ECHO - Economic Community Health Organization

12/12/2023

FYI, the Kansas Department of Children and Families is accepting applications for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) between December 18, 2023 and March 29, 2024. This is a one-time, annual benefit that can provide significant help for paying utility bills. Click below for more info about program benefits and eligibility:

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a Federally funded program that helps eligible households pay a portion of their home energy costs by providing a one-time per year benefit.

12/11/2023

Check out our year-in-review video to see what ECHO has accomplished in 2023!

12/02/2023

We had a great day of tree planting today at the Vernon Center. We learned about how to plant and prune trees from arborist Molly Gosnell and got 15 trees in the ground before the icy rain started to fall. Thanks to everyone who made it out in the cold!

11/29/2023

This past August ECHO members collected data as part of the Kansas Community Heat Mapping Campaign. The results are now in, and they are alarming: Parts of Northeast Kansas City, Kansas are up to 11 degrees hotter than other areas in the KC Metro due to more impermeable surfaces like asphalt and less tree cover. Read the whole report here:

11/29/2023

Join ECHO this Saturday, 12/2, at the Vernon Center as we plant trees that will provide shade and natural beauty to this historic and culturally important site! Click here to register: https://forms.gle/a5TuMvFTiJRnrc52A

11/07/2023

Our next ECHO meeting is this Thursday, November 9 from 6-8 pm at the Beatrice L. Lee Community Center, 1310 N. 10th St. We will be sharing a pre-Thanksgiving meal and reflecting on our work in 2023 as we begin to plan ahead for the New Year.

11/04/2023

`Our election canvassing team knocked on 209 doors in Northeast KCK today to remind people to vote in our local elections!!! Local elections typically have less than 20% turnout, so every vote counts. For more information about all the candidates, you visit https://thevoternetwork.org/ksballot-live/ And for more detailed information about the Public Utilities Board candidates, the Kansas City Beacon newspaper has info from their community forum here: https://kcbeacon.org/stories/2023/10/04/bpu-kansas-city-kansas-election-candidate-forum/

11/03/2023

Thanks to the ECHO and Groundwork NRG volunteers who came in the cold to help plant trees for the new Allie Mae Dickens Community Orchard in Northeast KCK. This project is being led by our partners at Cultivate KC and the Giving Grove. They are having an orchard dedication on November 9 at 2 pm. Details can be found here: https://www.cultivatekc.org/events/allie-mae-dickens-orchard-dedication/

11/03/2023

The Economic Community Health Organization (ECHO) is a group of KCK residents that meets bimonthly to learn about environmental justice and advocate for community-based solutions to climate-related problems including extreme heat, flooding, and high utility rates for low-income residents. It is a project of the Climate Safe KCK program at Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group. New members are always welcome! Check here for information about upcoming meetings and events.