URGENT Update for Our Neighbors
February 2010
Community Assistance Council Needs Your Help!
Community Assistance Council has been providing services in south Kansas City for over 30 years. Much of our ability to provide these services depends on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds awarded through the city of Kansas City, Missouri. We have been informed that we will not receive any of these funds this year.
Without this support, services will not be available to area residents after May 31, 2010.
We have an opportunity to appeal this recommendation on February 24, 2010 at the first of three Housing Committee hearings. We need your support. There are three ways you can help.
1) Please call, write or email your City Council representatives and tell them in your own words how Community Assistance Council and its programs are important to south Kansas City and that you believe full funding should be restored. Your call or letter can be very simple and short. If you would like a sample letter to assist you, contact Pam Meek, 816-763-3277, ext 108, or email at pamm@cackc.org. As you write your letter of support, CAC would appreciate a copy of your letter. We will compile the copies and present them as a bundle to Council members at the hearing. You can email a copy of your letter to us, or drop a hard copy by our office.
2) In addition to contacting City Council representatives, it would greatly help us if you would forward this appeal to anyone in the community that would support us in our efforts.
3) Please consider coming with us to City Hall to the hearing on February 24, at 12 noon, to show support for our agency. If you would like to go and need transportation, we will have vehicles available to carpool. Should you need assistance with directions or parking information, please let us know. This is our best opportunity to show community support in large numbers.
Below is some information regarding Community Assistance Council and the work we do. Feel free to use any of this information in your correspondence.Please note that none of these services will be available to area residents through CAC without CDBG funding. In addition, only the Hickman Mills Prevention Coalition and Catholic Charities partnerships could continue, but would be housed elsewhere.
You will find names, addresses and phone numbers for city council members and the mayor at the end of this message.
We realize this is a great deal of information to look at, but we wanted to show you the full impact that Community Assistance Council has in south Kansas City. Please take the time to review and offer your support in any way you can.
Thank You!
What we do ~ by the numbers…….
Last fiscal year (12 months) 1,070 households $ 239,124
Current fiscal year (first 6 months) 1,013 households $ 265,937
This represents an increase of 120% over all of last year in only six months!
50% of the people we serve are children aged 19 and younger.
Ø Direct Services Provided by Community Assistance Council:
- Blankets
- Clothes Closet
- Coats
- Educational Classes
- Food Pantry
- Rent Assistance
- Legal Assistance
- School Supplies
- Transportation Expenses
- Utility Assistance
- Fans
- Homeless Prevention
- Strengths Based Case Management
- Holiday Store
- Thanksgiving Adoptions
- Volunteer Opportunities
Ø Partnerships (these services would not be available without support from CAC):
· Project Strength ~ partnership with Harvesters ~ we provide the location for Harvesters nutritionists to offer hands-on training in planning and preparing low cost, nutritious foods.
· BackSnack Program ~ partnership with Hickman Mills School District, Harvesters and area churches. Backpacks filled with easy to prepare foods are sent home each Friday with 800 students who are at risk of being nutritionally deprived over the week-end. CAC coordinates the volunteers from 9 churches who stuff the backpacks for the schools to distribute.
· Energy Crisis Intervention Program / Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (ECIP/LIHEAP) services for area residents – partnership with United Services Community Action Agency. CAC provides the location for a caseworker from United Services to see clients needing assistance with energy costs.
· Food pantry on southwest side of city ~ partnership with St. Peter’s United Church of Christ – We provide support to St. Peter’s in the form of training and administration. Almost all of the clients seen at this location have not received services before.
· Share Network Access Point (SNAP) Center ~ partnership with Full Employment Council / Missouri Career Center that provides computers and resume software for people looking for employment.
· Hickman Mills School District ~ they are very generous in their support of CAC and allow us to use one of their buildings at a very low cost because many of the families we serve have students in the district.
· Hickman Mills Prevention Coalition ~ we are the fiscal agent and house the staff for this drug and alcohol education and prevention program aimed primarily at youth.
· Meals on Wheels ~ partnership with Mid America Regional Council – we coordinate the volunteers delivering hot, noon meals and provide well-being checks to 35 senior citizens in our area.
· Kansas City Medicine Cabinet ~ we are one of 7 agencies who provide access to emergency medical assistance with optical, dental and prescription expenses.
· Catholic Charities ~ we partner with Catholic Charities providing Homeless Prevention services in south Kansas City, Missouri.
Ø Contact Information for Housing Committee Members
Chairperson – Sharon Sanders-Brooks (513-1608)
kimberly_randolph@kcmo.org
Members - Bill Skaggs (513-1619)
jackie_burton@kcmo.org
Ed Ford (513-1601)
lisa_minardi@kcmo.org
Melba Curls (513-1605)
melba_curls@kcmo.org
John Sharp (513-1615)
john_sharp@kcmo.org
Ø Contact Information for City Council Members
1st District Deb Hermann (513-1624)
terri _wolfe@kcmo.org
Bill Skaggs (513-1619)
jackie_burton@kcmo.org
2nd District Ed Ford (513-1601)
lisa_minardi@kcmo.org
Russ Johnson (513-1622)
traci_gleason@kcmo.org
3rd District Melba Curls (513-1605)
melba_curls@kcmo.org
Sharon Sanders-Brooks (513-1608)
kimberly_randolph@kcmo.org
4th District Beth Gottstein (513-1616)
jim_giles@kcmo.org
Jan Marcason (513-1617)
susan_borge@kcmo.org
5th District Cindy Circo (513-1633)
gina_boucher@kcmo.org
Terry Riley (513-1629)
schylon_clayton@kcmo.org
6th District Cathy Jolly (513-1602)
cathy_jolly@kcmo.org
John A. Sharp (513-1615)
john_sharp@kcmo.org
Mayor Mark Funkhouser (513-3500)
tellthemayor@kcmo.org
Address for all Council Members and Mayor:
414 E. 12th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64106
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Carol Owsley, Executive Director, 816-763-3277,
or email carolo@cackc.org.
