| PURPOSE | WORK | IMPACT | PARTNERS | TEAM | COMMUNICATIONS | NEWSROOM |
We know there are hundreds of success stories from Recognition Grants that are out there waiting to be told. Please share your stories with us! They can be long or short, sentimental or serious it's up to you. Follow this link to upload your stories now: The StoryRonald McDonald House helps Holyrood family from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 On March 21, Stephanie Petermann was enjoying a healthy pregnancy and looking forward to meeting her baby face-to-face sometime around his July 7 due date. But on March 22, without warning, contractions woke her up. Holyrood, the small Central Kansas town that the Petermann family calls home, doesn’t have a hospital, so Michael Petermann drove his wife 27 miles to a hospital in Great Bend. The medical staff there spent most of March 23 trying to stop her premature labor, but when they weren’t able to do that, they put Stephanie Petermann on an emergency flight to Wichita’s Wesley Medical Center. At just 24 weeks and six days into the pregnancy, her baby’s life was hanging in the balance. “Your life just stops,” Stephanie Petermann says, recalling that night. Silas John Petermann came into the world early the next morning weighing 2 pounds, 1 ounce. Even with specialized intensive care, no one could guarantee that he would survive. “It was so unbelievably scary,” Stephanie Petermann says. “We just didn’t know what to expect from one minute to the next.” This crisis had taken the Petermanns hours away from their farm, and it had given them no time to prepare for the challenges that the months ahead would bring. At first, they didn’t know where they would sleep or eat. Their sole priority was staying close to Silas. A hospital staff member encouraged the Petermanns to contact Wichita’s Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit organization that provides a home away from home for families with critically ill children. “When I called to make the reservation, they said a room had just opened up,” Stephanie Petermann says. “Had I called earlier in the day, they wouldn’t have had room for us.” A Ronald McDonald House is right across the street from the hospital, so the Petermanns could be with Silas at a moment’s notice while also having a comfortable place to rest, eat meals, do laundry and connect with other families facing similar struggles. More than 85 percent of the families helped by Wichita’s two Ronald McDonald Houses live in Kansas, and approximately 85 percent of those families have low incomes. Without financial donations, a room at the Ronald McDonald House for one night would cost a family about $65. A $25,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation helps support more than 600 of these families in need. Contributions and grants make it possible for the Ronald McDonald House to charge just $15 per night and offer additional scholarships to families that can’t afford to pay. “Many families from rural areas around the state need us because the hospitals in their towns just can’t deal with that kind of crisis,” says Patt Martin, a house manager at the Ronald McDonald House where the Petermanns stayed. “Even at $15 a night, if you’re here for months – and many families are – that can get expensive. So with the scholarships we’re able to give here, we hope it just gives them a sense of relief financially.” The first few weeks in the hospital tested the Petermanns’ strength and Silas’ will to fight for his life. The tiny boy was often hooked up to a ventilator, and sometimes several days would pass before his parents could hold him again. “We waited 21 days for him to open his eyes,” Michael Petermann says. At least six rounds of antibiotics helped Silas battle several infections, which can be life-threatening for a premature baby. He was also diagnosed with a bowel issue and treated several times for jaundice. But even during the hardest days, Stephanie Petermann took to heart a conversation she’d had with another mother at the Ronald McDonald House whose daughter was in the hospital undergoing treatment for leukemia. One day, the mother came into the kitchen and said that her child had died. “She just told us to be thankful that we had a reason to be at the hospital with our children,” Stephanie Petermann says. “To cherish every day, even the bad ones, because that’s another day you have with your child.” Once Silas’ health began to stabilize, he still needed to gain weight before going home. “When you have a child in the NICU, there really is no such thing as planning,” Stephanie Petermann says. “After we’d been there for a while, it felt good to help the new families coming in and let them know that chances are things are going to be OK at the end, but it’s going to be a very hard road to get there.” After 86 days in the hospital, the Petermanns were finally able to bring Silas home to the Holyrood farm where his father grew up. On a warm and windy evening in mid-August, Silas snuggles into his mother’s arms and drinks some pear juice from a bottle. He’s now 41/2 months old and weighs about 8 pounds, 5 ounces -- a typical weight for a newborn. Doctors and developmental specialists are following his progress, but Silas no longer needs any medications or monitors. His doting sister, Emily, loves to put Silas in his stroller and give him rides around the house. She’s the one who suggested the name Silas, after a character in “Septimus Heap,” a series of novels she enjoys. Her face lights up with a grin as she leans over the couch, watching Silas’ every move. After finishing his bottle, Silas gets a little workout by vigorously waving his arms, kicking his feet and balling his tiny hands into fists. “He’s always been this active from the day he was born,” Stephanie Petermann says. “We were joking that that’s why he came early, because he thought he ran out of room.” When Dad takes a turn holding him, Silas nestles against him and coos. “Hey Squeaker,” Michael Petermann says softly to his son. “He’s just now starting to coo and talk and grin a little bit.” The Petermanns say staying at the Ronald McDonald House during Silas’ medical crisis lifted part of the burden from their shoulders, and they’re grateful for the help and support that came from the staff and volunteers there. “I would just say thank you and that I think they are wonderful people for giving their time and energy to the Ronald McDonald House, and I hope that they realize how special they are for doing that,” Stephanie Petermann says. “I feel that my son is better off because of the fact that the Ronald McDonald House exists.” The Pictures
The Video
The StoryUlrich tours make learning fun for Kansas kids from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 Grade schoolers crowd around Aimee Geist, leaning in to get a closer look at the sparkling piece of glass she holds. “This is just like the pieces of glass that make up the mural up there,” Geist tells them, pointing to Personnages Oiseaux, a well-known work of art by Joan Miro that graces the entrance of the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. “It took about five years to make, and it’s the largest piece by this artist in the entire world.” Geist asks the children to guess how many pieces of glass the mural contains. “Ten thousand?” a girl asks. “Ten MILLION,” a boy answers. “Those are good guesses,” Geist says. “There are about 1 million pieces of glass up there.” With the kids still ooohing and aaahing over the mural, Geist guides the group over to the Millipede sculpture. “We call her Millie,” Geist says, “and the artist, Tom Otterness, likes it when kids sit on her.” The children immediately take the hint, scrambling up the bronze sculpture to find good seats. Their hands shoot high into the air when Geist wonders aloud what happens to Millie when the sun shines on her. “She gets hot!” they say. “That’s right! Good job,” Geist tells them. “Would it surprise you if I said that Millie weighs 7,000 pounds?” Geist asks. “DANG!” a girl responds with wonder in her voice. As the curator of education at the Ulrich Museum, Geist leads tours for thousands of schoolchildren each year. “It’s a little song, it’s a little dance and it’s a lot of education whether they know it or not, but we’re having some fun while we’re doing it,” she says. “We want the kids to walk away saying, ‘Oh, I want to go back! How soon can I come back? I can’t wait to come back with my parents.’” But the country’s economic woes have caused many Kansas school districts to slash funding for field trips. “We’re free regardless, and there is no charge for any kind of tour at Ulrich, but there aren’t very generous funds for school field trips. Now more than ever, schools would not be able to come without financial help,” Ulrich director Patricia McDonnell says. “Things that you consider frills are getting cut from school budgets, and field trips are one of those things. Even though we’re a university art museum, we take very seriously our role in connecting with students of all ages.” A $22,375 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation supports arts appreciation programs at Ulrich for 5,000 elementary and middle school students. This funding helps provide one of the few free field-trip opportunities for area students. “One of the things that was so fabulous about this award from the Kansas Health Foundation is that this funding enabled us to stretch dollars to really support the bus reimbursement program,” McDonnell says. The bus reimbursement program offers schools the gas money they need to bring their students to Ulrich and back. “Cloud Elementary was not going to get to come this year because their budget was cut, but because of this program, now they’re coming,” Geist says. “Outdoor tours are always wonderful with kids because there’s more freedom to express yourself,” Geist says. “You can talk a little louder, wave your arms a little bigger and be a little more rambunctious. Our tours are purposefully not a lecture. We promote inquiry. We require the kids to be reflective. You’re not just here to listen, you need to share something about yourself. Education is a lifelong endeavor, and education can be fun. An art museum can be fun.” “We want them to go home and say, ‘Mom, Dad, this was so neat! Can’t we take the whole family back on the weekend?’” she says. “We want to grow the habit that this could be a Saturday afternoon activity.” Scientific research proves that the arts really make a difference in people’s lives, McDonnell says. “There’s huge value of the arts in our lives, and in a larger community, it gives us a different perspective on the world,” she says. “In doing that, it expands us to become more tolerant and it exposes us to different cultures. The arts do absolutely enrich our lives and strengthen our communities by things such as increased scores in school testing and decreased crime rates.” Moving along on the tour, Geist delights the youngsters by leading them in a game of Simon Says at the Fountain Wall sculpture. As water trickles down the rose-colored granite, Geist plays the role of Simon. “Simon says put your left hand on the water wall,” Geist tells the children before deciding to jump in and play along with them. “Ooh, it’s cold,” she exclaims as she plants her hand on the wall. “The water’s getting on my toes.” Next, Geist shows the children a small piece of granite identical to the stone that makes up the Fountain Wall. “Look at how it looks when it’s dry and then look at what it looks like when it’s wet,” she says. “How is it different?” “How does the water get down the wall?” one boy asks. “That’s a great question! There is actually a pump station here that sends the water down the wall,” Geist explains. As the group walks to the next sculpture, Geist asks the kids to name some materials that wouldn’t make good sculptures. “Sand,” a boy says. “Yes, why wouldn’t sand make a good sculpture?” she asks him. “Umm, because it would wash away,” he says. “That’s right,” Geist replies. “What else wouldn’t make a good sculpture?” she prompts the group again. “Chocolate!” a girl pipes up. “Oh, that’s right too,” Geist says as the two share a laugh. “That would get pretty messy. But I don’t know, I might like to have a sculpture made out of chocolate some days.” The kids giggle as Geist talks to them about Howl, another sculpture she shows them. She kneels on the ground with the group around the coyote, explaining that she wants them to howl out to their friends or family so people far away can hear them. “Ow-oooh!” the kids reply. “They can’t hear that,” Geist says. “You have to throw your heads back and really let them hear you!” The children sit up on their knees and take deep breaths as Geist counts to three. “OWW-OOOOH!” they shout. “That’s much better,” Geist says, throwing her own head back in laughter. Some of the children are disappointed to see the tour end, but their moods brighten again when Geist passes out stickers that they can each take home. The robot stickers promote the museum’s new fall exhibit. “Thank you for coming,” she tells the kids. “I hope you can come back again soon!” The Pictures
