Success Stories

KidTLC was recently awarded a $2,500 grant from the Flo Harris Foundation to support their Thriving Families Program (previously Street Outreach Services SOS program). Bullying, depression, suicide, and unrealistic demands on children and families can lead to overwhelming levels of family distress. Inability to access appropriate services is one of the biggest barriers for families who are homeless, Spanish-speaking, or have mental health issues. Barriers can include limited knowledge of how/where to access services, cultural stigmas surrounding health issues, lack of knowledge about what services are available or how to pay for services, and transportation to services.

Children’s Mercy Hospital recently received a grant for $60,253 from the Health Forward Foundation to achieve physical and mental well-being for families, caregivers, and children with medical complexity by providing an eight-week, mindfulness-based stress reduction group for parents. Funding will support staff costs, facility costs (rental space), and program supplies. The program will serve 12 children (and 12-24 parents/caregivers), targeting children age 4-6 demonstrating externalizing behaviors from under-resourced (e.g. low-income, under-insured, or uninsured) households, that are transitioning to kindergarten in fall 2020 and whose families face barriers to accessing treatment options.

Comprehensive Mental Health Services, Inc. (CMHS) was recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the REACH Healthcare Foundation to support outside professional services that will allow CMHS to build and strengthen the essential infrastructure and activities of its development department. CMHS will partner with Encore Nonprofit Solutions (Encore NPS), a leading provider of development and fundraising services to nonprofits. Encore will provide professional consultation, training, and content/creative development to facilitate execution of development activities.

Genesis Promise Academy was recently awarded a $176,890 grant from Jackson County Community Mental Health Fund to support the counseling program. The Counseling Program provides support services for students. Counselors employ Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (CBI) for individual and group therapy. Genesis employs training skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy, focused on interpersonal skills and distress tolerance.

Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey recently received a grant for $6,748 from the Missouri Arts Council, Education to the support Paseo Project (PP).  Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey (KCFAA) will host four two-week residencies of dancers and choreographers at the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts (PAFPA).