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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We highlight two local efforts that support people through the toughest seasons: a no-barrier warming shelter that keeps neighbors safe overnight and a memorial tradition that helps families grieve together during the holidays. Practical needs are met with tender rituals, and both rely on volunteers and clear information.

• Center of Hope’s nightly drop-in warming shelter hours and services
• Volunteer shifts that cover overnight windows and keep doors open
• Location update at the Douglas Center School Annex
• Immediate needs including water, coffee, hygiene and sanitation items
• Good Shepherd’s Light of Life Memorial ornaments and dedication ceremony
• Reading of names and community remembrance across years of loss
• Year-round donations supporting nonprofit hospice and home health care
• Clearing up hospice myths and explaining access and coverage
• Holidays at the hospice house with meals, decor and family comfort
• We Honor Veterans pinning ceremonies and their meaning
• GMCF’s support role and links to resources

You can always find out more about the work that we do at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation on our website, mcfks.org

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We trace the rebirth of a historic downtown theater into Wareham Hall, a flexible, high-tech home for performance, learning, and community. Blade Mages lays out the $40M plan, the acoustic and rigging innovations, and how donors and partners make the vision real.

• renaming the opera house to a community hall
• origins of the project and early ambitions
• fundraising strategy and historic tax credits
• cost drivers, square footage, and value
• fully motorized rigging and show control
• adjustable room acoustics for amplified and acoustic shows
• object-oriented mixing and spatial sound
• construction timeline and the marquee coming down
• nonprofit governance and broad donor base
• limited public funds and streetscape changes
• community impact and vision for 2027

Follow us online, Facebook or Instagram. We will be putting updates up just about every day
Wearhamhall.org has a lot of detailed information where you can find out more about that effort

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We mark Veterans Day with a clear plan to support Fort Riley families and open the doors of Operation Santa Claus. Phil and Colin share how volunteers, donors, and soldiers create a seamless holiday experience built on dignity, choice, and community.

• Veterans Day breakfast, parade, and ceremony details
• Armed Forces Community Foundation Match Day and giving options
• Fort Riley’s economic footprint and why need is rising
• Operation Santa Claus mission and eligibility at E5 and below
• What each child receives: toys, book, stocking, game
• Role of volunteers: fundraising, decorating, wrapping, guiding parents
• New toy policy and reasons for quality control
• Drop-off times, unofficial photo day, official opening date
• Where to find updates: website first, Facebook limited
• Parade logistics, reviewing stand location, on-site donations

See you tomorrow at match day for the Armed Forces Community Foundation, which you'll be positioned right out front.

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Dave and Vern share a tribute to C Clyde Jones, reflecting on his century of service, his love for Manhattan, Kansas, and the values he taught by example. From endowments to focus, his voice offers a clear path for nonprofits and young leaders who want to make change that lasts.

• Quiet service over recognition
• Endowment building as core community infrastructure
• Practical advice for young professionals on choosing causes
• Focused missions over scattered initiatives
• Love of place and the case for Manhattan
• K-State ties and civic milestones
• Gratitude, remembrance, and funeral details

Funeral services are scheduled for November 15th at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home is handling arrangements; updates on their website and on KMAN’s site.

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We bring Veterans Day into sharp focus by showing how local giving meets real military needs through the Armed Forces Community Foundation. Kevin West walks us through 31 partner groups, the dollar-for-dollar Veterans Day Match, and the simple ways to donate online or in person.

• What the AFCF does and how it partners locally
• Operation Santa Claus support for junior enlisted families
• Central Kansas Military Community Foundation emergency aid
• Flint Hills Veterans Coalition parade and ceremony role
• Wamego Honor Flight impact and recent trip
• Society of the First Infantry Division scholarships and gift cards
• Why the Veterans Day Match doubles impact up to $100,000
• Where to donate in person during the parade
• How to give online via standtomatchday.com and QR codes

“Standtomatchday.com. That is standtomatchday.com.”
“Also the website is armedforcescf.org.”
“We will be set up in person down by City Hall in conjunction with the Veterans Day Parade.”

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