The Video
The StoryRiders go on life-changing journeys with Miles of Smiles from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 Emily Burns carries 5-year-old J.R. Garcia into the dusty Garden City arena where Twister, the horse he rides, is waiting patiently. “OK, are you ready to go for a ride?” she asks the smiling boy who has cerebral palsy. “One ... two ... THREE!” Burns says as two volunteers help her lift J.R. up to sit on Twister’s back. Burns and the other volunteers each keep one hand on Twister and another on J.R. as they slowly guide the horse around the arena. The boy flashes a wide grin and waves whenever he rides past his family. “Mom!” he calls out. Children aren’t the only little ones with disabilities at Miles of Smiles. As Twister takes J.R. around in circles, a miniature horse named Magic stands nearby, watching the action. Magic’s former owner donated her to Miles of Smiles after the tiny horse injured one of her feet so badly that it was cut off. Magic makes a good and gentle friend for many of the children in the program. Sometimes when she sees a child in a wheelchair, Magic will walk right up to him and lay her head down in his lap. Some might think that walking without one of her feet would be hard for Magic, but her uneven gait doesn’t slow her down one bit. In fact, the miniature horse often prefers running. One recent morning on her way to the arena, Magic’s need for speed kept her escort, Sara Brown, struggling to keep up and breathless by the time the two reached their destination. “Magic is a perfect example of how even with a disability, you have a purpose in life,” says Brown, director of programs for Miles of Smiles. After taking a few laps around the arena, Twister and two other horses stand still so their young riders can do some exercises. The children try to hold their arms out wide at their sides to practice their balance, and then instructor Ellen Lynn asks them to lie back on their horses. “Take a nap. There you go,” Burns tells J.R. as she gently helps him lie with his back flat against Twister. “Good job! Now sit up,” she says, adjusting his navy blue helmet to fit more snugly. A special education teacher, Burns has been a volunteer with the Miles of Smiles therapeutic riding program since she was in high school. When asked to share a story about someone she helped that will always stay in her mind, Burns talks about Mershon Jones. The Miles of Smiles program aims to foster independence, improve self-esteem and provide better mobility to people with disabilities, and that’s exactly what it has done for Jones. About 20 years ago, Jones was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and over the years, the disease progressively robbed more of her physical capabilities and confidence, leaving her in a wheelchair. Her husband helped take care of her, but when he died in 2006, Jones wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to live in the house by herself. She was afraid to drive, and many of the things she had wanted to do someday -- like take a cruise to Alaska -- felt impossible. Then a friend told her about Miles of Smiles and encouraged her to think about joining the program. “I love horses so much,” Jones says as she strokes the nose of a chestnut-colored horse named Foxy. “The chance to be around them gave me the motivation I needed to get out of my house. It’s been an empowering thing to get the courage to drive myself.” Two summers ago, Jones began driving one hour each way from her Dighton home to the Miles of Smiles site for weekly riding lessons, but driving wasn’t the only fear she needed to conquer. “She was so scared to get on the horse,” Burns says. At first, it was physically impossible for Jones to sit on a horse because her leg muscles wouldn’t stretch enough. It took four people to get her on a horse, and the volunteers walked beside her throughout her rides. “She felt uneasy if her feet just dangled, so we held the bottom of her feet so she felt more secure,” Burns says. After about six weeks of lessons, Jones had gained enough flexibility and confidence that she felt more comfortable sitting on a horse. It takes much longer for some clients to even think about getting on a horse. Seven-year-old Kermit Hunter, who has autism, took his journey toward riding in small steps. At first, he got used to wearing his helmet. Next, he stood closer to the horse. Later, he petted the horse and learned how to help groom the animal. Kermit had been taking lessons for more than a year when the boy, who rarely spoke, took everyone at Miles of Smiles by surprise one day. “His mother lifted him up to help brush the top of the horse and he just grabbed onto the horse’s mane and said, “UP! Let’s go!” as the shocked volunteers scrambled to untie the horse and take Kermit for his first ride, Brown says. “That was huge progress for him.” Jones says she’s learned a lot in her own life by watching children like Kermit sample adventures and gain new skills. Over time in the program, Jones gained lots of self-esteem, made a bunch of friends and spent many hours with the beloved horses at Miles of Smiles. Riding horses has not only helped her face her fears, but it’s also given her many physical benefits. “My posture’s better,” she says. “It exercises my legs, and I have to balance myself as the horse moves side to side.” Last year, she put her newfound confidence into action by finally taking the cruise to Alaska that she had been dreaming about. “It was such a wonderful time, and I never would have done that without Miles of Smiles,” she says. “This is one of the happiest, best things in my life.” Even though horseback riding helps their health, many Miles of Smiles clients can’t afford it. Without financial help, an hour of riding would cost about $85, but a $5,593 Kansas Health Foundation grant provided scholarships for at least 27 Southwest Kansas riders this year. “That scholarship money was a blessing -- it really was,” Brown says. “I had never written a grant before, and I didn’t know what to expect, but there were so many of our riders who benefited from that.” Jones reaches out to take a Foundation staffer’s hand at the end of a visit. “I just can’t thank you all enough,” she says. “The Foundation will never know how much it means that it funds this program. If it wasn’t for you guys, I wouldn’t be able to ride, and this has changed my life.” The Pictures
The Video
The StoryOakley teams up to help the community from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 With the smell of fresh popcorn in the air and a line forming at the ticket counter, Oakley’s Palace Theatre might seem like any other small-town movie theater, but it’s not. The high school students who keep the concession stand stocked, clean the facility and sell tickets don’t just work there – their class runs the place in exchange for college scholarships. When the former owners closed the theater in 2001, Oakley Mayor Frank Munk came up with a plan for the town to buy the theater, donate it to the high school and let students take charge of it. “We couldn’t let our theater go down the tubes,” Munk says. “I called a friend of mine, and he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ It started as a nonprofit, and we had the whole town behind us.” Schools saved bucketfuls of pennies for the theater, church members held a quilt raffle, and a bank sent over a cashier’s check to help cover remodeling costs. Town residents volunteered to deliver pizzas and give the generous tips to the theater project. Each Sunday, 40 to 50 people would show up at the Palace to help rip out the old seats, haul trash to the dump, paint, replace the carpeting or hang curtains. “There are things to do for your town if you just want to spend the time and the energy,” Munk says. “It doesn’t take a lot of money either.” The town’s investment of about $20,000 and countless volunteer hours to get the Palace Theatre back up and running has paid off handsomely because not only does the theater give Oakley’s kids a fun and safe place to go on the weekends, but it also helps the high school students connect more with the community. “If you take away the sports they do and you take away the theater, there’s really nothing else for kids to do here on a weekend,” says Jesse Janzen, the teacher who oversees the entrepreneurship class that runs the theater. “It’s worked out really well.” Oakley has banded together with about 20 other northwest Kansas towns in search of ways to keep young people from leaving the communities where they grew up, and a $22,348 Kansas Health Foundation grant supports that effort. This funding paid for a Fort Hays State University leadership program that worked with the Northwest Kansas Mayor’s Association to increase community involvement among young people. “The more connection and the greater sense of belonging young people have in their community increases the chances they’ll come back to their community,” says Brent Goertzen, who heads up the Fort Hays State University leadership program. Statistics show the urgent need for young people to return to their northwest Kansas roots, he says. Between 1990 and 2007, the state of Kansas increased its population by more than 12 percent, yet all but one northwest Kansas county lost between 8 percent and 22 percent of their residents. “Smith County had 50 percent less youth in 2000 than in 1980,” Goertzen says. