“We housed Whiskey!” exclaimed Evie Craig, CEO and president of reStart, Inc., at a recent gathering of the Homelessness Task Force of Greater Kansas City (HTF). “Whiskey,” who has been on the streets for many years, fits the federal definition of chronically homeless. He recently added “frostbitten toes” to his long list of health concerns, […]

Usually, I write about the impact mental illness has on the broader society or on the lives of individuals living with a mental illness. But the other day I came across a 3-year-old study that caused me to think about the impact one kind of mental illness, severe depression, has on the children whose parents […]

I was catching up with some friends recently and to no one’s surprise, the conversation quickly turned to our families and children. We shared the stories of our kids growing and changing and driving us crazy. That gathering with my friends afforded me the opportunity to contrast our parenting experiences with a starkly different reality […]

Envision parents once weakened by drugs restored and reconnecting with their children. Imagine a previously unemployed substance abuser learning new job skills or obtaining a GED. Picture someone thanking, even hugging, the police officer who arrested them because that is what put them on the road to recovery. I have experienced this and more while […]

There has been a long association between lower incomes and overweight/obesity. It makes sense that access to safe built environment; access to healthy foods, and social factors that influence healthy eating and active living will likely result in healthier lifestyles. Therefore it wasn’t surprising to me to hear the recent improvement rates of teen obesity […]

I recently attended the Grantmakers in Aging conference here in Kansas City. The Grantmakers in Aging, the host of the conference, is an organization that celebrates aging. The organization speaks of the importance of an age-friendly community — one where, as their website says, a person can grow up and grow old. They support the […]

If you take a broad view of community health, it also encompasses the economic and social well-being of residents. As I learned recently, philanthropic leaders are taking that approach in trying to reinvigorate struggling communities. A key element in this line of attack is retaining family assets within the community for the benefit of future […]

It’s been a busy year for HCF and our grantees. Before we bid farewell to an eventful year, our HCF associates take a look back at significant events and projects that helped make 2012 a productive year. On day six of our year in review, HCF Program Officer Andres Dominguez writes about Aim4Peace, a program […]