We share how the Sunflower Children’s Collective supports kids facing trauma, instability, and court involvement across Riley, Geary, and Pottawatomie counties, and why healing requires steady relationships and time. With grant dollars shrinking, we introduce Champions of Hope, a two-week, captain-led fundraising push that turns creative micro-events into counseling and advocacy.

• mission and role of the Sunflower Children’s Collective
• scale of need across the region serving 500+ children
• impacts of instability on learning, trust and development
• trauma-informed counseling for PTSD, anxiety and attachment
• partnership with Andrews and Associates for on-site care
• funding gaps from lost grants and planning ahead
• Champions of Hope two-week fundraising window
• examples of easy-to-host, high-impact events
• how neighbors can spot concerns and call for guidance
• misconceptions about quick fixes and timelines for healing

Champions Of Hope: Become A Captain Or Start A Team Between February 14–28. Call 785-205-2970. Celebration On March 12 At The K-State Alumni Center. More Info At Sunflower Children’s Collective.com

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We talk with Flint Hills Breadbasket’s Carla Hegemeister about the Thanksgiving surge, the shockwaves from SNAP uncertainty, and how a bigger space and tight partnerships kept up with record demand. We share details on the community meal, holiday hours, and simple ways to help.

• Thanksgiving as peak season for donations, volunteers, and holiday meal support
• Holiday week schedule, turkey pickup times, and office-only days
• Community Thanksgiving meal hours, location, and inclusive purpose
• Volunteer capacity filled early, ongoing needs beyond the holiday
• New facility enabling higher throughput and safer distribution
• SNAP shocks and shutdown uncertainty driving mid to high 800s weekly families
• Rising demand among military and furloughed federal workers
• Forthcoming SNAP administration changes and state cost burdens
• HUD shifts likely to tighten rent support and raise risk of food insecurity
• Nonprofits coordinating to avoid tunnel vision and share resources
• Christmas focused on stability, not extra meat distributions
• Lighted parade as a food and funds driver
• Clear ways to help through drives, volunteering, and donations

FlintHillsBreadbasket.org is where you can find out more information
You can always find out more about the work of the foundation on our website at mcfks.org

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We celebrate 20 years of Manhattan Free Clinic. Rick Hernandez joins us to reflect on milestones and momentum: a second clinic site inside the Flint Hills Community Accelerator, targeted grants that equipped modern exam rooms, and interactive patient education that sends videos and guides straight to your inbox. We talk about what it means to care for neighbors in a system defined by high deductibles and shifting coverage, and why preparing for newly uninsured patients is a responsibility the clinic won’t ignore. You’ll hear how a big band concert—the Thundering Cats—turns holiday music into direct support for the Manhattan Free Clinic and Shepherd’s Crossing, proving that community culture can move the needle on healthcare access.

We also step inside the accelerator’s unique model: childcare incubation, workforce placement, education, and medical services under one secure roof. That design tackles the real drivers of health, time, stability, and knowledge so that parents can work, patients can learn, and care teams can coordinate. Along the way, we honor Jim Reed, whose fingerprints are on so many of these efforts, and preview a private anniversary gathering with local leaders, with plans to share the recording online so everyone can take part.

Join us for a grounded look at how technology, partnerships, and purpose can reshape local healthcare. If this story resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review telling us what would make care truly accessible in your community.

• the clinic’s 20-year history and mission
• the impact of retired physicians and volunteers
• Jim Reed’s role in founding local nonprofits
• Thundering Cats concert support for care
• technology that improves patient education
• expansion into the community accelerator
• challenges of insurance and high deductibles
• a vision for broader health coverage
• details on the anniversary gathering
• how to tour the accelerator and find resources

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