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Greetings!
This is the August 27th edition of a weekly report to the LINC Commission. Our board is deeply interested in our work and wanted to learn about -- and share with others -- the great things LINC is helping to accomplish.
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LINC staff working to open Kansas City, Mo. school sites
This week attention was focused on opening 20 LINC Caring Communities sites in the Kansas City, Mo. School District, which is the last area school district to open this fall. The first day of school is Aug. 30th.
Because of the dramatic transformation and school closures, LINC will be in fewer KCMSD schools this year. Schools where LINC will have site coordinators are expected to have larger enrollments than last year.
LINC will offer an after-school program at all 20 schools. The school district is moving up the school start time to 7:20 a.m. and ending the school day at 2:35 p.m. The LINC Caring Comunities after-school program will operate until 6 p.m.
As in the other school districts, LINC will charge a $25 enrollment fee for all students in the program. The fee covers LINC costs for insurance and other expenses. Many schools had enrollment activities this week.
Community attention was focused on the Kansas City, Mo. School District by a six-day series this week in the Kansas City Star titled "Saving 17,000 Kids." Also next week, on Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m., public television station KCPT will air an hour-long special about the school district.
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LINC distributes its popular getting safely to school booklet
Once again, LINC distributed copies of its popular "Tips for Getting Safely to School" to the community as the new school year gets under way. The booklet, available in English and Spanish, offers safety information for walkers, bus riders and those being transported in passenger vehicles. Printed copies are being distributed at LINC Caring Communities sites. The booklets are also available on the LINC website. The booket encourages children to "be safe whether you walk, take the bus or ride in a car." More children may be walking to school this fall as budget cuts have prompted school districts to reduce bus transportation. The situation differs from district to district and school to school. |
LINC to hold employee health fair
LINC will hold its first all-employee health fair on Friday, Sept. 10th, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., at Gregg Community Center,
1600 E. 17th Terr., KCMO.
The health fair is free and open to all full-time and part-time employees.
The health screenings include: - Height, weight, body mass index, body fat
- Waist circumference
- Blood pressure
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Total cholesterol, HDL, ratio, and glucose. Fasting 6-8 hours prior to this screening is recommended.
The employee health fair is provided through St. Joseph Health Center wellness programs. Arrangements for the fair were organized by Dr. Bridget McCandless. |
LINC on the air: Radio appearance on KKFI
LINC was on the air on community radio station KKFI the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 21.
On the air were LINC Deputy Director Candace Cheatem and Dona Stephenson, the LINC site coordinator at Southeast Caring Communities Neighborhood Resource Center.
Topics included "Tips for Getting Safely to School" and Southeast Caring Communities' partnership with Legal Aid on beneficiary deeds.
A successful beneficiary deeds workshop was held earlier this summer and another one is being planned. Those interested in attending can RSVP at (816) 410-8349.
LINC produced a video about the earlier event.
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Berkley to be keynote speaker at local assistance conference
LINC founder Bert Berkley will be the keynote speaker at the 25th annual Mid America Assistance Coalition (MAAC) training conference Sept. 1 at the Kauffman Foundation.
MAAC is a nationally recognized local organization that provides assistance in the metropolitan area. Its electronic data system helps service providers by minimizing duplication of service, capturing information about unmet community needs and identifying households that could benefit from more comprehensive case management or support service.
The system supports over 200 service providers and agencies including some LINC Caring Communities sites.
The daylong conference includes several training sessions aimed at helping case managers provide services.
John Rich is the MAAC executive director.
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KCPT foreclosure show gets nominated for Emmy Award
The KCPT public affairs show "Foreclosed ... Evicted... Homeless" has been nominated for a Mid-America regional Emmy Award.
The show featured individualswho video-recorded themselves talking about what it means to be homeless or facing foreclosure.
LINC worked closely with Nick Haines and Sean Holmes at KCPT, the local public television station, on development of the show, which was the last segment of a larger series titled "Weathering the Financial Storm."
LINC provided financial support for the series and also supported the effort with a website www.weatheringthefinancialstorm.org where the Emmy-nominated segment can be viewed.
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The Kansas City Star this week published the six-day series "Saving 17,000 Kids" on the challenge of transforming the Kansas City, Mo. School District -- essential reading for understanding the situation in which LINC performs its work. The series is available on-line at saving17000kids.kansascity.com and via a link on the LINC website.
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Contact Information
Brent Schondelmeyer, Director of Communications
phone: (816) 410-8350
email: bschonde@kclinc.org
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