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that these trends aren’t sustainable. Take another generation of decline like this and this part of Kansas is going to look radically different.” So members of the leadership program hit the road to poll schools in northwest Kansas towns. They asked teenagers what it would take to keep them in town as adults. “One of the major themes is they claim that they don’t have anything to do, so we’re working with communities to try to fix that,” Goertzen says. He praises Oakley for how it has given kids the leading role in reviving the town’s movie theater. “This is a tremendous service to let students see what running a business is like and also to see, ‘How do we promote the community good?’” Goertzen says. “Not every town is going to have their own theater, but other towns can use it as an analogy to get students involved.” This year, 11 students are taking the entrepreneurship class that manages the Palace Theatre. They make purchase orders for supplies, pay all the theater’s bills, run the theater’s Web site, find businesses each week that will sponsor the movies, update the marquee, keep the theater clean and recruit volunteers to work at the concession stand. “I think that the theater has brought the community closer together,” says Lindsey Hoss, a student who helped run the Palace last year. “We have to call people and ask them to work the concession stand, so that really brings community involvement, and it’s just a place for people to go so they don’t have to drive 20 or 25 minutes out of town to see a movie.” The 18-year-old says her experience running the Palace helped prepare her for success as she starts her first year at Colby Community College. She plans to major in psychology, and she hopes to become a child psychologist. “I learned that you have to be really responsible and you all have to work together as a team,” Hoss says. “Everyone really needed to carry their own weight or someone else had to do a lot more.” All of the theater’s profits go into a scholarship fund, and at the end of the year, the fund is divided evenly among the members of the entrepreneurship class. This year’s goal is to give each student a $1,000 scholarship. Oakley also endeavors to raise about $80,000 over the next year or two to buy the theater a digital projection system, Janzen says. The companies that supply movies to theaters across the country are phasing out their 35-millimeter film reels, so if Oakley can’t manage to get the money to switch to a digital system, the Palace Theatre would be in danger of closing again. Munk and the entrepreneurship class are determined that Oakley won’t lose its theater a second time. They plan to hold fund-raisers and contact local companies, banks and other groups to get the funding for the new equipment that will keep the Palace in business. Munk’s eyes twinkle as he watches friends, neighbors and families gather in the theater’s lobby to buy tickets and refreshments before the Sunday night movie starts. “I’ve seen several kids over the years turn around,” he says. “We’ve had several come back to work and just be back in the community. They talk about their work at the theater, and they’re pretty proud of what they accomplished.” “We pulled the town together, and it set an example of what you can do with just a little bit of money,” Munk says. “It’s good for the kids, and it’s good for the whole community.” The Pictures
The StoryProgram lends young families a hand in Topeka from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 Fifteen-month-old Giovanni drains the last of the milk from his yellow sippy cup, then toddles over to his mother with his arms raised. Francisca Yavra scoops up her little boy and kisses him. “Are you having fun today?” she asks as she carries him to a rocking chair to read. He smiles and points with her at the pictures on the book’s pages as other children at the high school’s day care center play nearby. At age 17, Francisca is juggling the responsibilities of school and motherhood. Last year, school officials feared that Francisca might drop out before graduating and they encouraged her to join a new summer program there for teen moms. The Kansas Health Foundation completely covered the costs of this Parents Day Out program at TDC Learning Centers in Topeka with a $16,655 grant. This program sought to help teen parents learn good parenting skills and finish their educations. Statistics reveal the need for programs like this, because families headed by a teenage mother are seven times more likely to drop out of school and be dependent on public assistance. And unless young parents know how to deal positively with their children’s behavior and meet their needs, their little ones are at high risk for abuse and neglect. “Summer has great potential for higher stress levels,” says Kerry Tummons, who developed the program. “We’re kind of the front line a lot of times in identifying suspected abuse in the babies and in the parents.” Tummons says the Parents Day Out program uncovered the fact that one teen mom was being abused by her boyfriend and offered her help. When the program’s social worker learned that another young mother was putting her child in a car seat that was too small because she couldn’t afford to buy a larger one, a teacher immediately bought and installed a car seat that was the proper size. Each week, the program would begin with a healthy, hot breakfast for everyone. The instructors gave Francisca and the other parents activities to do with their babies and offered advice about how to handle parenting dilemmas, but they also took care of the children for a few hours to give the teens a chance to rest, do housework or run some errands. The teachers and a social worker visited many of the young families at home, and the children received developmental assessments that guided the program’s lesson plans. “I really did like it,” Francisca says. “It gave you a couple of hours to get done what you needed to get done and just helped you out for a day.” She learned how to make Giovanni a scrapbook and homemade toys like a container with triangles, squares and circles inside and the shapes cut out on the lid so that the boy could learn how to take the different shapes out and put them back inside. “Basically, I just learned a lot of things I can do with my kid and have fun and at the same time, he can be learning something,” Francisca says. Francisca wasn’t the only one who benefited from the Parents Day Out program. Among many other things, Giovanni learned some simple sign language. He knows how to say “more” and “all done” with his hands. The program “helped him a lot,” Francisca says. “Most of the things he knows he learned here. He’s talking a lot more now, and he’s very social. When he sees a lot of people, he gets so excited.” All of the teen parents who attended 90 percent of the summer Parents Day Out sessions each got a $50 Wal-Mart gift card and a bag with books and toys for their babies. “Some of the teens took their $50 and bought diapers or school supplies,” says program social worker Linda Weidner. “We were really proud of them that that’s how they spent their $50. It shows they learned a lot.” Weidner says she’s noticed many positive changes in Francisca through the course of the program. “I just saw her level of maturity increase, which really translated into her feeling more secure and confident as a parent,” Weidner said. “This is a young lady who seriously considered dropping out of school last year. She had a lot of attendance problems and tardies.” But when Francisca joined the Parents Day Out program, she came to almost every session. “I think that’s translated now to a better start to school this year,” Weidner says. “She knows that graduation is within her reach.” Francisca is on track to finish high school this semester and participate in the May graduation ceremony. Now, she’s set her sights above a high school diploma. “I want to go to a nursing school,” Francisca says. After finishing the book with Giovanni, she takes him over to play at a child-sized table. The toddler chuckles as they build a tall stack of blocks and his mother laughs along with him. At the end of the afternoon, Giovanni’s father, who is also a student at the high school, walks into the day care center and lifts his son high into the air as the boy’s face lights up with joy. The two teen parents gather their son’s belongings and the toddler’s dad holds him and whispers into his ear as the young family walks out the door together. The Pictures
The StoryA long trail to a happy ending near Goddard from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 Trying to build a trail can be a rough journey, but members of Prairie Travelers never gave up in their quest to create a trail between Garden Plain and Goddard that would provide a free recreational resource for people of all ages and abilities. In the beginning, about six years ago, some residents near the land designated for the trail strongly opposed the project. Larry Zimmerman, a former mayor of Goddard who’s now a City Council member, asked the city to consider allowing the trail. “There was a lot of opposition to even thinking about the trail, and I told them, ‘I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for three generations from now,’” he said. “When people realize the benefits of trails, then when new neighborhoods are built, they’ll build trails with them.” To gain Goddard’s support, Prairie Travelers found a landscape architect to design a plan for a park along with the part of the trail that would run through a half-mile of the city. The organization wrote a grant proposal for the half-mile park/trail. A grant from the state of Kansas funded 80 percent of the project and Goddard paid for the remaining 20 percent. The next hurdle was cleaning up the land to clear a path for this 8-mile Prairie Sunset Trail. Prairie Travelers hauled away 50 truckloads of trash, helped spread concrete over four abandoned bridges and installed hand rails to meet the requirements for pedestrian traffic. The volunteers even finished one mile of the trail without a contractor. “We about wore people out,” said Cecile Kellenbarger, Prairie Travelers administrator. A $25,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation provided materials for the development of a 21/2-mile section of the trail. Prairie Travelers chose crushed limestone for that part of the trail and trucked in the rock from an Andover quarry. “It really makes for a nice little pressed surface,” Kellenbarger said. “This has a little bit of give to it, so it’s better for runners, and it’s good for the schools around the trail.” The group schedules “work days” at least one Saturday a month for volunteers to help maintain the trail by pulling weeds, trimming trees and picking up litter. “A Boy Scout group out of Goddard came out last fall. They raised money for about 16 trees and they planted them,” Kellenbarger said. In August, the section of the trail funded by the Kansas Health Foundation opened to the public. Early one Saturday, Prairie Travelers volunteers gathered to help install new signs for the trail. Prairie Sunset Trail shows off the Kansas landscape with sunlight filtered through the trees and all of the colors of nature as far as the eye can see. If you’re walking quietly, in some spots you can see deer and other wildlife. “You see Kansas in its true nature here,” said Ruth Holliday, secretary of Prairie Travelers. Several walkers came past while the group was there. “What do you think of it?” Prairie Travelers member Ed Lincoln asked one couple. “It’s great,” the man replied. “We love it.” One bicyclist rode right up to the group and stopped to talk. “Thanks for the trail,” he said before pedaling away. Prairie Travelers is working to create partnerships with schools and civic groups in the Goddard area to encourage use of the trail for sports teams, community events and physical therapy. Goddard hosted a run on the trail during its Harvest Festival, and a physical education teacher from Garden Plain brings groups of students out on the trail several times a year. One of the earliest staunch opponents of the trail now walks along part of it almost every day. “She’s the one who calls us if she sees something we need to know about,” Holliday said. Lincoln believes that once more people realize the opportunities the trail provides, “they’ll see what a great resource this is.” “Once a trail is there, it’s really the ‘Field of Dreams’ thing,” Lincoln said. “Once it’s there, everybody uses it.” Prairie Travelers wants to expand trails across the state. Eventually, the group would like to connect the Prairie Sunset Trail to Wichita. “Trails are like roads. They’re not as useful unless they connect to each other,” Prairie Travelers volunteer Larry Bennett said. Bennett uses the trail to ride his bike to work and back, and he realizes the amount of sweat equity and sheer will it took for Prairie Travelers to get this trail open. “It’s been a long, hard slog for these folks,” he said. The group hopes that the Prairie Sunset Trail and future trails like it will bring Kansans closer to nature and improve the health of communities statewide. “We all know that this is something that won’t be done in our lifetimes, but it will definitely be good for future generations,” Zimmerman said. The Pictures
