Community Event and Expo on March 27

Please join us for "Healthy Homes, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Communities" — a community event on Saturday, March 27, from noon to 4 p.m. at Paseo High School, 4747 Flora, Kansas City, Mo. Highlights will include:

• A presentation by Rashid Nuri, an expert on urban gardening and leader of Truly Living Well based in Atlanta. Mr. Nuri will also host a pre-event workshop from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• The kickoff of KCP&L's energy-efficient appliance demonstration project, which will provide new refrigerators, washers and dryers to a limited number of homeowners in the Green Impact Zone.

For more information, visit www.greenimpactzone.org or call 816-936-8803.

TIGER grant will have a big impact on zone residents

On Feb. 17, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited the Green Impact Zone to announce $1.5 billion in federal TIGER grants (Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery), including $50 million for the Kansas City area. The Mid-America Regional Council coordinated a regional grant application for TIGER funds, which was one of 51 applications out of 1,400 across the nation to receive funding.

The grant application included $26 million for projects in the Green Impact Zone, including improvements to sidewalks, curbs and public transit shelters; enhanced bus service on Troost; upgrades to traffic signals; and a complete makeover of the Troost bridge. These improvements, planned in partnership with the city of Kansas City, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and others, will help Green Impact Zone residents, neighborhoods and the city. Other parts of the grant will be used on transit improvements that will reach far beyond the Green Impact Zone, connecting the zone to our regional neighbors in Kansas, eastern Jackson County, and north of the Missouri River.

Convoy of Hope coming to Kansas City on June 12

The Green Impact Zone has partnered with Convoy of Hope, Inc., a national nonprofit organization based in Springfield, Mo., to present a community-wide event at Swope Park on Saturday, June 12. The Kansas City Convoy of Hope is a collaborative effort between local faith-based organizations, social service agencies and Convoy of Hope, Inc.

Kansas City Convoy of Hope plans to provide an estimated 5,000 people with a message of hope, free groceries, health screenings, job fairs (including help with résumés), haircuts, games and activities for children, and much more. All goods and services are provided to guest free of charge.

This all-volunteer event will mobilize hundreds of area residents to serve and make a difference in their community. Strong participation by local businesses, faith-based organizations, community agencies and individuals is crucial to the success of the event. For more information, visit www.kansascityconvoy.org.

Census 2010 is underway — Be counted!

Every year, the federal government uses census data to determine how resources should be distributed. Census data is also used by local communities and businesses to determine where to build schools, hospitals, retail stores and other community facilities. Census data helps determine the boundaries for congressional and legislative districts.

You can help your neighborhood, the Green Impact Zone and the community at large by filling out and returning the census form when it arrives — and encouraging your neighbors to the same.

The Census Bureau is still hiring temporary workers in the Kansas City area. Learn more on the Green Impact Zone website, or call the Census office at 816-977-2140.