2021 Luncheon

Throughout 2020, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City worked to ensure the community’s vulnerable young people had access to critical resources. After closing for just one day at the start of the pandemic, the Clubs immediately altered operations, preparing and delivering hot meals daily and facilitating well-check calls to all members on a weekly basis. Through August of 2020, over 85,000 meals were prepared and delivered, and over 20,000 well-check calls were made. In September, the Boys & Girls Clubs again adapted, increasing operational hours to full days to serve as a virtual school participation hub in order to provide certified teachers, reliable connectivity and in-person academic support. The Clubs also added additional sites to serve even more youth. The resilience of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City over the past year provided stability to thousands of youth across our community.

As a regional food bank serving 26 counties in Kansas and Missouri, Harvesters – The Community Food Network knew in March 2020 that they had entered uncharted waters. Not only would there be an immediate need for food, but also heightened health concerns for distribution. Additionally, shutdowns of food suppliers would necessitate decisive action. The organization quickly shifted from normal operations to disaster relief leadership and management. Harvesters added 60 no-contact distribution sites, including mega-mobile distributions held in cooperation with local government officials at COVID-testing and vaccination sites. The organization invested in new equipment and infrastructure, including sorting and packaging machines to cover work normally handled by volunteers, as well as generators to ensure power outages would not disrupt the new distribution systems or spoil food. At the end of 2020, Harvesters had already distributed more than 51 million meals. Harvesters’ mission "to feed hungry people today and work to end hunger tomorrow" was never needed more than in 2020.

Throughout the pandemic, the YMCA of Greater Kansas City aligned their resources with the changing needs of the community. The Y developed new programs to support youth learning and give a lifeline to working parents. The organization first pivoted in March 2020 to develop an Essential Child Care program that allowed essential workers to go to work with peace of mind that their children were safe. The organization then pivoted to address the looming concern for working families at the beginning of the school year: how to support kids with remote learning. The Y implemented the new Y Learning Academy program, which provides full-day, in-person support for virtual learning for children ages 5 through 12. Thanks to this innovation, more than 2,400 children were able to learn in a safe environment in 2020, while their parents maintained employment in critical jobs to support their families and their communities.

Early on in the pandemic, HappyBottoms received hundreds of phone calls from families desperately in need of diapers. The organization knew that COVID-19's effects were amplifying service barriers and that the community’s need for diapers was increasing significantly. To address this demand and need, the team was creative in launching new programs. The Drive-Through Diaper Distribution not only provided diapers, but leveraged local organizations to provide other services including flu vaccines and food. HappyBottoms also partnered with other local groups to provide diapers at mobile food pantry events, serving an additional 700 children monthly. When the pandemic worsened transportation access, HappyBottoms set up home delivery for clients. In a pandemic that disproportionately affected parents and caregivers, the HappyBottoms team listened to what the community needed and continued to pivot in response.

The onset of social distancing in March 2020 halted all live productions for Kansas City Actors Theatre. Faced with the complete shutdown of its core operations, the organization made a swift decision to embrace an alternate performance medium, which is how Kansas City Actors Radio Theatre was born. Inspired by vintage radio series, the team obtained a weekly spot on KKFI 90.1FM Community Radio and commissioned a local playwright to create a 12 episode series based on local history. The result was "Kansas City: 1924" a compelling look at the days leading up to the dawn of the Pendergast (PEN-DER-GASt) Era. In total, 26 weeks of radio programming was created by Kansas City Actors Theatre after their pivot away from live performance. Audiences embraced the new medium, individual contributions peaked, and Kansas City Actors Theatre continues to weather the pandemic by branching out in new directions.

After making the difficult decision to cancel in-person camp sessions in May 2020, Wildwood Outdoor Education Center pivoted to deliver outdoor learning and activities remotely while also expanding camp programs. The small staff created and delivered over 200 summer camp activity kits, 1,000 friendship kits, and 56 winter activity kits between June and December 2020. In order to reach campers online, Wildwood's team also produced 11 unique video lessons that provided instruction for engaging outdoor activities, which reached over 3,500 individuals. Finally, Wildwood established a new day camp program in order to double the number of campers served, include younger campers, and bring new program options to families.

Focused on its three-part mission as a presenter, educator and community unifier, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey has spent the better part of four decades transforming Kansas City through its youth programs, artistic ventures and intentional programming to open the door to racial equity and honest conversations. Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey was founded in 1984 by a coalition of civic, corporate and community leaders dedicated to establishing a second home for the internationally renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 2020, the organization created a new program called “Courageous Conversations” for its Board of Directors, committee co-chairs and Advisory Board to fully explore and understand systemic racism. Using the technical skills acquired from redesigning 10 annual youth and community programs, this virtual series continues to grow in popularity and has attracted other community partners to join the conversation.

Since its inception in 1990, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has been dedicated to preserving and applauding the rich history of African-American baseball and its social impact of bridging the country’s racial gap. In 2020, this mission and heritage took on greater meaning as the Museum and its leadership hosted invaluable discussions concerning the racial divide. Through the lens of baseball, the Museum is in a distinct position to speak to issues of adversity, triumph, and overcoming injustice. Recent forums hosted by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum have included conversations with young, African-American players as well as race forums with coaches and executives. By hosting these discussions around the subjects of equity, diversity and inclusion, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has brought important dialogues to the forefront of the conversation surrounding racial equity.

Second Presbyterian Church has always identified greater diversity and equity as a top priority, but it was in 2020 that the church began to embody this commitment on a deeper level. Starting in June 2020, the church formed a new 'Anti-Racism Group' to champion the idea of anti-racism in their congregation. The group began offering anti-racism trainings and book discussions, and formed new community partnerships with the Kansas City Indian Center and Covenant Presbyterian Church. These new partnerships have led to discussions, donation drives and a sermon series that spotlights indigenous voices and spirituality. Second Presbyterian Church has worked to make anti-racism education, training and community action a central focus for people of all ages in the church.

When the COVID-19 pandemic reared its head in 2020, Tena Tiruneh, Director of Heart to Heart International Laboratory Programs, saw a need to provide easily accessible COVID-19 testing to marginalized communities. Tena partnered with community leaders and groups to enlist their expertise for the best ways to reach their community members and gain their trust. Tena's background in management enabled him and his team to coordinate the testing and collection of samples, but it was his desire to engage people within the community that made the program so successful. Thanks to Tena’s leadership, over 5,000 essential workers in marginalized communities received COVID-19 tests last year.

Since the outset of her career, Crissy Dastrup has been known for bringing people and communities together. This is exemplified in the founding of Troost Market Collective and its crown jewel: the Troost-A-Palooza festival. In the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, Crissy brought together a dynamic team to create “KC Art On The Block: A Black Lives Matter Project.” In partnership with six local Black artists, her team oversaw six murals with the value statement "Black Lives Matter'' installed across the city. Covering over 2,000 linear feet of public city streets, this collection of murals is the largest public art installation of its kind.

As the Executive Director of United Inner City Services, Deidre Anderson has always been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both professionally and personally. This was exemplified during the Black Lives Matter protests last summer when Deidre took the concept of 'anti-racism' to heart and began to infuse her organization and mission with that creed. This included ensuring her Board of Directors was equitable; hosting a “Race, Community and Conversations” series for the families and staff of United Inner City Services; opening a new center in August of 2020 in North Kansas City; ensuring that staff hiring, assessment and development all reflect the organization’s anti-racist stance; and much more. Deidre not only works diligently to bring awareness to issues of the present day, but also lives out the motto of anti-racism in everything she and her organization does.