The StoryGrant helps CASA reach out to more Kansas children from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 A 2-year-old girl wanders around a Dodge City parking lot alone. Her mother, who uses drugs, is nowhere to be seen. When the court system steps in to help this toddler, the judge asks CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to assign a volunteer who will befriend the girl, guide her through the court process and be her voice for what the future should hold. That volunteer was Amy Dykes. She visited the little girl at her day care center, played with her and treated her to meals at Wendy’s sometimes, “which she was just thrilled at,” Dykes says. “You could tell that she didn’t have the same type of childhood that your children or mine have. In her short little life, she’d had a lot of things happen to her. It was very sad, but she really loved me and I love her too.” Every year, hundreds of abused and neglected Kansas children need CASA advocates to help the court system put their lives onto solid ground. Unfortunately, some of those children remain on waiting lists because the CASA organizations in parts of Kansas don’t have enough volunteers. Last spring, 22 children in the Dodge City area were on CASA’s waiting list. Now, thanks to the aid of a $14,552 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, only seven children are on that waiting list. “Since we got the Kansas Health Foundation grant, we have recruited more volunteers and done better quality training, and I know I can see that in the volunteers,” says Kristin Hines, executive director of CASA-Children Worth Saving in Dodge City. The biggest challenge that CASA volunteers in the Dodge City area face is that many of the children who need their help live an hour or two away. Each CASA advocate visits a child twice a month, which can be an expensive and time-consuming commitment in rural areas of Kansas. Judge Joey Duncan often appoints CASA to get involved in cases in his courtroom where abused children are affected. Sadly, child abuse is on the rise in Ford County, Duncan says. “We try to get the child’s point of view, but a lot of times, you can’t get the children to talk to an adult because they’re afraid,” Duncan says. “That’s what’s been impressive with the CASA volunteers I’ve been involved with.” The judge says CASA volunteers bond with the children and give the court a more in-depth look at what’s really going on with the families. “My philosophy as a person – not just a judge, but me personally – is what more important work is there than to help a child and to make sure their quality of life is what it should be,” Duncan says. “Just to let the kids know that there are people out there who love them and care about them. A lot of times, when kids come from broken homes or abusive homes, they start thinking, ‘Nobody loves me.’ A lot of these kids are just looking for someone to love them. It’s a very important responsibility, and we need people to get out there and get involved.” Many of the cases that come into Duncan’s courtroom involve drug-addicted parents or mothers whose boyfriends have abused or neglected their children. “There’s a low percentage of happy endings,” he says. “For many of these moms, the kids aren’t number one. The boyfriend is number one or the drugs are number one.” But CASA volunteers can be a positive force in the lives of these children, and they take their work to heart. “I have four children, and I could just never imagine one of them being in a situation like that,” Dykes says. “It just breaks your heart. There are kids out there who need you. You’re there to make sure they’re safe and that their needs are represented. They didn’t deserve to be in the situation that they are in. You’ve got kids that are just hugging on you and loving you because they’re connected to you. They don’t really know their lawyers or their case workers sometimes because those people can come in and out of their lives, but you have the relationship. They’re scared, they’re lonely.” Dykes still stays in touch with the little girl who was found wandering in the parking lot. Today, thanks to the aid that CASA and the courts gave her, she attends first grade and has been adopted by a loving and stable family. “She’s doing great,” Dykes says. The Pictures
The StoryKansas events ease the stigma of disease from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 A woman from western Kansas calls the Alzheimer’s Association hotline saying that she’d like to come to an informational meeting in her town about the disease, but her husband doesn’t want her to attend because he’s afraid that if she does, someone might take away his farm. Kathy Sikes has been on the receiving end of many similar phone calls from rural areas across the state. As the program director for the Alzheimer\\\'s Association in Central and Western Kansas, she wants to reduce the stigma that lives in many small towns about Alzheimer’s and get rural Kansans talking about it. But that’s easier said than done. When Sikes did a presentation in Oakley, only 13 people came and the community organizer said they couldn’t call the presentation Find Out About Alzheimer’s. “She told me, ‘When I say come find out about Alzheimer’s, nobody comes because nobody wants all of their neighbors to see them walking through the door when the posters around the community have been saying something about Alzheimer’s,’” Sikes says. “Think about all the people in smaller communities that are struggling as 24/7 caregivers, and it’s hard for them to reach out for help.” Another obstacle was that many rural Kansans didn’t want strangers coming into their towns telling them what to do. Then a Hillsboro woman whose father has Alzheimer’s brought Sikes an idea. She envisioned an educational event in her community that would feature a respected local pharmacist and other trusted medical professionals who were well-known in Hillsboro. Sikes helped people in Hillsboro set that event up and waited to see what would happen. To her surprise, more than 80 people showed up. “It was such a shock that we were literally dragging the lawn furniture into the room,” she says. Sikes came away knowing how important it would be to include local experts and to give each community ownership of future events. Someone from Hutchinson attended the Hillsboro event and asked the Alzheimer’s Association if a similar meeting could be held in her town. More than 100 Hutchinson residents showed up to hear local pharmacists and neurologists speak. “We were bringing in names that people there will recognize. That took root and it started really growing,” Sikes says. “We decided we’re taking this idea on the road.” The Kansas Health Foundation stepped in with a $12,162 grant to help the Alzheimer’s Association host community-led educational events in seven Central and Western Kansas counties on the issues surrounding Alzheimer’s. This project aims to serve people ages 65 and older, and it is needed because education and lifestyle changes can help avoid or delay cognitive decline in some cases. “We definitely appreciate the Foundation for making it possible,” Sikes says. “One of the difficulties is just driving back and forth, and it gets to be a real strain on funds. Having that extra help for the travel and providing materials to the communities takes a lot of pressure off of us.” The first six months of the project were spent identifying the people in each community who would help lead the charge for these events. Sikes started out in each town by attending the local health fair and talking to people and organizations that might be interested in participating. Then at least eight communities formed committees to plan these events with the Alzheimer’s Association and set a date. Beloit is one of those communities. On a September afternoon, about 20 people gathered at a retirement village to get advice and information from a pharmacist down the street and a local attorney. The group peppered pharmacist Chris Mondero with questions. Several medications are available to try to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, he says, but what helps one person might not be good for another. The group learns that some common over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines can worsen the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. “How many people in Beloit take medications for Alzheimer’s?” one woman asks. “We have a fair number of people on all of them,” Mondero answers. “If it wears out after a while, why do the doctors keep them on it?” another woman pipes up. “It’s better than nothing,” Mondero says. “We don’t have a cure for it, so this is the best we can do right now.” Attorney Jim Johnson stresses the importance of early estate planning, especially when farmland is involved. “Gifting assets to individuals can be a big problem, and lots of times, people don’t come to us until it’s too late for us to help them,” he says. Everyone in the room leaves with a door prize and a large packet of information including how to join support groups and get in touch with organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association and the Area Agency on Aging. “By making it OK to come to this event, it’s opening doors,” Sikes says. “It’s just opening that door for people to know that there’s help and that it’s OK to ask for it. It’s a disease, not something that you did wrong or that if you just thought harder, you could remember.” The Pictures
