LINC and partners meet with top HHS official and share ideas

David Hansell, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), visited LINC on Oct. 27 for a discussion of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Attending were LINC staff and volunteers and representatives of LINCWorks partner agencies including Mo. Family Support Division, Full Employment Council, Community LINC, Jewish Vocational Service, Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Metropolitan Community Colleges and Kansas City Mo. School District.

Acting Assistant Secretary David Hansell (center) visited LINC to discuss welfare-to-work efforts.

Topics of discussion included:

• sharing the history of LINC's involvement in welfare reform in the early 1990s
• developing a community welfare-to-work system focused on needs of the client and family
• adapting the system in response to changes in funding, federal requirements and characteristics of the client population
• redefining partner roles as welfare case management responsibilities are shifted from state government to local contractors
• coordinating the work of several agencies to address needs of clients who have multiple barriers to employment (child care, transportation, domestic violence, outstanding warrants, no high school diploma or equivalent)
• engaging the welfare population at the neighborhood level through neighborhood organizing and supportive services such as Before & After School child care offered at LINC Caring Communities school sites.

The purpose of Hansell's visit was to learn about local efforts to address issues that are the concern of the Administration for Children and Families.

Southeast Caring Communities partners receive United Way funds 

All five of the neighborhoods associated with Southeast Caring Communities received notification that they will receive small grants from the United Way of Greater Kansas City Neighborhood Self Help Fund.

The fund provides small grants to neighborhood associations throughout Kansas City, with an emphasis on those that include a significant number of low to moderate income households.

The Southeast neighborhoods will use their grant monies to stock a tool shed with lawn and home maintenance equipment such as a lawn mower, weed eater, chain saw, and snow shovels.

The neighborhood associations will loan the tools to residents so they will be able to better maintain their property. Volunteers will help the elderly or indigent with their yards.

Southeast Caring Communities serves the Noble, Fox Town East, Fox Town West, Swope Parkway Elmwood, and Town Fork Creek neighborhood associations.

LINC helps develop child care community businesses

LINC continues to develop and promote child care as a small business opportunity.

LINC and the Francis Institute at Penn Valley Community College offer a 12-week class using materials developed by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Topics essential to operating a successful childcare business include: Child Care Services, Business Management, Personnel, Financial Plan, Operations, Health & Safety, Policies and Forms, and Marketing.

"Developing Your Childcare Business" classes are one of the strategies used to provide support group training.

The most recent class held a graduation ceremony at Penn Valley. There were 14 graduates.

Kesha Ofield, who graduated with perfect attendance, reflected on what she took away from the class:

"The important thing is that whether childcare is in an individual home or a center, it is a serious business and needs to be treated that way."

A new series began in October. The class is full.

Serbian guests visit LINC

Ten professionals from Serbia spent three weeks in Kansas City visiting with business leaders, foundations and community groups. The world economic crisis has had a deep impact on Serbia, resulting in a decrease in charitable activities there.

The group visited with LINC founder Bert Berkley and Chairman Landon Rowland to learn about LINC, volunteerism and corporate social responsibility. They learned how LINC partners with state and local government and businesses to build stronger neighborhoods and communities.

They also had an opportunity to meet LINC site coordinators from Caring Communities sites in the Independence and Fort Osage School Districts.

The visit was sponsored by the International Visitors Council of Greater Kansas City and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

LINC Caring Communities site coordinators yearbook

LINC is operating nearly 70 Caring Communities sites in seven school districts, charter schools and community locations.

So who are all the LINC site coordinators?

LINC has produced a directory of our site coordinators which is available on the website at www.kclinc.org/staff

Our great staff includes sites coordinators who have been with us from the beginning and also folks who have joined us the past couple of years.

November LINC Commission meeting set for Nov. 15

The LINC Commission will hold its last regular meeting of the year on Monday, Nov. 15 from 4-6 pm at the Kauffman Foundation.

The public is invited.

South Kansas City Health Clinic should open in December

Progress continues on the new South Kansas City Health Clinic located at 8821 Troost Ave., Kansas City, Mo. with an anticipated opening date in mid-December.

LINC is organizing the project in collaboration with Swope Health Services, the medical services provider. Funding and support for the new clinic is being provided by the City of Kansas City, Mo. and the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

A physician and medical assistant have been hired for the clinic and are busily preparing for opening day.  Swope Health has generated over $150,000 in additional funding to support their work at the site and anticipates additional funding in the new year.

The Health Care Foundation has worked closely with LINC and Swope Health to respond to developments and modifications in the project.

The landlord has spent nearly a million dollars on building improvements so that the building will be better able to serve patients.

The City has supported construction of new sidewalks and has cleared the way for the work to continue in as timely a fashion as possible.

The clinic is scheduled for a December opening.