and others in the community will gain significant knowledge and tools to better meet the health/behavioral health needs of the LGBTQ+ population. This will ultimately strengthen the safety net’s capacity to equitably serve target populations that have not only faced barriers in accessing care due to lack of adequate health insurance, but who are often marginalized or discriminated against based upon their identity.

Developing Potential, Inc. recently received a grant for $15,000 from the CPS Foundation to improve Developing Potential's transportation services and improve its health and nutrition curriculum. DPI will purchase a sedan to complement its other transportation offerings. We are currently renovating one of our kitchens, and we will need to purchase new appliances to better support the health and nutrition of the individuals we serve. These improvements will raise the quality of our services and help the people we serve live happier and more fulfilling lives.  The goals of this project are to help individuals be more connected to their communities and to help individuals live healthier lives.