Newsletter (July-September)
Northeast KCK residents discuss memories of their neighborhoods as part of a porch conversation hosted by John’s Java and Jazz.
1. Heritage Trail Survey and Fall Fest
Join Groundwork NRG for Fall Fest on October 23rd! The outdoors event is the latest piece of the NE KCK Heritage Trail planning process, which is bringing community members together to create a collective vision for a Heritage Trail in Northeast KCK.
The event will be enjoyable for all ages. Festivities will include a free raffle for a bicycle and other prizes, a pumpkin carving contest (with free pumpkins provided), and trick-or-treating. In addition to these fun activities, the event will be an opportunity to learn more about the Heritage Trail process and share your favorite memories of Northeast KCK. The event will run from 12-2:30pm at the Parkwood Park Shelter.
During the Fall Fest, there will also be an opportunity to participate in the second Green Team Tool Kit workshop. Green Team has been hard at work in Parkwood Park, engaging the community and removing overgrowth from the area surrounding the Parkwood Park Historic Bridge. From 1-2:30pm, Green Team will be hosting a workshop where you can share your favorite memories of Parkwood Park, learn about native flowers and trees, and get creative with nature-inspired kids crafts.
In addition to the Fall Fest, we recently launched a survey to gather additional information about what community members would like to see included in the trail. The survey asks questions about history, mobility, economic development, and the environment. If you have thoughts on any of these topics, we’d love to hear from you and incorporate your valuable perspective in the planning process. The survey is available in English and Spanish.
The survey and upcoming Fall Fest build on the previous community engagement for the trail, which has been in full swing for several months. So far, we’ve hosted three steering committee meetings, each of which included detailed discussions about the different infrastructure challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the Heritage Trail. In addition to the steering committee meetings, we also hosted three porch conversations. The porch conversations opened up a conversation about significant places, people, and memories that community members associated with Northeast KCK. The feedback from these meetings is continually incorporated into the trail planning process and used as structure and guidance for future meetings.
Sumner Academy students share their experiences, perceptions, and hopes as part of a porch conversation.
2. Coming Soon: Hotspot & Computer Library
Groundwork NRG is preparing to launch an internet hotspot and computer lending library. The library will provide a free source of connectivity for WyCo residents who might not otherwise have internet access. If you or someone you know is facing a gap in internet access, or is in need of a mobile source of connectivity, we’d like to help get you connected.
The library will be launching at two locations in Northeast KCK:
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 18th & Washington Blvd
The Village Initiative, Inc., 27th St. & Quindaro Blvd
In addition to the technology library, we are making other efforts to ensure that digital inclusion becomes a reality for residents of Wyandotte County. Groundwork NRG recently received funding to pay stipends to residents and has budgeted staff time for the purpose of working with residents to form a Digital Equity Taskforce. The mission of the taskforce will be developed collaboratively with participants, but its primary goals will include: generating community-driven research questions and insights about the state of digital inclusion in Wyandotte County, and taking action to conduct outreach and engage in co-learning to support strong digital skills for residents.
If you would like to be an early participant in the technology library or the Digital Equity Taskforce--or if you have ideas about how you’d like these programs to proceed in your community--we’d like to hear from you! For all things related to digital inclusion, you can contact Groundwork NRG’s Digital Equity Coordinator at (913) 608-9338, or jvandeleuv@northeastkck.org.
Green Team members Oliver and Esmerelda pose with the hole they dug to serve as the foundation for a solar lamp.
3. Green Team
The members of Groundwork NRG’s Green Team have been hard at work over the summer. Green Team consists of local youth who receive stipends for their hard work constructing new green improvements in their own community.
On September 30th, they hosted the debut of a new green infrastructure installation at 710 Oakland Ave., down the road from Sumner Academy in the Douglass/Sumner neighborhood. Over the spring and summer they planted four trees and over 100 native flowering perennials, and created a new footpath on the lot. They also installed a birdbath, bird feeder, and bench for residents to sit and enjoy their surroundings. They have continued to water and maintain the green space to ensure that it remains a community resource.
In addition to the 710 Oakland Ave project, Green Team connected with community members and worked to beautify neighborhoods in Northeast KCK. In particular, Green Team has assisted with numerous projects in the Turtle Hill Neighborhood, working to cut back overgrown weeds from the Turtle Hill Neighborhood Marker and maintain a pear orchard owned by the Turtle Hill Neighborhood Association.
Most recently, Green Team planted 15 trees on a lot owned by Turtle Hill Neighborhood Association, forming a living fence and creating privacy, shade, and shelter from the wind. In addition to the trees, Green Team installed three solar-powered street lamps, which required them to dig down three feet through layers of broken concrete, asphalt, and brick, and pour 400 lbs of concrete.
If you live in the Parkwood Colony Neighborhood, and would like to assist Green Team with their mission, you can join them for their second Tool Kit workshop on October 23rd. Taking place from 1-2:30pm at the Parkwood Park Historic Bridge, the workshop will gather community input that will inform Green Team’s efforts to beautify the bridge. In addition to sharing your memories of Parkwood Park, you’ll learn about native flowers & trees and the different opportunities for improving the park.
Green Team poses with members of Turtle Hill Neighborhood Association.
4. Other Updates
Fall Community Meeting Suspended:
Due to increasing levels of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Wyandotte County, Groundwork NRG did not host our normal third quarter meeting. This is disheartening for us, as we take a special joy in these opportunities to see our indispensable partners and supporters. Even though we won’t have the opportunity to meet in person in the immediate future, we’d still like to hear from you! If have comments or questions, or you’d like to get involved, you can reach us at 913-371-9298 ext. 8, info@northeastkck.org, or via social media.
Kansas City TechConnect Hotline
The Kansas City Public Library has launched a new tech access hotline for all computer-related needs. By calling or texting 816-701-3699, you can get help with the following types of issues:
Finding affordable internet service, computers, tablets, or smartphones
Figuring out where to go to get your devices repaired
Questions about technology use and troubleshooting issues
Find resources for cultivating your business’ online presence
Emergency Broadband Benefit
The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) provides up to $50/month for households to purchase internet subscriptions. The program also provides up to $100 for a laptop, desktop, or tablet purchased through a participating provider.
Your household qualifies for this program if a member of the household:
Qualifies for free and reduced-price school lunches,
Received a Federal Pell Grant this year
Experienced substantial loss of income due to job loss during the pandemic
You have income at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Line. (currently, at or below, $29,646/year for a family of three)
To receive your benefit, contact an internet provider directly (e.g. Spectrum, AT&T), or visit GetEmergencyBroadband.org.