Friends of Yates will celebrate 104 years of service by holding the “Holiday At The Apollo” annual meeting and benefit gala at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 9 at the Jack Reardon Convention Center, 520 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
This year’s event will showcase the many programs and services that attribute to the continued success of Friends of Yates, a spokesman said. This agency continues to serve, build, and sustain a caring community by providing social and educational services for children, youth, adults, and senior citizens throughout the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
Friends of Yates has been able to continuously provide quality vital services to the community, including emergency-transitional shelter for victims of domestic violence and their dependent children for more than a century, the spokesman said. Programs and services include youth programs; Men and Women of Distinction Program, which has honored men and women – in recognition of “Black History Month,” who have or have yet to make outstanding contributions to the community; Friends of Yates Nursing Home Support Group; Judge Meeks Jr./Meeks/Burks/Attorney Jackson/Robinson/Attorney Watson Library/Learning Center; Crime Awareness Coordinating Efforts (C.A.C.E.);Learning to Interrupt Violence through Education (Project L.I.V.E.); Healthy Eating-Healthy Living Nutritional Program; Pathway to Advocacy Violence Free Living and Economic Empowerment (P.A.V.E); Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention (S.A.P.I.); Keep a Clear Mind, Teen Dating Violence Prevention Programs; Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model (T.R.E.M.) and the BridgeS.P.A.N. Hospital Advocacy Program.
They recently completed the renovation of the Della Gill-Joyce H. Williams Center for victims of domestic violence, increasing shelter capacity from 22 to 42. It is the help and support from community contributors that allows Friends of Yates to continue to thrive, the spokesman said.
Throughout Friends of Yates’ 104-year tenure, it has been diligent in its commitment to innovative and holistic community programming, the spokesman said. In spite of the economy or ever-changing population, Friends of Yates has maintained excellence without sacrificing quality, as substantiated by continued analysis of its program outcomes and testimonials of those whom it has served, the spokesman stated. Friends of Yates is a viable part of the Kansas City metropolitan area’s rich legacy and heritage.
To commemorate the achievements for 2017, Friends of Yates’ Board of Directors is inviting the community to attend the “Holiday at the Apollo” annual meeting and benefit. At the gala there will be a social hour for guests to mix and mingle, a lunch complete with dessert, a silent auction with items for a variety of bidders, and live entertainment from J.C., “the New King of Funk.”
J.C.’s heavy edge makes his sound unique. He will sing lead vocal while playing bass, and his repertoire includes great soul and rhythm and blues hits of the past, brought to the present day with a moder modern sound. He will play hits from his album, “Have U Forever.”
Although J.C.’s first love is the bass guitar, he has proven his proficiency as a vocalist, drummer, keyboardist, writer, arranger, composer, and producer. In more than 15 years of entertaining he’s toured and performed with groups and artists such as The Gap Band, Roger Troutman, Teena Marie, Bootsy Collins, Gladys Knight, Charlie Wilson, Freddie Jackson, Tech9, Rome and the Chilites. He has laid down bass tracks for artists such as TUPAC and SHAQ, and has produced two motion picture sound tracks: Pharcyde’s “Can’t Stop the Music” from the movie “Mr. Good Burger” and “Taste” from “The Sixth Man.”
For tickets and further information about Friends of Yates’ “Holiday at the Apollo Annual Meeting and Gala” contact the office at 913-321-1566.
– Story from Durriyyah Anderson, Friends of Yates community outreach educator