The StoryProgram gives students a fresh experience with nature from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 Weeds are not welcome in the gardens at Newton’s Sunset Elementary School. As the classes learn to identify weeds, some of the children even spend time at recess plucking the invaders from the soil. “They take their jobs as weed pickers very seriously,” says Amber Celestin, who teaches 4th grade at the school. “Woe to the bindweed that dares show its face here at Sunset!” The garden project also serves as a valuable teaching tool for a wide variety of lessons. “It provides an outdoor learning lab for countless science activities,” Celestin says. “It gives us a place to go for journal writing and silent reading. We have done a lot of measurement and graphing activities with the site in math. Planting and caring for that space has given them a sense of belonging and community that I think they were lacking before.” Sunset Elementary’s gardens represent just a fraction of the nature projects that dozens of Kansas teachers have brought back to their schools after attending training in the Earth Partnership for Schools program. The training helps educators include lessons on the environment in their curriculum, and the hands-on projects put the students in close contact with nature. Sunset Elementary’s four planting sites include 33 species of native grasses and forbs. The first three are butterfly/demonstration gardens, and the playground hosts one of these gardens. The fourth site was planted in Fall 2008, and it’s a “sensory garden” that includes native plants that appeal to the five senses with their interesting scents, colors and textures. “My students are becoming prairie experts,” Celestin says. “They love to be on the site. It has given them a connection to the outdoors that is tangible because it is right here in our own space. A lot of my students live very close to the school, and our playground is the only green space they have to play in.” Children sometimes surprise Celestin with how much they have learned from the gardens. After she asked her students to each choose a plant and write a research paper about it, one boy spotted his plant during a field trip to the Sedgwick County Zoo. “He made me stop and take his picture with it,” Celestin says. One evening, Celestin was at the grocery store when she heard someone calling her name. “I turned around to see this student running toward me with a bouquet of flowers she had just picked up in the floral department,” she says. “She was so excited to tell me that she recognized her plant in that bouquet and that she was going to buy the flowers so she could share her plant with her mom.” With support from a $24,882 Kansas Health Foundation grant, Hesston College and Dyck Arboretum of the Plains involved teachers and about 1,800 students in Earth Partnership for Schools in 2008. Participating schools come from Wichita, Sedgwick, Maize, Haysville, Junction City, Goddard, Hutchinson, Buhler, Pretty Prairie, Peabody, Marion, Walton, Hamilton and Goessel, says Brad Guhr, prairie restoration and education coordinator at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains. “Kansas Health Foundation funding has been critical to the existence of Earth Partnership for Schools in Kansas,” Guhr says. The Foundation grant helps pay for a staff person to administer all aspects of this program, including teacher recruitment, leading the summer and winter training sessions for teachers and lending expertise to the schools when planting time comes. “By having students transform school landscapes into natural habitats, their hands-on studies of science, math and related subjects can show them why learning is important and that they can make a difference,” Guhr says. Hesston College and the arboretum solicit applications from south-central Kansas schools throughout the school year. If you are interested in applying for the program or you would like to have more information about it, contact Brad Guhr at 620-327-8127, e-mail him at bradg@hesston.edu or visit the arboretum’s Web site at www.dyckarboretum.org. The training sessions for the Earth Partnership for Schools program are held in Wisconsin. “I came back from Madison feeling excited and ready to start planting,” Celestin says. “I am constantly finding ways to integrate our prairie sites here at Sunset into my lessons, and I think that exposure gives my students fresh insight into larger environmental issues because they now see the impact in our own back yard.” The Pictures
The StoryRed Cross exceeds CPR training goal from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 Leaving Wichita’s Towne West mall one day last summer, Bev Morlan saw a man who had collapsed. She rushed over to him and discovered that he wasn’t breathing. So Morlan, the executive director of American Red Cross Midway Kansas Chapter, put her CPR training into action and started rescue breathing. She placed her mouth over the man’s mouth and gently pinched his nose shut, then blew into his mouth for one second and continued giving him a breath every five seconds until a police officer and an ambulance arrived. After she turned the man’s care over to the emergency medical technicians on the scene, the EMT report said that the early rescue breathing Morlan did saved his life. But many people in Sedgwick County wouldn’t know how to help if they came across a similar emergency. Red Cross statistics indicate that in 2007, the number of Sedgwick County residents trained and certified in CPR and first aid techniques had dropped to only 8,500. That same year, 36 percent of deaths in Sedgwick County were natural deaths often caused by heart disease and cardiac arrest – 10 percent higher than the national average of 26 percent. To address this critical situation, the Kansas Health Foundation gave the Red Cross $19,525 to support 50 additional training classes in Sedgwick County. The grant aimed to serve 600 low-income Sedgwick County residents and provide first-aid kits to 100 families that could not afford them. With the help of this grant, the Red Cross has already trained 900 more people this year than in 2008, and the nonprofit organization was able to increase CPR/First Aid instructor Dana Burris’ hours so that more classes can be held. “We’re really trying to find ways to get more people trained, so it’s a much-needed time to have this grant,” says Noel Anderson, Red Cross chief development officer. “We wouldn’t be able to do near the things that we’re able to do now without it. The more people who are trained, the safer we are and the better our community is.” A crisis in Burris’ family prompted her to learn how to help when emergencies arise. “My great-grandfather died of a heart attack, and there wasn’t anybody there who knew how to do CPR, and that was the start of me getting trained for CPR,” she says. “Almost every class that I have, I have someone who tells a story about something that happened to someone in their family and CPR was able to help out, so it’s a great thing.” Many people are reluctant to take CPR and first-aid training classes because they don’t like blood or they’re afraid of making a mistake during an emergency, says Sue Rankin, Red Cross manager of health and safety. “But they find out very quickly when they come into class that it’s set up for people who have never done something like this before. It’s an easy skill to learn, and we give them plenty of time to practice.” In a recent class at the Red Cross facility near downtown Wichita, Burris walked seven students through techniques for CPR, dealing with sudden illnesses, animal bites, seizures and poisoning. She told them the warning signs of a stroke and guided them as they practiced on each other the correct way to splint a broken arm. “Splint it in the position you find it,” she tells a woman having a little trouble getting the hang of the technique. “Tie it on the opposite side of the injury. Tuck the ends in. That’s right!” She also spends time dispelling common myths about first aid. Don’t put butter on a burn, Burris says. Don’t try to suck the poison out of a snake bite or a spider bite. “If someone is having a seizure, don’t put anything in their mouth because they’ve found that can actually do more damage,” she explains. Burris sends the class home with plenty of new knowledge as well as the first-aid kits they practiced with in class. The Red Cross has already exceeded the goal it had this year for training Sedgwick County residents, but it’s not satisfied. “My goal is that at least one person in every household is trained in first aid and CPR, and I don’t think that’s an unreasonable goal,” Rankin says. This Kansas Health Foundation grant improved the health of Sedgwick County by helping more people train and be prepared for medical emergencies, she adds. “When people have training, they have confidence in their skills,” Rankin says. “They’re not as hesitant to get in there and help. Those are skills that are life skills that you use everywhere – in your home, out shopping, in your neighborhood – so it can really impact our community.” The Pictures
The StoryGrateful families return help to the Ronald McDonald House from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 Ronald McDonald House Executive Director Susan Smythe stayed close by as a new mother with her eyes red from crying sat trembling in the check-in area at the Wichita charity. When the mother gave birth in Garden City, her baby was critically ill and had to be immediately flown to a Wichita hospital without her. She and her husband couldn’t speak English, so they drove to Wichita with a friend who could translate for them. Tears kept flowing from the mother, and Smythe felt compelled to find some way to break through the language barrier and comfort her. She put her arms around the distraught woman, looked up at the friend who was translating and said, “Please tell her that we’ll take care of her. Whatever it takes, we’re going to take care of her.” In a nutshell, that’s what the staff and volunteers at Ronald McDonald Houses across the country do every day for families facing medical crises with their children. Many Kansas families who have received help from Ronald McDonald Houses turn around and give time back to the organization that was there for them when they needed support. Several Kansas parents were lending a hand at the Ronald McDonald House near Wesley Medical Center on a recent evening. One couple who got help from the charity when their child was ill many years ago comes to the house for a few hours each week. The wife bakes cookies for the families, filling their home away from home with a delicious scent. While she’s baking, her husband takes care of some of the repairs that the facility needs. The wife had some young helpers to bake and decorate sugar cookies that night. When the treats came out of the oven, 7-year-old Kennedy Drake and her 10-year-old brother, Jackson, spread them with icing and topped the cookies with a rainbow of colored sprinkles. There’s no hint that one of these siblings was once very sick. When Jackson was 9 months old, he wasn’t eating at all and a geneticist diagnosed the boy with velocardiofacial syndrome, a disorder that can cause cleft palate, heart abnormalities, learning disabilities and other medical problems. “We initially sought out treatment in Philadelphia, and they recommended that we stay at the Ronald McDonald House, so we did, and we had to come back on several different occasions,” says Jackson’s mother, Kendall Drake. Baby Jackson needed oxygen and a heart monitor. He was fed through a feeding tube and didn’t eat on his own until he was 3 years old. In addition to financial help, the Ronald McDonald House offered the Drakes many other benefits. “After a long day of being in the hospital, we could just come home quickly and relax,” Kendall Drake says. “Meeting other families that were going through a difficult time with a child helped too because we recognized that our situation was never the hardest. There were people struggling with harder things than we could ever imagine.” When the Drakes returned to Wichita, Kendall Drake began volunteering at a local Ronald McDonald House, answering phones and helping families check in to the house. Today, Jackson’s medical problems are minimal but ongoing. “He’s in a typical classroom and is doing really well,” Kendall Drake says. “It was hard for us to see that we’d ever reach those milestones with him when he was so little.” Patt Martin, a house manager at the Ronald McDonald House next to Wesley, says she feels honored to be a part of this charity. Martin’s social work degree and experience doing family therapy helps her know how to meet the families’ needs. “I’ve been blessed. I’ve lived all my life without having a child in the hospital, so I can’t say that I know how they feel,” Martin says. “But if I can make them feel a little more comfortable while they’re here, that’s my goal.” The Pictures
