Month: September 2017

Friends of Yates to hold special praise event during domestic violence month

In recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, Friends of Yates will hold its 3rd annual Night of Praise, “Friends Embracing Lives through Praise.”

The benefit event will be held at Forest Grove Baptist Church, 1417 N. 9th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

The annual event benefits the Della Gill-Joyce H. Williams Center for victims of domestic violence, a program of Friends of Yates.

At this event, talented Kansas City area performers will come together and share their extraordinary gifts with family, friends and community members to raise awareness of domestic violence and the impact it has had, and continues to have on the community, a spokesman for the event said.

Those who attend will hear the powerful testimony of a domestic survivor, hear the angelic melodies from vocalists, see graceful liturgical dancing, and hear heart-felt poetry.

The evening’s featured artists will include Erin Jones, Chris Kelly and Heritage Dance Ministry, the M.B.C. Praise Team, Metropolitan Angels 5-7-8, and Brent Rice.

This is a free event, however, donations are welcomed to help support the vital programs and services for survivors of domestic violence. This Night of Praise is sure to touch everyone who attends in a very special way. Be it laughter, tears, smiles or cheers, you will definitely be glad you came.

Although the Night of Praise will be the kickoff event Friends of Yates will hold in recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it will not be the last.

The 17th Annual Awards and Faith Luncheon will be held on Friday, Oct. 27, at Friends of Yates, 1418 Garfield Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

Future events include the Holiday at the Apollo Gala annual meeting and benefit, Dec. 9, and the 38th Annual Black Men and Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony to be held in February of 2018, recognizing contributions and achievements made by African Americans within the community.

Yates was organized and became a branch of the YWCA, Kansas City, Kansas, in 1913. One hundred four years later, Friends of Yates continues its mission to provide services and help to develop a sense of identity to children, youth, adults and senior adults that facilitate safe and productive lives through their many programs.

Current programs, services and events of Friends of Yates include Black Men and Women of Distinction event; Crime Awareness Coordinating Effort (CACE) event, and the Della Gill-Joyce H. Williams Center for Survivors of Domestic Violence and their dependent children. Some of the many programs offered through DG-JHWC include Keep a Clear Mind; Pathway to Advocacy and Violence free living and Economic empowerment (PAVE) program, which is a collaborative program between Friends of Yates and the Division of Child and Family Services (DCF), to provide domestic violence and sexual assault services to TANF recipients. Healthcare Advocacy Program (BridgeSpan); Emergency Shelter; Transitional Housing; Court Advocacy; Mental Health Services; Substance Abuse Counseling; Child Care; Translation Services; Community Outreach and Education; Strength-based Case Management; 24-hour Crisis Hotline, Job Coaching and Economic Empowerment.

For more information about Friends of Yates’ “Friends Embracing Lives through Praise” benefit event or any other event, contact Durriyyah Anderson, community outreach educator at 913-321-1566, ext. 226, or via email [email protected].

A spokesman said it’s the hope of Friends of Yates that the public will attend this event, fill their Sunday with artistic enjoyment and help support the many programs and services provided by Friends of Yates.

– Information from Durriyyah Anderson, Friends of Yates

Kansas uninsured rate inches down while those in Medicaid expansion states plummet

by Jim McLean, Kansas News Service

New information from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the average uninsured rate in states with Medicaid expansion is 6.5 percent, while the rate in states without expansion is 11.7 percent.
U.S. Census Bureau

The uninsured rates in Kansas and Missouri continue to drop, but not as fast as those in states that have expanded their Medicaid programs.

New numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show the uninsured rate in Kansas dropped to 8.7 percent in 2016 from 9.1 percent the year before. That is not a statistically significant change.

Approximately 249,000 Kansans lacked health coverage in 2016, down from about 261,000 the previous year.

The uninsured rate in Missouri declined to 8.9 percent from 9.8 percent the previous year.
Kansas and Missouri are among 19 states that have thus far rejected expansion.

The average uninsured rate in the 31 states that have extended Medicaid eligibility to more low-income adults is 6.5 percent, according to the Census Bureau data. The average rate in non-expansion states is nearly double that at 11.7 percent.

Massachusetts, an expansion state, has the lowest uninsured rate at 2.5 percent while Texas, a non-expansion state, has the highest rate at 16.6 percent.

The 2017 Kansas Legislature passed a Medicaid expansion plan but failed to override Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto.

Expansion supporters are gearing up for another attempt when the 2018 session convenes in January, said David Jordan, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, a nonprofit lobbying group funded by several regional health foundations.

“As long as we have the opportunity to expand KanCare, we will continue to fight to do so,” Jordan said, referring to Kansas’ privatized Medicaid program.

If congressional Republicans had succeeded in repealing Obamacare, they would have phased out the enhanced federal funding that prompted many states to expand their Medicaid programs. But with the health reform law still on the books, expansion remains an option for Kansas and other states where support for it is growing.

Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to kcur.org.

See more at http://kcur.org/post/kansas-uninsured-rate-inches-down-while-those-medicaid-expansion-states-plummet.

Friday forecast: Warm today, chance of rain tonight

It will be warm today with a high in the upper 80s, according to the National Weather Service.

The south wind will be 7 to 17 mph, gusting as high as 29 mph, the weather service said.

Tonight, look for a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 70. A south wind of 8 to 15 mph, gusting as high as 22 mph, is predicted.

Saturday, there may be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be in the upper 80s.

Saturday night, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 a.m. The low will be around 68.

Sunday, there will be a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m., with a high near 82.

Sunday night, look for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low of 66, according to the weather service.

Monday, the high will be in the mid-80s, with mostly sunny skies, the weather service said.