Community News
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Kansas wrestles with ways to shorten waitlist for disability care
The intellectual/developmentally disabled waiver program still has a long waitlist. That waitlist is shrinking, and Kansas lawmakers want to keep that momentum going. by Blaise Mesa February 14, 2025 Holly Oleson helps people who are intellectually disabled live as independently as possible. She’s a lead direct support professional at Honey Bee Community Services in the Kansas…

Kansas advocacy organizations offer strategy for curtailing waitlist for disability services
Plan targets yearslong wait for people with intellectual, developmental disabilities By: Tim Carpenter – February 4, 2025 11:08 am TOPEKA — Whit Downing struggled through eight years on Kansas’ waiting list in hope of receiving essential Medicaid services she qualified for by virtue of autism and mental health challenges. Downing has taken her firsthand experiences to work as…
Local Organizations
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Harvesters Community Food Network - Harvesters’ mission is to feed hungry people today and work to end hunger tomorrow. The regional food bank serves a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. Harvesters’ programs include feeding families, children and seniors, as well as nutrition education and disaster relief.
Operation BBQ Relief - Operation BBQ Relief was founded in May 2011 in response to a need for tornado relief efforts in Joplin, Missouri, after cooks from nine different states were able to serve over 120,000 meals in a 13-day period. The nonprofit has since provided over 9 million meals throughout the United States and internationally following natural disasters, COVID-19 response, and through The Always Serving Project, benefiting the homeless, first responders, veterans and members of the military.
Assistance League Kansas City - Our volunteers help at-risk children and youth by providing new clothes, eye exams and glasses, and many other essential items. We provide comfort to children in crisis and vulnerable seniors. We assist sexual assault survivors by giving them clothing and personal care necessities to replace those taken for evidence during the hospital exam and we help high school seniors and adults returning to the labor market afford the training and education necessary to improve their lives.
Green Works in Kansas City - Green Works in Kansas City empowers future leaders to care for our environment, contribute to our economy, and create healthy communities. We offer holistic experiences including field trips and service projects to appeal to all types of learners.
Caregivers on the Homefront - Our mission is to provide caregivers of our nation's veterans and first responders with hope, a sense of togetherness, and a firm foundation of resiliency. Caregivers on the Homefront proudly advocates to promote awareness and increase education for not only our caregivers, but the communities they live in.
Lakemary Center - The Lakemary Center provides education, mental and behavioral health treatment, and social services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each year, it works with over 450 individuals and their families from all over the country. Its services include a K-12 school, specialized foster care, residential living assistance and vocational training.
Cerner Charitable Foundation - Formerly known as First Hand, the Cerner Charitable Foundations offers individual medical grants and wellness programs, community volunteerism, social initiatives and strategic partnerships. Services include providing equitable health access to children, reducing resident disparities, funding front line workers and supporting local veterans.
Front Porch Alliance - Front Porch Alliance works together with residents of Kansas City, Missouri’s eastside and urban core to meet their changing needs at home and in school. FP Alliance offers training, peer support, and community connections to youth, families, Elders, and residents of Eastside Kansas City, Missouri, especially folks living in zip codes 64109, 64110, 64128, and 64130.
Blue River Watershed Association - The Blue River Watershed Association's mission is to restore and protect watersheds through environmental education, community outreach, partnerships, and collaboration.
Charlie's House - Our mission is to prevent accidents and injuries to children in and around the home through increased safety awareness, public education, and the distribution of safety devices.
Upcoming Events

2023 Beerman Award for Social Justice in Action Celebration
The Leonard I. Beerman Foundation for Peace and Justice honors the memory of Rabbi Leonard I. Beerman (1921–2014), a courageous and compassionate religious leader, social activist, and champion of peace and human rights. The Foundation recognizes and supports organizations, programs and activities similarly dedicated to improving the human condition.

I Can’t Breathe
A night of entertainment involving the discussion of racial inequality and the increase of awareness and knowledge related to the topic.

UW Public Lectures: From Artistic Joy to Collective Wellness
Marc Bamuthi Joseph is a 2017 TED Global Fellow, an inaugural recipient of the Guggenheim Social Practice initiative, and an honoree of the United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship. Bamuthi’s opera libretto, We Shall Not Be Moved, was named one of 2017’s “Best Classical Music Performances” by The New York Times. His evening length work created…

UW Public Lectures: Building Scyborgs: An Evening on Decolonization
Join scholar, organizer, and co-conspirator K. Wayne Yang as he shares stories about decolonizing endeavors from past, present, future and speculative somewheres. How do we bend our own complicity in colonial institutions to forward Indigenous, Black, queer, and Other futures locally and globally? Come ready to consider your own scyborg powers and plans. K. Wayne…

UW Public Lectures: Tina Campt
Dr. Tina Campt is a black feminist theorist of visual culture and contemporary art and lead convener of the Practicing Refusal Collective and the Sojourner Project. She began her career as a historian of modern Germany, earning a Ph.D. in history from Cornell University. She is one of the founding scholars of Black European Studies,…

“UW Public Lectures: Disability Justice: Centering Intersectionality and Liberation”
Joining another event in the ‘UW Public Lecture Series’ is Patty Berne, Cofounder and Executive Artistic Director of ‘Sins Invalid’, to discuss the importance of intersectionality in disability justice and the need to address how diverse systems of oppression reinforce each other. Ms. Berne’s work creates a framework and practice of disability justice, which centers…

UW Public Lectures: An Evening with Alice Wong
This is another event in the ‘UW Public Lecture Series’. Alice Wong will be remotely joining moderated converstation addressing topics important to her work in raising the visibility of disabled people. Alice Wong is a disabled activist, writer, media maker, and consultant. She is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online…

RISE UP: Be the Domino
Join us at our 2nd annual Rise Up Conference. Spend the day with us as we tackle issues related to racial and social justice with empathy and respect to all.
Local Hero Spotlight
Members can nominate a local hero for recognition on their local LoveJustice.com city page!
Anyone and everyone can make an impact, and at LoveJustice we believe that they deserve to be recognized for their good, necessary work!