The StoryA dream is nurtured by Saturday Academy from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 At age 11, Ehi Ighalo started dreaming about becoming a pediatrician. So when a high school friend told her about the Saturday Science and Math Academy, Ehi wondered if attending the program at the Kansas City Kansas Community College could help make her dream a reality. “I had no idea what to expect,” Ehi says. “I didn’t know anyone who had previously been in the program. I was afraid it would be just like school – that it would be boring and we’d have a lot of homework, but it was nothing like that.” Ehi and her Saturday Academy classmates were free to choose the science projects they wanted to focus on. “In our high school, we didn’t have an anatomy class, but we were able to have it in the Academy,” Ehi says. “We learned about the heart, and my partner and I studied heart rates so we were able to tell the right heart rates for each age range. That was really exciting for me because I really wanted to learn those things, so it motivated me to keep going to the Academy throughout the year.” Each year, the Academy accepts 60 middle school students and 60 high school students into its intensive weekly program. With the aid of a $25,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, the mission of Saturday Academy is to increase the number of minority students entering higher education in the areas of math, science and technology. “We try to have a ratio of one instructor to five students because many of our students live in the inner city where their schools have large classes without much equipment,” says Marcia Pomeroy, director of Saturday Academy. “The ability for them to be in college campus labs with a small group makes a difference. It becomes like a small research team, and they’re accountable to each other. If we did not have that kind of faculty representation, our teaching model would not be successful, and your grant has made that possible.” Pomeroy says a key component of why this program works is that it brings in teachers who relate well to the students and who want to be role models. “You can talk to teachers who have been in teaching 30 or 35 years, and they will tell you that this is the highlight of their week because they really get to teach and they’re with kids who want to learn,” she says. Ed Kremer, a professor of chemistry and other sciences at the community college, helped develop the Saturday Academy program 10 years ago. “I knew that if we increased students’ knowledge in math and science, they could go the medical school route or go to pharmacy school or any science field from that,” Kremer says. “It’s been a great ride so far.” The students aren’t the only ones who benefit from the Academy’s curriculum. “You’re giving science teachers something to take back to their districts,” Kremer says. “When they leave here, we have made them better teachers.” The Academy doesn’t just encourage young people to pursue health-related careers. It also provides a nutritious breakfast and lunch each Saturday and devotes time to physical activity with the students. “We’re trying to put forth a whole new way of not just looking at themselves as young academics, but also as people with healthy lifestyles,” Pomeroy says. Pomeroy speaks with pride about Ehi, a student she’s felt high hopes about since the girl first entered the program as a high school freshman, “Ehi was always a very serious student. She was shy and at the same time, she had kind of a perfectionist side,” Pomeroy says. “My hidden goal with Ehi was to bring her out more so that she could feel comfortable in any environment.” Ehi was the only Nigerian at Saturday Academy when she first came to the program, but Pomeroy found her a mentor named Ugachi who grew up with a similar background and understood her culture. Little by little, the knowledge she gained and the relationships Ehi built at the Academy helped her career dream stay on track. “Throughout the years, Saturday Academy helped me gain confidence,” Ehi says. “I was able to put more effort into the things that I was doing as a student and in life, and that helped me keep focus on the path to a medical career.” Saturday Academy soon became a family affair for the Ighalos after Ehi told her brother and sister how much the program was helping her. All three siblings attended Saturday Academy, and they each chose to study science in college. “My family loves the Academy,” Ehi says. “Especially my mom. I think she realized it really pushed all of us to do what we want to do. It really played a large part in our family in a positive way. My mom is referring some of her friends’ kids to apply to be in the Academy because I think she loves the effect it had on us.” On a recent afternoon, Pomeroy and Ehi walked down a hall at the community college with their arms around each other’s shoulders, chatting. Pomeroy reminisced about how the Academy helped Ehi’s brother come out of his shell. “Your mother came up to me and said, ‘You gave me back a different boy because of your program,’” Pomeroy told her. Sixty percent of Saturday Academy graduates have chosen to study science, math, engineering or technology in college. Two former students are in medical school and others, like Ehi, are preparing to take the MCAT, an exam that qualifies students to apply for medical school. “I think Saturday Academy is a really great opportunity, and I think other students need a program like this in their community because it’s definitely a great influence on them and on their families,” Ehi says. As Ehi’s confidence and leadership skills grew, Pomeroy recruited Ehi to become a mentor while she was still a student in the Academy. Last year she approached Ehi with a special opportunity. “She was one I felt had grown enough to be able to come back and be a faculty representative,” Pomeroy says. But knowing that Ehi had been shy before, “I asked her, ‘Would you feel comfortable with that?’ She said, ‘I would love to do that,’ and she was such a success.” Once Ehi completes her biology degree at the University of Kansas in the spring, she’ll apply to medical school and get closer to her dream of taking care of children. Her gratitude for Saturday Academy has inspired Ehi to set an additional goal. “I want to come back to this program and help fund it because the Academy has been so great to me,” she says. The Pictures
The Video
The StoryLawrence mom and daughter dance into brighter future from Kathy Manweiler By Kathy Manweiler Kansas Health Foundation Copyright 2009 Sharilyn McGee’s battle with addiction began when she was 14 years old. Alcohol was her drug of choice as a child, and at age 27, she started using crack cocaine. She took her first hit of crack in the back seat of her cousin’s car. “The first time is an amazing high, but you never get it again ever in life, and that’s what makes you keep using it,” she says. “It’s like a dog chasing its tail. It just got so out of control that I lost my apartment and my son was taken away from me.” McGee wanted a better life, so she decided to get help in 1993. After finishing rehab at a treatment facility, she went to live at First Step House in Lawrence, a halfway house for women recovering from substance abuse. “I was so angry and so negative when I was there at first,” she says. In the beginning, a dance therapy program sponsored by the Lawrence Arts Center did nothing to improve her bad moods. “I was a grouch,” McGee says. “I was thinking, ‘What does this have to do with me getting clean?’ I never had structure in my life. Everything in my life was African-American and I felt that other people didn’t know what my life was like. Then having some white people try to structure my life, it was like, ‘Come on now, that’s just too much.’” But her dance instructor, Candi Baker, stayed patient and loving with her. Slowly, McGee realized that she actually enjoyed dancing. “I had never been exposed to it,” she says. “It was a way for us to express ourselves and also to help us learn how to exercise. If I had cravings, it gave me some exercises to do to take my mind off of it. It became something that I really looked forward to. The dancing just showed me that there were people out there who really did care about us.” With support from a $23,445 Kansas Health Foundation grant, the Lawrence Arts Center aims to incorporate art into various programs like First Step House that help 9,000 at-risk children and low-income adults lead healthier lives. “We support and nurture the creative potential that is in all people,” says Baker, who now runs the Arts Center. “We’re so grateful for the support of the Kansas Health Foundation, because it helps us reach out to so many people.” In 1995, McGee’s daughter, DeJa, was born. McGee ached for her little girl to have the bright future that had seemed out of her own reach for such a long time. When DeJa turned 3, McGee enrolled her in dance classes at Lawrence Arts Center. “I thought it would be good for DeJa to learn how to dance and get along with other people,” McGee says. “There were a lot of things offered here.” One of McGee’s favorite memories stems from 6-year-old DeJa’s performance as a mouse in the holiday classic “The Nutcracker.” “It was just so touching to see her,” McGee says. “I got to just see that she could do whatever she would want to do.” McGee’s life still wasn’t easy, but it began to look up as well. She got a job and continued attending Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Through the years, DeJa kept dancing. While she studied ballet, jazz and tap, she also enjoyed Lawrence Arts Center classes in performing arts and pottery. “Sometimes we dance together,” McGee says. “It builds your self-esteem. DeJa used to be such an introvert, but now she knows how to talk to people, and she’s just a different person.” McGee’s freedom from her addictions is hard-fought. Sept. 1 marked her 16th year of sobriety, but she still faces challenges on her journey toward staying clean. Last October, McGee’s best friend relapsed after 10 years of sobriety. “This is a life thing that needs to be taken care of all the time,” McGee says. “Now I’m really determined to do whatever it takes. At the treatment center, a speaker said, ‘Out of all of you 100 people, only one of y’all is gonna stay clean.’ I hate to say it, but I’m the only one left now.” DeJa knows her mother’s past. “We have a good, open relationship,” McGee says. “DeJa’s like, ‘I don’t want to drink.’ She knows if I wouldn’t have been drinking and drugging, I would have had an education. It took the whole focus out of my life.” With sunlight spilling through the windows of a Lawrence Arts Center studio, a poised 13-year-old DeJa shows off some jazz moves while her mother and Baker watch with grins on their faces, coaching her every now and then. After a while, McGee steps in to take her daughter’s hand, twirl her around and make her laugh. Glowing with pride, she holds DeJa close and gives her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m really shy as a person, but when I’m on the stage or dancing, it’s a great expression,” DeJa says. “It feels good to express yourself. It’s like an out-of-body experience.” And much to her mother’s joy, DeJa shares the vision of a bright future for herself. “I want to be on Broadway one day,” she says. McGee believes that dancing helped give her a second chance at life. “The Lawrence Arts Center is a place in my heart, and it always will be for me because of the things that Candi offered us,” McGee says. “She opened a big picture for us, and that was a really, really good thing.” MOVEMENT THERAPY CLASS Molly Gordon teaches a weekly dance class for developmentally disabled people at the Lawrence Arts Center. This class, partially funded by the Kansas Health Foundation, “is not only fun for them, but sometimes the rhythm and the music will help them focus in a way that can be hard for them,” Baker says. Gordon’s students love to do the hand jive from “Grease” as well as movement exercises with a parachute, hula hoops, rhythm sticks and a mini trampoline. “Come on, Danny, we’re gonna dance! Ready to spin? Whoo!” Gordon encourages one student as “Walking on Sunshine” blares through the studio’s speakers. Gordon’s favorite part of teaching these students is “their love and passion and joy just for life in general,” she says. “They come in eager ... and that’s one thing I firmly believe in is that we all have that side in us to enjoy the movement regardless of whether we call ourselves a dancer or not,” Gordon says. “So it’s been really rewarding and refreshing, and it’s just a joy. I always get a burst of energy just being around them.” CITY YOUTH THEATER Drama therapist Christie Dobson works with City Youth Theater, a Lawrence Arts Center program supported in part by the Kansas Health Foundation that helps students write and perform plays about social issues. The theater group produced “Bang, Bang, You’re Dead,” which is loosely based on the Columbine school shootings, and performed it for many student groups in the area. “My goal has always been art and advocacy,” Dobson says. “Get brilliant teenagers and put them on a stage and let them tell it like it is. That’s where you’ll find some of the answers to preventing problems that kids face because kids listen to kids.” The Pictures
The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Cheyenne County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Sherman County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Wallace County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Greeley County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11)CASA Spirit of the Plains The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Hamilton County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA Spirit of the Plains The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Stanton County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Morton County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Liberal Good Samaritan Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Rawlins County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 10) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Thomas County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Logan County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) American Red Cross-Kansas Capital Area Chapter 10)Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Wichita County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11) CASA Spirit of the Plains The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Kearny County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA Spirit of the Plains 10) Kansas State Research and Extension-Kearny County 11) Miles of Smiles The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Grant County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association 10)United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Stevens County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Miles of Smiles 11)Liberal Good Samaritan Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Decatur County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Sheridan County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Gove County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 10)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Scott County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association 11) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 12) CASA Spirit of the Plains 13) Miles of Smiles The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Lane County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 10)Miles of Smiles The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Finney County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 10)CASA Spirit of the Plains 11) United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries 12) Miles of Smiles The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Haskell County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Liberal Good Samaritan Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Gray County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA-Children Worth Saving 10)Miles of Smiles The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Meade County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA-Children Worth Saving 10) Meade Hospital District 11) Miles of Smiles 12) Liberal Good Samaritan Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Seward County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11) United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries 12) Liberal Good Samaritan Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Norton County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Graham County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association 11) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Trego County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association 11)First Care Clinic The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Ness County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Hodgeman County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Ford County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Smoky Hills Public Television Corp., KOOD-TV 11)CASA-Children Worth Saving 12) United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries 13)Ford County Kids Count The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Clark County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA-Children Worth Saving The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Phillips County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Rooks County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association 11)First Care Clinic The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Ellis County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) National Alliance on Mental Illness Kansas 11) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association 12)First Care Clinic The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Rush County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association 11)First Care Clinic The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Pawnee County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Kansas University Endowment Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Edwards County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Edwards County Hospital and Healthcare Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Kiowa County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA-Children Worth Saving The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Comanche County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA-Children Worth Saving The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Smith County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Osborne County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Russell County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association 11) Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Mayors Association 12) Post Rock Family Services 13) First Care Clinic The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Barton County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Barton County Health Department 11)Kansas University Endowment Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Stafford County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Kansas University Endowment Association 11) USD 349 Stafford High School The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Pratt County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) USD 382 Pratt Public Schools The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Barber County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association 11) Harper Hospital District #5 The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Jewell County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation 10) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Mitchell County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Lincoln County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Ellsworth County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Rice County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Kansas University Endowment Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Kingman County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Guadalupe Clinic 11) Harper Hospital District #5 12) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Harper County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Harper Hospital District #5 11)Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Republic County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Eisenhower Foundation 11) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Ottawa County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Cloud County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Saline County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation 10)Kansas University Endowment Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve McPherson County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Wichita Grand Opera 12) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains 13) Kansas University Endowment Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Reno County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Wichita Grand Opera 12) Guadalupe Clinic 13) Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Association 14) St. Patrick Catholic School in Wichita 15) Reno County Health Department and Home Health Agency The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Harvey County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Wichita Grand Opera 12) Rainbows United 13) Kansas State University 14) Arc of Sedgwick