About the Nonprofit
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One year before the COVID pandemic, our board of directors put in place a Five Year Strategic Plan to end hunger in our County. We had our community partners and agencies in place and functioning when the pandemic rolled in. We have been able to bring in over three million pounds of food and disburse it throughout the county leaving no one behind in our efforts.
Since the children have been back in school and the teaching staff are identifying dire needs for preschool through high school students, the most pressing being mental health, we have partnered with Cook Children Hospital, Huguley Hospital, state, county, and local agencies to develop support materials and educator tool kits to keep them informed of assistance and programs that support the children, their caregivers and families. We provide an annual Johnson County Educator Roundtable, this event gives the representatives from all ISDs in our county an opportunity to discuss their concerns and needs for the children/families that they serve. We take that information and find the support they need.
Three years ago our county was faced with data showing that we had the highest suicide rate among people 55 and older. We were awarded a grant and used the funding to support our seniors in social opportunities that took them out of their homes and into programs that allowed them to participate with other seniors in cooking classes, gardening, and exercise programs and allowed them to express where their interests, past and present were. We provided counseling and transportation for medical, treatment, shopping, and senior events.
We hope to expand our service to veterans this year, we know that there are programs and services for them, but most of them are unaware of the opportunities. Our best opportunity to serve them is by providing an information hub that can identify their need and direct them directly to the resource with no lag time and no feeling of hopelessness.
COVID left a tragic effect on all of us, but with a Get It Done attitude, we have been greatly blessed with community partners, volunteers, motivators, and dynamic leadership throughout our county.
Our goal is to create resources to advance health, education, and financial stability for every resident in our county.
