Grants in Action

02 Jul Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) Receives $75,000 Grant from the Sarli Family Foundation

Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) recently received a grant for $75,000 from the Sarli Family Foundation to sustain core services in 2022. This support will help CCVI meet the ever-present needs of children with visual impairments while recruiting and retaining the highly specialized staff required to deliver services. General support allows CCVI to focus our resources on key services to achieve the best possible outcomes for the children we serve, especially during this difficult time. CCVI teachers, therapists, and specialists will provide services for 275 infants and children in 2022 through the following core program areas:

• The Early Intervention Program (EIP) offers an individualized educational/therapy program for infants and toddlers, birth through age three, who have significant visual impairments that impact learning. It provides home-based instruction, therapies, and center-based evaluations of developmental progress.
• The Preschool/Kindergarten Program’s six classrooms combine curriculum with specialized therapies and activities to enhance basic skills while preparing children for inclusion in public or private elementary schools.
• Outreach Services are provided for school-age children attending public, private, charter, parochial, and state schools that do not have certified teachers of the visually impaired and/or orientation and mobility instructors. Services include assessment and monitoring of functional visual development and training on specialized classroom equipment.
• Parent/Family Support Programs offer educational and training opportunities for all families, including orientation and mobility training, health care navigation, and other workshops and social gatherings.

02 Jul Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois Receives $20,000 from the Roblee Foundation

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois (BBBSIL) recently received a grant for $20,000 from the Joseph H. & Florence A. Roblee Foundation to produce quality, lasting 1:1 mentoring relationships that keep kids in school, out of trouble, and on a path to post-graduation success. Funding will support the identification and recruitment of volunteers, enrollment and interviews of new youth and their families, and regular follow-ups with participants.

02 Jul Integrated Behavioral Technologies, Inc. (IBT) Receives $25,000 from the Dwane L. and Velma Lunt Wallace Charitable Foundation

Integrated Behavioral Technologies, Inc. (IBT) was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Dwane L. and Velma Lunt Wallace Charitable Foundation to replace the fire suppression hood and venting in the kitchen at The K.I.D.S. Place early childhood center. The Wallace Foundation has been a dedicated supporter of IBT's mission to support diverse learners. (Read more about their past giving here: Wallace Foundation Funds Playground Accessibility).

26 Feb Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey Receives $39,593 Grant from Jackson County COMBAT Violence Prevention

Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey (KCFAA) was recently awarded a $39,593 grant from Jackson County COMBAT Violence Prevention. Funding will be utilized to support KCFAA’s signature program, which uses the arts coupled with an intensive personal development curriculum framework that includes the Oakland Men’s Project “How to Stop the Violence That Tears Our Lives Apart” curriculum, and creative writing classes.

05 Oct Poetry for Personal Power (P3) Receives $100,000 from the Health Forward Foundation Mental Health Fund

Poetry for Personal Power (P3) recently received a grant for $100,000 from the Health Forward Foundation Mental Health Fund to support the Stars Among Us program. The Stars Among Us program will match 30-60 peers with a behavioral health peer support specialist for peer support and mentoring in the community. Each peer will receive 25 hours of one-on-one peer support from a trained peer; unlimited access to P3 peer workshops and groups; and access to P3’s trainings, resources, and events such as advocacy events, webinars, the peer information campus (PIC), and connection to community resources. Peer support, including connection and referrals to other community service providers that are part of the peers’ recovery plan, will aid in solving social determinants and will increase the likelihood of success in achieving mental health and substance use recovery milestones.

28 Sep Benilde Hall Receives $400,000 Grant from the VA GPA Capital Grant

Benilde Hall was recently awarded a $400,000 grant from the VA GPD Capital Grant to construct a new wing that will allow Benilde Hall to move eight current beds from a group, dorm style room into single unit bedrooms with private bathrooms to ensure the health, safety, and privacy for homeless veterans.

14 Sep Thrive Allen County Receives $2,970,164 Grant from the CMS Cooperative Agreement

Thrive Allen County (TAC) recently received a grant for $2,970,164 from the CMS Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators to Federally-Facilitated Exchanges (FFE) to support the recruitment, training, and activities of 18 Navigators who will provide services in 42 counties throughout the state of Kansas over three years. Through the Kansas CARES (Coordinating and Assisting Reliable Enrollment Services) Program, TAC proposes to serve as lead applicant for a consortium of 10 subawardee entities that will hire, train, and oversee Navigators in their region. Navigators provide individuals with information about health insurance options and eligibility and help them enroll in a qualified health plan.

14 Aug Lorraine’s House Receives $50,000 Grant from the REACH Healthcare Foundation

Lorraine’s House was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from REACH Healthcare Foundation to support a compassionate approach, structure, and research- and evidence-based strategies to support women in their recovery from substance use disorder (SUD).

14 Aug Wichita Children’s Home Receives $25,000 Grant from the Kansas Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Fund

Wichita Children’s Home recently received a grant for $25,000 from the Kansas Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Fund to expand and enhance depth and breadth of WCH’s survivor aftercare services for victims of human trafficking. Wichita Children’s Home (WCH) Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative incudes outreach and prevention; and emergency shelter, transitional living, and aftercare services are outcome based, trauma-informed and victim-centered. Our primary goal is to empower these young women to heal and reclaim their lives.

14 Aug Powell Gardens Receives $230,254 Grant from IMLS Museums Empowered Initiative

Powell Gardens was recently awarded a $230,254 grant from IMLS MFA Museums Empowered Initiative to support the Supporting Professionally Relevant Opportunities for Understanding and Training (SPROUT) project. SPROUT will make critical investments in the Gardens’ operational infrastructure. These investments will improve the Gardens’ ability to provide visitors with meaningful encounters with plants within the Midwest ecosystem. Specifically, the project will address the Gardens’ staff needs through enhanced human resources support and expanded team and individual talent development opportunities for staff. Professional development offerings will include technical trainings and safety demonstrations for horticulture and administrative staff as well as leadership training for managers and directors.