Community Assistance Council empowers individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency through the delivery of direct emergency assistance, education and advocacy.
URGENT Update for Our Neighbors
February 2010
Community Assistance Council Needs Your Help!
Community Assistance Council has been providing services in south Kansas City for over 30 years. Much of our ability to provide these services depends on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds awarded through the city of Kansas City, Missouri. We have been informed that we will not receive any of these funds this year.
Without this support, services will not be available to area residents after May 31, 2010.
We have an opportunity to appeal this recommendation on February 24, 2010 at the first of three Housing Committee hearings. We need your support. There are three ways you can help.
1) Please call, write or email your City Council representatives and tell them in your own words how Community Assistance Council and its programs are important to south Kansas City and that you believe full funding should be restored. Your call or letter can be very simple and short. If you would like a sample letter to assist you, contact Pam Meek, 816-763-3277, ext 108, or email at pamm@cackc.org. As you write your letter of support, CAC would appreciate a copy of your letter. We will compile the copies and present them as a bundle to Council members at the hearing. You can email a copy of your letter to us, or drop a hard copy by our office.
2) In addition to contacting City Council representatives, it would greatly help us if you would forward this appeal to anyone in the community that would support us in our efforts.
3) Please consider coming with us to City Hall to the hearing on February 24, at 12 noon, to show support for our agency. If you would like to go and need transportation, we will have vehicles available to carpool. Should you need assistance with directions or parking information, please let us know. This is our best opportunity to show community support in large numbers.
Below is some information regarding Community Assistance Council and the work we do. Feel free to use any of this information in your correspondence.Please note that none of these services will be available to area residents through CAC without CDBG funding. In addition, only the Hickman Mills Prevention Coalition and Catholic Charities partnerships could continue, but would be housed elsewhere.
You will find names, addresses and phone numbers for city council members and the mayor at the end of this message.
We realize this is a great deal of information to look at, but we wanted to show you the full impact that Community Assistance Council has in south Kansas City. Please take the time to review and offer your support in any way you can.
Thank You!
|
Ø Direct Services Provided by Community Assistance Council:
- Blankets
- Clothes Closet
- Coats
- Educational Classes
- Food Pantry
- Rent Assistance
- Legal Assistance
- School Supplies
- Transportation Expenses
- Utility Assistance
- Fans
- Homeless Prevention
- Strengths Based Case Management
- Holiday Store
- Thanksgiving Adoptions
- Volunteer Opportunities
Ø Partnerships (these services would not be available without support from CAC):
· Project Strength ~ partnership with Harvesters ~ we provide the location for Harvesters nutritionists to offer hands-on training in planning and preparing low cost, nutritious foods.
· BackSnack Program ~ partnership with Hickman Mills School District, Harvesters and area churches. Backpacks filled with easy to prepare foods are sent home each Friday with 800 students who are at risk of being nutritionally deprived over the week-end. CAC coordinates the volunteers from 9 churches who stuff the backpacks for the schools to distribute.
· Energy Crisis Intervention Program / Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (ECIP/LIHEAP) services for area residents – partnership with United Services Community Action Agency. CAC provides the location for a caseworker from United Services to see clients needing assistance with energy costs.
· Food pantry on southwest side of city ~ partnership with St. Peter’s United Church of Christ – We provide support to St. Peter’s in the form of training and administration. Almost all of the clients seen at this location have not received services before.
· Share Network Access Point (SNAP) Center ~ partnership with Full Employment Council / Missouri Career Center that provides computers and resume software for people looking for employment.
· Hickman Mills School District ~ they are very generous in their support of CAC and allow us to use one of their buildings at a very low cost because many of the families we serve have students in the district.
· Hickman Mills Prevention Coalition ~ we are the fiscal agent and house the staff for this drug and alcohol education and prevention program aimed primarily at youth.
· Meals on Wheels ~ partnership with Mid America Regional Council – we coordinate the volunteers delivering hot, noon meals and provide well-being checks to 35 senior citizens in our area.
· Kansas City Medicine Cabinet ~ we are one of 7 agencies who provide access to emergency medical assistance with optical, dental and prescription expenses.
· Catholic Charities ~ we partner with Catholic Charities providing Homeless Prevention services in south Kansas City, Missouri.
Ø Contact Information for Housing Committee Members
Chairperson – Sharon Sanders-Brooks (513-1608)
Members - Bill Skaggs (513-1619)
jackie_burton@kcmo.org
Ed Ford (513-1601)
lisa_minardi@kcmo.org
Melba Curls (513-1605)
melba_curls@kcmo.org
John Sharp (513-1615)
john_sharp@kcmo.org
Ø Contact Information for City Council Members
1st District Deb Hermann (513-1624)
Bill Skaggs (513-1619)
jackie_burton@kcmo.org
2nd District Ed Ford (513-1601)
Russ Johnson (513-1622)
traci_gleason@kcmo.org
3rd District Melba Curls (513-1605)
4th District Beth Gottstein (513-1616)
5th District Cindy Circo (513-1633)
6th District Cathy Jolly (513-1602)
Mayor Mark Funkhouser (513-3500)
Address for all Council Members and Mayor:
414 E. 12th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64106
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Carol Owsley, Executive Director, 816-763-3277,
or email carolo@cackc.org.
Community Assistance Council empowers individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency through the delivery of direct emergency assistance, education and advocacy.