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

E-SIDE STORY- a dramatization and fundraiser to prevent teen Gun Violence.
E-SIDE STORY is a contemporary dramatization about Black /Latina teen life in urban cities in a season of social media beefs & gun violence A NITE OF THEATER THERAPY… LIVE STAGE VIGNETTE & BONUS “TALK BACK”- HOSTED BY DR. GEORGE JAMES, LMFT…EXEC. DIRECTOR C/O GEORGE TALKS, LLC. ALL UNDER THE STARS @ THE AFRICAN AMERICAN…

Opera in the Park – Fairmount Park Conservancy
Join the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Opera Philadelphia for free performances at FDR Park on September 10 from 6:30—9:00 PM. Bring out the whole family for an evening of live music sets, food trucks, and opera on the big screen! This event is a partnership between the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Opera Philadelphia. 7:00: Live performances by…

Garden Tenders: How to Start and Sustain a Community Garden
Are you involved in a new community garden or looking to start one? Join us to learn what it takes to get a community garden started, and how to keep it going. This is not a gardening class — we will cover recruiting and keeping volunteers; assessing and finding resources in your neighborhood; garden management; land ownership/security;…

WPSR’s 2023 Health Justice Gala
About the eventWPSR’s 2023 Health Justice Gala Join WPSR for our annual Health Justice Gala on September 22, 2023! At WPSR’s annual fundraising gala, WPSR supporters like you gather to support and celebrate our work. This year, with your help we will raise $200,000 to fund our critical work confronting the gravest threats: the climate…

Poets Laureate Reading
This event is FREE and ADA accessible. Laura Da’ is a poet and teacher. A lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest, Da’ studied creative writing at the University of Washington and The Institute of American Indian Arts. Da’ is Eastern Shawnee. She is the current Poet Laureate of Redmond, Washington and Poet Planner for King County, Washington. Her…

“On the Edge: 2nd International Latinx Performance Art Festival”
On the Edge: 2nd International Latinx Performance Art Festival is the second Latinx performance art festival based in Seattle, showcasing a wide range of experimental performance grounded in the themes of inclusion, identity and intersectionality. Featuring a wide range of pan-Latine/x artists and supporters, these performances will range from intimate, single-person storytelling, to medium-length, mixed-media group performances,…

The Social Justice Film Festival
Through strategic partnerships with Pacific Northwest organizations working on issues of social justice, the Social Justice Film Festival features short and feature-length documentaries and narrative films related to social justice. As a movement, social justice promotes a global culture where equality is achieved on all levels. This includes issues pertaining to incarceration, the environment and…

Seattle Broadway Inclusion Program
STG’s Broadway Inclusion Program provides theatre arts programming to neurodivergent and/or disabled community members and their families and caregivers. Participants tend to be between 8-50 years old, but all ages and abilities are welcome! Participants meet once a week to explore musical theatre and movement-based activities in a creative and safe environment. At the end…

CL56: Heeding the Call of the Student
Where do the voices of students call you to take them? What do you hear that points to a path where their concerns and passions can drive a richer exploration of what you had hoped to cover anyway? Join us as we kick off our 8th season of Collab Labs with a discussion focused on…

Forest Rescue at North SeatTac Park
“North SeaTac Park is a 200+ acre urban oasis four miles south of Seattle filled with creeks, wetlands, towering trees, and amazing recreational amenities. Tub Lake, thought to be the last true peat bog left in the Seattle area, is also in this park, Join us at this Green SeaTac Partnership event to help free…
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!
