Nearly 150 community leaders, nonprofit partners, elected officials, and residents gathered for United Community Services of Johnson County’s (UCS) 2025 Annual Meeting & Human Service Awards to celebrate collaboration, reflect on the year’s progress, and honor outstanding community champions. The celebration also included welcoming new UCS board members, including Dr. Graciela Couchonnal, Dawn Rattan, and Mayor Mickey Sandifer.
Board President Erik Erazo opened the morning by emphasizing the power of cross-sector partnerships and the shared responsibility of strengthening Johnson County. The program reflected UCS’s role as a convener, data partner, and policy leader working to build systems that help families thrive. UCS Executive Director Kristy Baughman reflected on a year defined by collaboration, data-driven decision making, and community-centered advocacy.
This year’s program included a special recognition of the Salvation Army Olathe Corps for their extraordinary response when residents of Aspen Place Apartments were displaced with only 48 hours’ notice. Within 24 hours, the Salvation Army mobilized an emergency congregate shelter, supplies, volunteers, and case management supports—demonstrating the power of community collaboration in moments of crisis
The highlight of the meeting was the honoring of the 2025 Human Service Award recipients. Kar Woo, founder of Artists Helping the Homeless, received the Citizen of the Year Award for building a regional safety net that has supported hundreds of Johnson County residents through housing, case management, and recovery services. The El Centro Promotoras Program received the Excellence in Community Service Award for serving as trusted bridges between Latino families and essential health, housing, and advocacy resources. The Distinguished Public Servant Award was presented posthumously to Joe Karlin, whose decades of service, youth mental health advocacy, and community leadership continue to shape Johnson County.
The 2025 Annual Meeting reflected UCS’s mission to provide data, lead collaboration, and mobilize resources so that every person in Johnson County has the opportunity to thrive.
UCS Hosts National Day of Racial Healing Breakfast
On January 20, the UCS National Day of Racial Healing Breakfast offered an inspiring way to begin the year alongside partners, neighbors, and friends of UCS. Marking the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s 10th annual recognition, the breakfast created meaningful space for reflection, connection, and a shared commitment to racial healing and equity in our community.
Participants were invited to reflect on important questions about equity, belonging, and what true racial healing could look and feel like if race no longer predicted outcomes. As ideas were shared, live artist Renee Andriani captured them in real time through a graphic recording, a visual synthesis of participant words, themes, and images. The final piece reflects a powerful common thread: equity means everyone gets what they need to thrive.
UCS remains deeply committed to racial equity work because the organization cannot fulfill its mission without it. Advancing equitable outcomes requires honesty about the systems that have shaped access and opportunity, as well as a willingness to confront harm rather than accommodate it. In her keynote address, Shanelle Dupree grounded attendees in three powerful reminders: do not placate hate, reclaim your power, and rest but do not quit. Her message honored both care and restoration while underscoring the importance of staying committed to the long-term work of justice.
As this work continues, UCS reaffirmed its commitment to using data to inform policy
recommendations and advocacy, ensuring efforts remain values-driven and evidence-based. The breakfast served as a reminder that racial healing is both personal and collective, and that progress is strongest when communities move forward together to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
UCS Hosts Community Advocacy Academy
UCS recently wrapped up our first Community Advocacy Academy of 2026, welcoming participants ready to engage and advocate on critical issues including youth, public safety, housing, and immigration.
Designed for both community members and service providers, the Community Advocacy Academy equips participants with the tools, confidence, and knowledge to make their voices heard—whether contacting elected officials or mobilizing their neighborhoods around shared concerns.
Participants gained a strong grounding in advocacy fundamentals, practical strategies for using data and storytelling to craft impactful messages, and skills to set clear advocacy goals and build actionable plans.
“There is no greater time than now to step into advocacy and ensure you know how to create real change in your community,” said Rachel Russell, UCS Director of Equity and Community Engagement.
We are already looking forward to the next Academy. Stay tuned for future opportunities to learn, connect, and lead. “Change happens when people do something differently.”
Request for Proposal: Abandoned Housing Pilot Program
Blighted and abandoned homes are holding back communities across Kansas. They discourage investment, attract crime, strain code enforcement, and take a real toll on neighbors who live alongside them. There is a solution. The Kansas Abandoned Housing Act has been on the books for more than 30 years and allows nonprofits to step in, rehabilitate abandoned properties, and return them to productive use as quality housing. While Missouri has used a similar law to rehab over 1,000 properties, Kansas has significantly underutilized this powerful tool.
Neighborhood Legal Support of Kansas City (NLS) has successfully used the Act in Kansas City for the past eight years and, in 2025, launched pilot projects in Kansas City, Kansas and Leavenworth. Now, in partnership with the Kansas Housing Advocacy Network, NLS is looking to expand this work to two to three additional Kansas communities in 2026. An RFP is now open for nonprofits and communities interested in collaborating.
Applications are due April 3, 2026 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Learn more and access the application here.
An information session will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, February 4th at 9:00 a.m.:
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/87303964562
Questions may be directed to Gregg Lombardi at Gregg@NLS4KC.org or (816) 401 1951.