Foundation Journal

You can make a difference in the lives of low-income residents in Northeast Kansas City Kansas by making a donation to a Connecting for Good fundraising campaign to build a free wireless network. Connecting for Good is building the high-speed Internet wireless network in the 390-unit Juniper Gardens housing complex, which serves mainly low-income residents, most of whom are single mothers and immigrant families living on $10,000 or less. There are few organizations in KC that have made such a bold splash as Connecting for Good has in its short time as an area non-profit. This organization has taken a brash startup approach to addressing the "digital divide," a popular term to describe a lack of access or resources in one of three areas: high-speed Internet access, a computer, and computer training. What they have accomplished in the last six months -- providing free wireless connections to all residents of KCK low-income housing complexes Rosedale Ridge and Juniper G

I attended the regular meeting of the Kansas City-based Homelessness Task Force organization at the downtown public library in Kansas City, Missouri today. I arrived at the meeting a few minutes early and joined the 20 or so people waiting to enter the library when it opened at 9:00 am. Most people waiting -- older men and 20-somethings -- would fit a description of a homeless individual using the library to come in from the cold, damp morning. As I learned later none of these individuals attended the meeting of the organization responsible for overseeing solutions to their problem. In fact, a few task force representatives left the waiting crowd to enter the library through another entrance. The crowd included weather-beaten men without teeth, a young man listening to music on his phone with a tooth brush hanging out of his pocket, two 30-something men conversing about backpacks and KC life -- "this was one of the baddest banks" in its time, announced one of them, referrin

This video shows how an old bike I received from a neighbor was donated to Revolve KC Bike Shop at an April 13, 2013 bicycle recycle event in Kansas City. Elizabeth Bejan with Revolve describes how bikes are refurbished and in turn donated to individuals in the Kansas City area.