Alive & Thrive Wyandotte County

07/11/2023

To our wonderful Champions, Facilitators, Partners, and everyone else who pitched into the movement to build a healthy, safe, and resilient Wyandotte County:

It's time to say goodbye--for now. The reason? We recently learned that we would no longer receive the funding we need to sustain our work. As much as this pains us, we are proud of the work we've done, and even prouder of all those who have joined us in this movement. We can't say a complete and final goodbye, because we are confident that this movement will continue in one form or another, and that it's very possible our paths will cross again!

But in case they don't, we want to let you know how grateful we are for your support. In the last four years, you have shown us that Wyandotte County has many untapped resources for doing what it takes to begin healing from the trauma our communities have experienced. Racism, poverty, abuse in the household, being dealt a bad hand in life--no matter the cause, trauma is everywhere. But so is hope and the promise for healing. You've shown us that promise through the many ideas you've hatched for building resilience. Whether it's with martial arts, dance, yoga, prayer, nutrition, art, journaling, you've shown us what we hoped we would discover when we began this journey four years ago: that the path to healing begins with you and your community.

When we asked for your ideas to build resilience in your communities, you delivered. Our role was to support you and give you a bit of training and education about trauma, then send you on your way to do your part to create a trauma-informed Wyandotte County. Our hope now is that you will continue that work now that you've found the courage to start it.

But no matter the path you take from here, please know that you have our heartfelt gratitude for all you've done. It's been a pleasure working with you.

Of course, we would also like to thank our funders as well: Wyandotte Health Foundation, Reach Healthcare Foundation, and Health Forward. In addition, we've been very grateful to Wyandot Behavioral Health Network for administering and giving a home to Alive & Thrive. The fiscal and administrative support we received made all this work possible.

If you'd like to join us for one last event, please show up at the Mockingbird Lounge (204 Orchard St, Kansas City, KS) on Wednesday, July 12, 4:30 pm to 7 pm. We'd love to see you there and thank you in person!

Peace and healing,

The Alive & Thrive Wyandotte County Team

Shelby Elizabeth Mabery Unified Government Public Health Department Wyandot Behavioral Health Network Poetry for Personal Power K-State Research and Extension Wyandotte County Livable Neighborhoods Kansas Department for Children and Families Wyandot Behavioral Health Network Wyandotte Health Foundation Randy Lopez for USD 500 Board of Education Health Forward Foundation REACH Healthcare Foundation KCK Public Schools USD 500 Central Office Avenue of Life Ray'vonne Freeman Empowerment Temple KC WyCo Mutual Aid Heartland 180 Inc. TeamTech Inc. Thryve KC Johnson County Mental Health Center El Centro Inc. Refiner's Fire World Outreach Center Sheldon Harris LaDale Beason Adrion Roberson Melissa Brune Bynum Mayor Tyrone Garner MentalHealthKC Tiffany Mills Stewart Tiffane Friesen Diane Etzel-Wise LaTeisha Howard-WilliamsIlene K Sims

07/05/2023

To all of you who’ve supported and participated in the work of Alive & Thrive:

We want to invite you to a celebration of everyone in our community who helped advance the work of building a more resilient and trauma-informed Wyandotte County for the last four years. That includes you! So please put July 12th at 4:30pm on your calendars for a gathering at The Mockingbird Lounge at 204 Orchard St, Kansas City, KS 66101.

The reason for this celebration? Well, unfortunately, we recently learned that we will no longer receive funding to sustain the work we’ve done. But we don’t want to just close the doors without a chance to say thank you to all the work our wonderful partners have done by our side. Our journey started in 2019 (yep, right as the pandemic began) and has continued through lock-downs, countless Zoom meetings, and finally some real face-to face gatherings. Although this work is ending under the auspices of Alive & Thrive, we are confident that the movement it has sparked will continue for years to come. So please don’t think of this as goodbye, but as the beginning of a new adventure.

We hope to see you at Mockingbird next week!

