Greenways program provides summer jobs for youth

On Monday, June 21, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II, Fifth District–Missouri, and Governor Jay Nixon visited the Green Impact Zone to announce a statewide summer jobs program for youth. The program, which will employ approximately 4,800 young people across Missouri this summer, is funded by an $18 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately $5 million, more than one fourth of the grant, will support 1,200 jobs for qualified young people ages 16-24 in the Fifth District, which includes the Green Impact Zone. 

Participants will get real-world, on-the-job experience in green careers while earning approximately $10 per hour and working 40 hours per week. Each Friday, the youth will participate in "Green In-Service Days" that will include field trips and presentations given by leaders in the green and sustainability career fields. The Green Impact Zone will employ a team of young people and a supervisor to work with community ombudsmen in zone neighborhoods.

The Full Employment Council will handle recruitment, vetting and paychecks for participants. Young people interested in applying for a job should visit www.feckc.org or call the Full Employment Council at 816-471-2330.

$4.5 million MDNR grant will help weatherize homes

The Mid-America Regional Council has received a $4.5 million grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to weatherize homes in the Green Impact Zone and the surrounding area as part of the Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program (LIWAP). MARC, which will provide administration and oversight for the program, has issued a Request for Proposals from contractors that will complete the weatherization work and is in the process of hiring a full-time project coordinator. Plans call for work to begin this fall, with work to be completed at more than 650 homes during the 20-month grant period.

Homeowners in the Green Impact Zone and surrounding “Blue Zone” boundaries of Kansas City Power & Light’s Smart Grid Demonstration Project area — bounded by Main Street on the west; 35th Street on the north; Benton Blvd. and Swope Parkway on the east; and 56th Street, Troost and 52nd Street on the south — may be eligible for weatherization assistance if they meet income and other guidelines. More details will be available on the Green Impact Zone website once the program gets underway.

Convoy of Hope helps people in need

Rainy weather didn't stop more than 2,000 area residents from gathering in Swope Park on Saturday, June 12, to participate in the Convoy of Hope. The event, sponsored by the Green Impact Zone and the Kansas City Convoy of Hope, was designed to help Kansas City's working poor. More than 1,200 volunteers helped provide participants with free clothing, food, health screenings, job opportunities and more.

Residents started lining up at 5:30 a.m. for the 70,000 pounds of groceries that were given away within the first few hours. "Those who came early and stood in line had the biggest need, and thankfully, because of the rain, they were able to get more than they would have otherwise," said Gina Hanna, event coordinator. "The volunteers really came together to make a change for people in need in Kansas City."

Community leaders help build capacity in the Zone

Building community capacity is an important part of the vision to transform the Green Impact Zone into a sustainable community. Community leaders like Francine Nelson, Sharon Bass and Veronica Maull-Turner exemplify this concept through the work they do in the zone. Both Francine and Sharon enrolled in the Community Leadership Program, which spurred their involvement in many other activities throughout the Green Impact Zone — including co-chairing the Night Out Against Crime event.

According to Jessie Jefferson, Ivanhoe community mobilizer and long term staffer, Sharon and Francine have become extraordinary volunteers. "Their volunteer hours sometimes exceed more than 20 hours a week and they are eager to learn and able to take on leadership roles. They do anything to lighten the staff work load. I appreciate all of their efforts."

Sharon initially got involved in the Ivanhoe Neighborhood because she saw what a large impact the neighborhood association was having and wanted to help create a more thriving community. As a block contact, Sharon works vigorously to ensure that her neighbors know about the programs available in the Green Impact Zone and surrounding neighborhoods.

Veronica Maull-Turner is a Historic Manheim Park resident who voluntarily began working with young people in her community, teaching them to take care of their neighborhoods and be good stewards. Her volunteer work in the community has now translated into a paying job: Veronica was recently hired by the Green Impact Zone as an assistant youth coordinator. Working with David Bryant, lead youth coordinator, Veronica will put her passion for youth to work in the zone, increasing her skills, knowledge and experience while building capacity of young people to get involved at the neighborhood level.

Community Crews offer free concrete repairs

Eroding concrete around homes can cause significant stormwater drainage problems, often resulting in water running into the basement of the house. The Green Impact Zone's Community Crews can provide small concrete repairs for homeowners in the Green Impact Zone to help solve drainage problems.

Through a partnership with the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, the young adults who serve on the crews receive classroom and hands-on training in concrete finishing skills. To date, the crews have completed 15 repair jobs in the zone. For one of the crew members, these new skills led to an offer of permanent employment in a union job.

The crews are now taking requests from homeowners who need small concrete repairs. The requests are completed as weather and time permits. For more information, contact Arletha Bland Manlove, 816-936-8808.

Hyper-efficient appliances installed in three homes

On May 8, free hyper-efficient appliances were installed in three homes in the Green Impact Zone as part of Kansas City Power and Light's SmartGrid Demonstration project. The homeowners were selected for the program based on their participation in the Community Leadership Program and neighborhood and community events.

During the installation, KCP&L provided training to local electricians and plumbers from local minority-owned businesses that will complete future installations. The program is designed to help KCP&L quantify the actual reduction in energy usage experienced in households with hyper-efficient appliances. KCP&L hosted a meeting for neighborhood leaders on June 16 to discuss the next steps in the SmartGrid Demonstration project.