Success Stories

YMCA of Greater Kansas City was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from the USA Swimming Foundation – Make a Splash to help provide scholarships for children to receive full session of swim lessons and for the Safety Around Water Drowning Prevention curriculum. This program will provide potentially life-saving swimming lessons and drowning prevention education to school-age children most at risk for accidental drowning.

Developing Potential Inc. (DPI) was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City – Applicant Defined Grant to support the salary of their Increase Access to Services program’s full-time registered nurse. Developing Potential Inc. serves adults with developmental disabilities with onsite day services, offsite program activities, and employment support. The Increase Access to Services program provides extensive medical support to individuals attending DPI’s onsite Day Services program, as-needed support to off-site Day Services and Employment Connections participants, and health training to staff and individuals receiving services. The program supports better health for all individuals at DPI, increases program participation, and improves quality of life for all participants.

The YMCA of Greater Kansas City recently received a grant for $500,000 from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation to support capital funding for the Downtown Y/Kirk Family Community Center. The $500,000 will be used towards the construction of a 60,000-square-foot Downtown Y/Kirk Family Community Center (Downtown Y). In partnership with Truman Medical Center (TMC), the building represents a new journey for the Y, focused on improving the health and wellness of residents across the Greater Kansas City area.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) was recently awarded a $5,723,005 Head Start, Year 4 Continuation grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to provide universal access to quality early childhood services. These services will include a high-quality, comprehensive program using Creative Curriculum for Preschool. This curriculum promotes school readiness, and is aligned with the Kansas Early Learning Guidelines and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework for preschoolers.

Metro Lutheran Ministry (MLM) was recently awarded a $65,000 grant from the Sunderland Foundation to support phase two of a three-phase renovation of MLM’s Central Community Assistance Center (CAC), located at 3031 Holmes Street, Kansas City, MO 64109. As MLM continues to expand its services to offer more holistic and comprehensive solutions to poverty and homelessness in Kansas City, the need for remote office locations, community outreach, and advanced network security has increased.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) was recently awarded a $5,623,080 Head Start, Year 3 Continuation grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to provide universal access to quality early childhood services. These services will include a high-quality, comprehensive program using Creative Curriculum for Preschool. This curriculum promotes school readiness, and is aligned with the Kansas Early Learning Guidelines and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework for preschoolers.

KidsTLC was recently awarded a $75,000 grant from the Sarli Family Foundation to support general agency operating funds. The agency is expanding its autism services program, implementing sustainability strategies to preserve our outpatient behavioral health care program, making advancements in our trauma informed care treatment philosophy, renovating one of our residential buildings, and making significant improvements in our technology/client record keeping.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools was recently awarded a $1,676,502 grant from Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund Early Childhood Block Grant to Project SPARK will implement services to meet the needs of at-risk early childhood children and families. Successful Partnerships to Assure Readiness for Kindergarten (Project SPARK) will support four classrooms and will provide coaching to four Head Start classrooms. These classrooms, which address waiting lists and offer more opportunities for three year old's, will be a mix of three and four year old's.

YMCA of Greater Kansas City was recently awarded a $103,853 grant from the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation Early Learning Collaborative to supports general program operations of six of the Y’s Early Education centers serving income eligible children ages six weeks to five years.