Peace and healing,

Chandra Green
Director, Alive & Thrive WyCo

Shelby Elizabeth Mabery Heartland 180 Inc. Poetry for Personal Power Wyandot Behavioral Health Network The Family Conservancy Unified Government Public Health Department -State Research and Extension Wyandotte County KCK Public Schools USD 500 Central Office Randy Lopez for USD 500 Board of Education Kansas Department for Children and Families Young Women on the Move
S.I.D.E. Peer Support Center Wyandot Center's Frank Williams Housing Outreach KC Farm School at Gibbs Road Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office Juvenile Intake/Assessment Center MOCSA

06/28/2023

A shout out to our wonderful partner and very first community champion, Ray Freeman. This podcast offers a great exploration of Ray's story and the founding of One Community Jiu Jitsu, which uses martial arts to build resilience in children and families. Ray is a perfect example of someone who has applied the training he received from Alive & Thrive to the work he is doing at One Community. And many thanks, Ray, for giving us the recognition!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrxCbQIjneM

One Community Jiujitsu Club Randy Lopez for USD 500 Board of Education REACH Healthcare Foundation Heartland 180 Inc. Avenue of Life Shelby Elizabeth Mabery Unified Government Public Health Department Kansas Department for Children and Families KCK Public Schools USD 500 Central Office Thryve KC WyCo Mutual Aid
Melissa Brune Bynum

Welcome to the story of One Community Jiu Jitsu and the incredible human that is Ray'vonne Freeman! Imagine a life where you've faced overwhelming challenges...

06/22/2023

Generational trauma is real, and the science is increasingly backing up what those who have experienced it have known (or intuited) for years: that the effects of the trauma experienced by our ancestors gets passed on from one generation to the next.

A hallmark of Alive & Thrive's trauma trainings is an exploration of generational trauma in Wyandotte County--how poverty, violence, and racist policies like red-lining have shaped the mental health of whole communities. If you'd like to sign up for a training, we have a 3-day session coming up in August. Click here for more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/agency-trauma-informed-care-training-august-session-tickets-495306564267?aff=oddtdtcreator

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/12/generational-trauma-passed-healing/

WyCo Mutual Aid K-State Research and Extension Wyandotte County Heartland 180 Inc. REACH Healthcare Foundation Randy Lopez for USD 500 Board of Education Wyandot Behavioral Health Network Unified Government Public Health Department KCK Public Schools USD 500 Central Office Kansas Department for Children and Families Shelby Elizabeth Mabery Diane Etzel-Wise Wyandotte Health Foundation Avenue of Life Cross-Lines Community Outreach, Inc

The idea that trauma can be passed across generations can be a difficult to grasp. But just as trauma can be passed through generations, so can resilience.

06/19/2023

Juneeteenth gives us the opportunity to not only celebrate the freedom of enslaved people, but also to draw attention to the resilience they displayed while forging new lives. The exodusters who settled in Nicodemus, Kansas, after the promises of Reconstruction broke down are a great example of finding strength in adversity. Please join us on this Juneteenth in celebrating their courage and perseverance!

Livable Neighborhoods Heartland 180 Inc. K-State Research and Extension Wyandotte County Remarkably Resilient REACH Healthcare Foundation Thryve KC Shelby Elizabeth Mabery Avenue of Life Keeler Women's Center WyCo Mutual Aid Poetry for Personal Power Randy Lopez for USD 500 Board of Education

Today is !

On this day in 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were finally free. This is a photograph of Main Street in Nicodemus, Kansas, a settlement founded by after the Civil War around 1885.

We are lucky enough to have done some research this year on the Exodusters. Chapman Center's Cassidy Hartig recently worked on the Exoduster letter archive with Dr. Kohn. These letters tell the stories of thousands of people engaging in the Exoduster movement: the first migration of newly freed African Americans from the South. St. John (governor of Kansas from 1879-1883) encouraged their move to Kansas through the Freedmen’s Relief Association. With this action, letters poured in from interested Kansans, helpful parties, and the Exodusters themselves. Cassidy and Dr. Kohn analyzed unaltered versions of African American Language (AAL) in these letters to study how it has changed.

To read and learn about these letters, click here: https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/210296

Be on the lookout for updates about this research!



