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Refugees are coming to Kansas City. Here’s how to help.
For years, Kansas City has been a destination for refugees and new immigrants, largely because of the work of three resettlement agencies: Jewish Vocational Service, Della Lamb Community Services and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. As the region prepares to receive significant numbers of refugees after several years of restricted admissions, KC for Refugees and the other agencies are sharing multiple ways for people to get involved.
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Refugee resettlement agencies ask for landlord referrals as they prepare for new arrivals
In the past, resettlement agencies usually had two or three weeks to get a family set up. But with many of the emergency evacuations from Afghanistan over the past month, this process has been shortened to just 48 to 72 hours. “It’s going to be crazy, which is why we need help,” Danilo Aguilar said.
These neighborhoods haven’t given input on Kansas City’s future — that’s a problem
Engagement from residents is a crucial part of the comprehensive plan — but because the pandemic prevented in-person community outreach last year, the department is seeing disparities in the residents participating in the process.
Kansas City is updating its comprehensive plan — here’s what that means for you
Putting together the comprehensive plan is a multi-year process that began in 2019. The planning department is currently in the engagement process, soliciting input from residents. The final step — city council adopting the finished plan — is set to take place in mid-2022.
When COVID shut down Kansas City, libraries sprang to action
In the months that all 10 locations were closed, staff members turned to digital initiatives like expanding Wi-Fi access to parking lots outside branch locations, increasing the library system’s capacity to loan out computers and Wi-Fi hotspots for free and starting a tech access support program to teach digital skills to people of all ages.
How Kansas City residents are supporting Asian-owned businesses and ‘Stop Asian Hate’
The vigil outside Vietnamese coffee shop Cafe Cà Phê was in response to the recent shooting in Atlanta, where a gunman targeted Asian-owned businesses and killed eight people, including six Asian women.
At Kansas City budget hearing, residents call for increased funding for housing services and unhoused residents
A majority of comments focused on increased funding for housing services, with specific demands to fund the Office of Tenant Advocate, a city agency borne out of the Tenant Bill of Rights that was passed by the City Council in December 2019.
How a local coalition is trying to improve internet access in Kansas City
The coalition operates with the vision that every resident in the Kansas City area should have access to an internet connection, devices to use the internet and the digital skills to take advantage of all the internet has to offer.
Complete census counts in Kansas, Missouri marred by COVID-19 and changing deadlines
For six days a week throughout August and September, Cindy Hoedel went door-to-door across mostly rural Kansas counties — sometimes covering over 200 miles in a day — to find out how many people lived in a given address on April 1. But as a […]
After days of waiting, Kansas City residents react to Joe Biden’s projected win over Donald Trump
After a grueling campaign season, marred by a pandemic and made even more stressful by days spent waiting for votes to be counted in several battleground states, Kansas City voters who spoke with The Beacon said they felt a variety of emotions.
In their words: Kansas City voters on the unprecedented 2020 Election
On Nov. 3, thousands of registered voters in Kansas and Missouri turned out to polling places to cast their ballot for crucial races, from the presidency to local races and statewide ballot initiatives. Even COVID-19 could not deter many voters from making sure their voice […]
COVID-positive voters in Kansas City face hours-long wait times on Election Day
Despite relatively short waits at most polling locations across the Kansas City metro, COVID-positive voters in Kansas City, Missouri — who were encouraged to use curbside voting at Union Station — are waiting hours to cast their ballots. Cedric Schofield and his wife originally planned […]
Live Coverage: Election Day 2020
After a long and tumultuous election season, shaped by an unprecedented pandemic and mass protests against racism and police violence, Election Day is finally here. Millions have already cast their vote for president and other statewide and local races, and more are expected to turn […]
Election Day: Everything you need to know
With Election Day just one day away, we know voters still have qusetions about the voting process and how they can make sure their vote will count. On Friday, Oct. 30, The Beacon’s Celisa Calacal was joined by four local voting experts to answer common questions about voting in Missouri and Kansas.
Disenchanted by the major parties, young Kansas voters are more likely to register as independents
Through an analysis of Kansas voter registration data, The Beacon found that unaffiliated voters in Kansas, also known as independents, make up 38% of voters under the age of 40 — the largest portion of any party within that age range.
Transportation can be a barrier for some Kansas City voters. Here’s how to get to the polls.
Before the June election this year, the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners decided to change the locations and reduce the number of in-person polling places. The goal? To have enough election judges available and include larger polling sites for more social distancing.
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