County 15) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains 16) Partnership for Harvey County Families, Communities in Schools 17) Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Sedgwick County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Wichita Grand Opera 11) National Alliance on Mental Illness Kansas 12) Rainbows United 13) Kansas State University 14) American Red Cross Midway Kansas Chapter 15) Breakthrough Club of Sedgwick County 16) Sedgwick County Zoological Society 17) City of Bel Aire Senior Center 18) City of Wichita Department of Environmental Services 19) Derby Citizens Recreation Association 20) Diversity Kansas 21) Arc of Sedgwick County 22) E.C. Tyree Health and Dental Clinic 23) Wichita Independent Neighborhoods 24) USD 260 Derby-Tanglewood Elementary School 25) Sedgwick County Health Department 26) Guadalupe Clinic 27) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains 28) Infinite Growth Opportunities Foundation 29) Inter-Faith Ministries Wichita 30) Forever Crowned with Glory Ministry of Training 31) Union Rescue Mission 32) GraceMed Health Clinic 33) Wichita State University Foundation for Ulrich Museum of Art 34) Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Association 35) St. Patrick Catholic School in Wichita 36) National Kidney Foundation 37) New Day Christian Church 38) Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas 39) Prairie Travelers 40) Sedgwick County-Division of Human Services The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Butler County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Wichita Grand Opera 11) National Alliance on Mental Illness Kansas 12) Rainbows United 13) Arc of Sedgwick County 14) Guadalupe Clinic 15) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Sumner County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Rainbows United 11) Guadalupe Clinic 12) Harper Hospital District #5 13) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains 14) Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Cowley County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Wichita Grand Opera 11) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association 12) Wichita Audubon Society 13) Guadalupe Clinic 14) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Washington County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation 10)Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 11)City of Marysville Swim Team 12) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. 13) Konza Prairie Community Health Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Clay County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 12) USD Clay Center Community Middle School 13) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. 14) Sunflower CASA Project 15) Konza Prairie Community Health Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Dickinson County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Konza Prairie Community Health Center 12) Flint Hills Resource Conservation and Development Area The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Marion County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains 12) Flint Hills Resource Conservation and Development Area The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Marshall County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 11) City of Marysville Swim Team 12) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. 13) Konza Prairie Community Health Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Riley County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains 12) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 13) Ogden Youth Center 14) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. 15) Wamego Community Foundation 16) Konza Prairie Community Health Center 17) Mid-West Educational Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Geary County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 12) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. 13) Konza Prairie Community Health Center 14) Loving Arms Learning Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Morris County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation 10) Compeer Program of East Central Kansas 11) Flint Hills Resource Conservation and Development Area The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Chase County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation 10) Hesston College doing business as Dyck Arboretum of the Plains 11) Compeer Program of East Central Kansas The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Greenwood County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Eisenhower Foundation 10) Compeer Program of East Central Kansas The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Elk County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Chatauqua County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Sedan United Methodist Church for The Little Scholar Preschool The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Nemaha County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Pottawatomie County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 12) Olsburg Pride 13) Prairie Band of Potawatomi Health Center 14) Pawnee Mental Health Services Inc. 15) Wamego Community Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Wabaunsee County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 12) Wamego Community Foundation 13) Compeer Program of East Central Kansas 14) Flint Hills Resource Conservation and Development Area The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Lyon County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Eisenhower Foundation 11) Wichita Grand Opera 12) Compeer Program of East Central Kansas The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Jackson County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 10) Prairie Band of Potawatomi Health Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Shawnee County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) National Alliance on Mental Illness Kansas 10) American Red Cross-Kansas Capital Area Chapter 11) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 12) Boys and Girls Club of Topeka 13) Shawnee Regional Prevention and Recovery Services 14) TDC Learning Centers 15) Prairie Advocacy Center 16) Prairie Band of Potawatomi Health Center 17) Shawnee County Medical Society Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Osage County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA of the Fourth Judicial District 10) Shawnee Regional Prevention and Recovery Services 11) Compeer Program of East Central Kansas The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Coffey County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) CASA of the Fourth Judicial District 10) Compeer Program of East Central Kansas The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Woodson County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation The Story2008 grantees aim to serve Wilson County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Montgomery County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Community Foundation for Independence 11) USD 446 Independence The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Brown County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Prairie Band of Potawatomi Health Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Doniphan County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Prairie Band of Potawatomi Health Center The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Atchison County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Jefferson County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Leavenworth County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) National Alliance on Mental Illness Kansas 11) Mo Kan 20/20 Vision 12) Kansas City Symphony for Support School Music 13) Coterie Theatre to support the Dramatic AIDS Education Project 14) USD 458 Basehor-Linwood 15) USD 491 Eudora The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Wyandotte County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) American Red Cross Wyandotte County Chapter 10) Mo Kan 20/20 Vision 11) Sunflower House 12) Saturday Science and Math Academy at Kansas City Kansas Community College 13) Score 1 for Health Voucher Program 14) Coterie Theatre to support the Dramatic AIDS Education Project 15) YouthFriends for MentorMail The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Douglas County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Wichita Grand Opera 11) National Alliance on Mental Illness Kansas 12) Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri 13) Lawrence Arts Center 14) University of Kansas 15) Recovery and Hope Network 16) Farm Inc. 17) Van Go Mobile Arts 18) GaDuGi SafeCenter 19) Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority 20) Coterie Theatre to support the Dramatic AIDS Education Project 21) Douglas County Dental Clinic 22) Prairie Band of Potawatomi Health Center 23) USD 491 Eudora The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Johnson County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Wichita Grand Opera 10) National Alliance on Mental Illness Kansas 11) Mo Kan 20/20 Vision 12) Sunflower House 13) Kansas City Church of the Nazarene Recycling Program 14) Olathe Salvation Army 15) Coterie Theatre to support the Dramatic AIDS Education Project 16) USD 491 Eudora The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Franklin County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) CASA of the Fourth Judicial District 11) Communities in Schools of Ottawa 12) Elizabeth Layton Center 13) Girls Club of Ottawa 14) Franklin County Children’s Coalition The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Miami County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Anderson County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) CASA of the Fourth Judicial District The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Linn County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Allen County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Bourbon County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10)Special Olympics Kansas Pittsburg Affiliate The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Crawford County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Special Olympics Kansas Pittsburg Affiliate The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Cherokee County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Special Olympics Kansas Pittsburg Affiliate The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Neosho County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) City of St. Paul The Story2008 grantees that aim to serve Labette County from Kathy Manweiler 1) American Cancer Society Heartland Division 2) Ronald McDonald House 3) Arc of Douglas County 4) Heartspring 5) Kansas State Department of Education 6) Kansas Wildscape Foundation 7) La Leche League of Kansas 8) Shadow Buddy Foundation 9) Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas 10) Special Olympics Kansas Pittsburg Affiliate |
 | Copyright © 2006 Kansas Health Foundation, 309 East Douglas, Wichita, KS 67202 • Tel 316.262.7676 • Tel 800-373-7681 • Fax 316-262-2044 • Email info@khf.org Home • Purpose • Work • Impact • Partners • Team • Communications • Newsroom • FAQ • Contact • Site Map • Privacy • Recognition Grants • Site by Greteman Group |  |