📸: Kansas Historical Society

05/24/2023

A great time at last Friday's Art Walk in downtown KCK, the first of the season. Be sure to attend the next event, June 16, when Las Sonadoras Uniendo Culturas, a Mexican folkloric dance group that got its start as an Alive & Thrive Community Project, will perform. This time for real! We'd announced earlier that they would perform this month. Our apologies.

05/17/2023

Join Youth Champion Anotida Mafuvadze on Saturday, May 20, as she leads her monthly WyCo Youth Mental Health Project. This month's project will focus on taming your inner critic. Participants will gather from noon to 3 pm at S.I.D.E. Inc., 630 Minnesota Ave, , Kansas City KS, 66101. For more information and to register, click below.

https://www.wycoyouthmentalhealthproject.org/

Heartland 180 Inc. Poetry for Personal Power Wyandot Behavioral Health Network The Family Conservancy Unified Government Public Health Department Shelby Elizabeth Mabery Wyandotte County K-State Research and Extension KCK Public Schools USD 500 Central Office Randy Lopez for USD 500 Board of Education Melissa Brune Bynum Kansas Department for Children and Families

The WyCo Youth Mental Health Project connects residents to local mental health providers in Wyandotte County

05/16/2023

Be sure to check out this Friday's Art Walk! And be sure, as well, to look for Las Sonadoras Uniendo Culturas, a Mexican folkloric dance group that got its start as an Alive & Thrive Community Project.

We've got your Friday night plans covered for this week! Join us on 6th Street for the Third Friday Art Walk on May 19 from 5 to 9 p.m. Be sure to stop by our stART the conversation art exhibition inside McEnery Automation at 6th & Tauromee. We'll be showcasing 100 pieces of artwork from more than four dozen artists & you'll have the chance to hear from a few of our featured artists during a brief program at 6 p.m.

But don't let your evening stop there! Be sure to take a stroll down 6th Street, where you'll be treated to more art, handcrafted goods, great food & entertainment. There is something for the whole family at the Third Friday Art Walk.

Free parking is available in the government parking lot at 6th & Tauromee or down the street at the Merc Co-Op at 5th & Minnesota.

Third Friday Art Walk is a community event made possible by collaboration between local artists, businesses & community partners. Free to attend, it runs May-October, every third Friday from 5-9pm along 6th Street in Downtown KCK. Every month is different and features an exciting assortment of artists, performers, food trucks, and free activities! Visit https://www.thirdfridaykck.org/ for everything you need to know.

05/15/2023

Many thanks to Alicia Ellingsworth, co-founder and ED of KC Farm School at Gibbs Road, for her enthusiastic endorsement of our Trauma-Informed Care trainings! Alicia and some of her staff recently completed our 3-day course (spread out over three weeks), which is specifically tailored to meet Wyandotte County's needs. Click on the brief video to hear what she has to say.

If you would like to register for upcoming trainings in August or September, just click one of these links:
August: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/495306564267
September: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/495313745747

Heartland 180 Inc. Poetry for Personal Power Wyandot Behavioral Health Network The Family Conservancy Unified Government Public Health Department Shelby Elizabeth Mabery Avenue of Life Melissa Brune Bynum REACH Healthcare Foundation Health Forward Foundation Thryve KC Randy Lopez for USD 500 Board of Education Wyandotte Health Foundation Livable Neighborhoods K-State Research and Extension Wyandotte County Theresa Reyes-Cummings Remarkably Resilient

05/12/2023

Kudos to MentalHealthKC for organizing a great conference! We were proud to participate and to see great work from our wonderful partners, Remarkably Resilient’s Kathleen Harnish McKune and her sister, Karen Dickson, who presented their work on self care and building community resilience with Tim DeWeese, ED of Johnson County Mental Health Center. And a thank you to the conference for inviting our director, Chandra Green, to moderate a panel on Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Heartland 180 Inc. Poetry for Personal Power Wyandot Behavioral Health Network The Family Conservancy Unified Government Public Health Department Wyandot Behavioral Health Network Randy Lopez for USD 500 Board of Education Wyandotte Health Foundation Health Forward Foundation Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City KS St. Luke's Health Shelby Elizabeth Mabery