Children’s Mercy Kansas City Provides Grants to Community Partners Focused on Transforming the Health and Potential of Children
Children’s Mercy Kanas City has named the recipients of the Catalyst Community Partnership Grant program in celebration of the hospital’s 125th year anniversary.
In May, it was announced that Children’s Mercy would award $12,500 grants to at least 10 community partners that are aligned with our vision to create a world of well-being for all children.
The grants support local organizations focused on advancing change in one of the four priority health areas identified in Children’s Mercy’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment:
- Child and Youth Mental Health
- Access to Health Care
- Housing and Neighborhood Condition
- Violence Prevention
Children’s Mercy received 48 grant proposals. Here are the 12 finalists that were selected.
Hogan Prep Academy – The school’s Restorative Discipline program will decrease suspensions and provide more opportunities to strengthen and rebuild relationships. Social-emotional and trauma-informed care training will be provided to all school staff. And a data platform will be developed to ensure creation of a positive school environment to provide faster response to students in crisis.
Park Hill School District – The district will use the grant to expand mental health therapy and case management for all students in need, providing the right support at the right time.
North Kansas City School District - To establish a district School Health Advisory Council will engage parents, students and community organizations to assess and address gaps in policies, processes and programs that support school climate, mental health and wellness in all schools. The CDC’s Whole Child framework will guide the work.
The Parent leadership Training Institute-Kansas City – The grant will support parent-leader cohorts in developing community projects related to all four of the community priority health areas.
Ad Hoc Group Against Crime - The grant will be used to expand Community Resource Advocate support, which is provided to youth living in Wyandotte County who are victims of or witnesses to violent crime or have a close family member who is a victim of a violent crime.
KC Common Good - The Working for Youth program will provide summer employment for youth in Jackson and Wyandotte County and involve them in resiliency and trauma-informed workshops.
The Northland Health Alliance – The grant will be used to help develop transportation solutions for health services for families living in Clay and Platte counties.
SchoolSmartKC - With its McKinney-Vento School Cooperative, SchoolSmartKC will convene up to 10 Kansas City Missouri public charter schools to collectively identify, partner with and access services and resources for homeless students and families. The goal is to reach more than 100 families in the first year.
The Urban Neighborhood Initiatives – The grant will support implementation and coordination of youth after-school and summer programming at Crescendo’s Wheatly neighborhood affordable housing development.
BikeWalkKC - The grant will support the Safe Routes to School program, working with school communities in southern and eastern Jackson County and Wyandotte County to improve neighborhood conditions so students can safely walk and bike to school.
Partners in Public Health – The grant will be used to enhance ongoing Safe Routes to School programming with placemaking activities at two elementary schools in Overland Park. Activities will include a community placemaking initiative, installation of wayfinding signs, and a community encouragement event.
Harris Park – The grant will be used to expand youth recreation leagues to provide additional health and wellbeing programs for youth and continue to improve the Ivanhoe neighborhood.
All recipients were honored at the Children’s Mercy Community Harvest event on Thursday, Sept. 29, which celebrated 125 years of partnerships in the community.
Learn more about the Community Benefit program at Children’s Mercy.
Learn more about the 125-year history of Children’s Mercy.