Candice McIntosh and Melissa Colby share their mission at Girls on the Run of the Flint Hills, bringing joy and confidence to girls in third through eighth grade across a ten-county region. The program combines physical activity with lessons on confidence, friendship, and community engagement. • New "Hello Bold Heart" curriculum focuses on helping girls find and use their voices • Program teaches girls to be good teammates and friends while building individual confidence • Expanding to new count...
Aug 13, 2025•10 min
Kent Michael Smith, director of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, introduces the inaugural Kansas Triennial, a new exhibition showcasing contemporary artists living and working in Kansas that will occur every three years. • Beach Museum is the only major museum with a focus specifically on Kansas art and the region • The Triennial emerged from Smith's desire to highlight this focus and connect with artists across Kansas • Unlike typical exhibitions, the Triennial uses an artist-centered ...
Aug 13, 2025•14 min
The Rural Riley County Community Foundation unites three small towns—Keats, Leonardville, and Riley, creating meaningful community impact through local philanthropy and robust fundraising initiatives. • Foundation manages 26 funds, with 23 participating in their upcoming Match Day • Raised over $97,000 in their first Match Day with $23,000 in matching funds • Community Food Basket program addresses food insecurity with a central pantry and blessing boxes throughout the region • Board includes re...
Aug 04, 2025•13 min
Christine Benne discusses the new Gold Star Family monument being established at Victory Park on Fort Riley, honoring the 13,578 members of the First Infantry Division who made the ultimate sacrifice across multiple conflicts. This monument provides Gold Star families, those who have lost a loved one in military service, a place for reflection and remembrance. • Gold Star Family Fund initially created to help Kansas families visit the First Infantry Division Memorial in Washington, DC • Monument...
Aug 04, 2025•13 min
Amy Payton shares the mission of Packages for Warriors, a nonprofit offering free shipping of medium flat-rate care packages to deployed service members through their partnership with Box and Ship in Junction City. Started as a grassroots effort after 9/11 and eventually becoming a nonprofit in 2006, the organization helps civilians support military personnel with comfort items from home. • Service available to anyone sending packages to military members with APO/FPO addresses, regardless of bra...
Jul 28, 2025•12 min
Sheila Ellis-Glasper of Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills shares how her organization has distributed over $114,000 in grants to business owners of color and launched a groundbreaking loan fund with a 4% interest rate. She unveils plans for the Yuma Street Cultural Center, the first Kansas initiative combining African-American heritage, entrepreneurship support, and cultural preservation while revealing fascinating historical connections, including Dr. King's impromptu Yuma Street speech. •...
Jul 28, 2025•18 min
Richard Stitt shares his journey from psychiatric patient to co-founder of Morningstar, an organization that has provided invaluable support to individuals with persistent mental illness for 21 years. After finding stability with proper medication and achieving sobriety, Richard transformed his struggles into a mission that has helped countless people find purpose and community. • Morningstar started 21 years ago after being discharged from Osawatomie Psychiatric Hospital • Organization grew fro...
Jul 22, 2025•15 min
Virginia Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Manhattan Area Resettlement Team (MART), shares how the organization has helped over 250 refugees establish new lives in Kansas since 2021. From airport pickups to job placement to navigating complex documentation, MART provides comprehensive support that has helped many refugees achieve self-sufficiency in just a few years. • MART began in 2021 following the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan • Currently serving 175 active clients with m...
Jul 21, 2025•15 min
Homefront Heroes is a faith-based ministry called to reach unconnected military wives by providing them with discipleship, resources, and a supportive community to help them thrive amid the unique trials they face. • Founded in 2019 by three military wives who identified a gap in support services • Offers multiple support channels including social media, the Hope on the Homefront podcast, and Bible study curriculum • Provides practical support through monthly "hope boxes" containing items for mi...
Jul 14, 2025•19 min
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas provides crucial support to families whose children need medical care, functioning as a home away from home where families can stay at no cost while remaining close to their hospitalized children. Their historic house offers eight private guest bedrooms, meals, transportation, and emotional support for families during difficult times. • Supporting primarily families with newborns in neonatal intensive care, assisting approximately 100 families ...
Jul 14, 2025•13 min
The Food and Farm Council of Riley County and City of Manhattan serves as a network hub bringing together partners to address persistent food insecurity issues, reduce food waste, and support local farms. Riley County consistently ranks among the highest counties for food insecurity nationwide, with approximately 13-14% of residents affected and 2,700 people currently receiving SNAP benefits. • Council consists of 15 volunteers who serve three-year terms with Vicki James as coordinator • Goals i...
Jul 08, 2025•17 min
Jack Lindquist, Executive Director of the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program, shares the 33-year history and impact of this regional leadership initiative. The program builds collaborative relationships across Geary, Riley, Pottawatomie, Wabaunsee, and Morris counties to foster regional problem-solving and create positive change. • Created 33 years ago through partnership between Fort Riley, Kansas State University, and regional Chambers of Commerce • Nearly 660 graduates have completed the...
Jul 08, 2025•14 min
The YES Fund supports Manhattan's youth through after-school programming, creating opportunities for young people and strengthening the community since its founding in 1993 following devastating floods. • YES Fund originated when community leaders recognized that youth lacked meaningful after-school activities • Annual campaign generates approximately $300,000 for youth programs across Manhattan • Supports diverse organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, the Manhattan Arts Center, and s...
Jun 30, 2025•12 min
Karla Hagemeister of the Flint Hills Breadbasket shares remarkable statistics about their new facility and the rising need for food support in Manhattan. After moving to a larger location in May, they're now serving record numbers. With over 2,000 family visits in June alone, Karla reflects on both the community's generosity and growing economic challenges. • The Breadbasket moved to a new, larger facility in late April, beginning operations May 8th • Weekly visits have increased dramatically, w...
Jun 30, 2025•19 min
The Salvation Army's 360 Life Center in Manhattan, Kansas, represents a groundbreaking approach to community service as the first rural pilot program of its kind in the United States. Director Susan Evans and volunteer Carla Johnson share how they've expanded from helping 25-30 people monthly to over 1,000 by identifying and filling service gaps through collaborative partnerships. • The 360 Life Center approach allows flexibility to address any area of need without time limits • Operation Street...
Jun 25, 2025•15 min
The Art Press Fund is transforming Manhattan's cultural landscape by bringing diverse events to the community while renovating a historic Art Deco building into a 400-person indoor venue to complement their successful outdoor space. • Eric Kleiner, musician with Headlight Rivals, leads the organization alongside Derek Richards and his sister • The fund's three main goals include providing affordable/free entertainment for all ages, bringing diverse music genres to Manhattan, and creating year-ro...
Jun 25, 2025•15 min
Rich Jankovich, Chapter President of the Fort Riley-Central Kansas AUSA chapter, explains the organization's mission to serve America's Army, veterans, National Guard, Reserves, and their families through education, professional development, and advocacy. • AUSA's Fort Riley-Central Kansas chapter covers from east of Topeka to the western Kansas border, making it one of the largest chapters geographically • The organization works alongside the Military Relations Committee and Military Affairs Co...
Jun 18, 2025•14 min
Michael Stubbs, president of Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards, shares the inspiring 20-year journey of preserving a historically and ecologically significant 165-acre park. From rescuing the land from potential development to creating accessible trails where visitors can experience wagon ruts from the 1840s and diverse prairie ecosystems, this volunteer-led effort showcases grassroots conservation at its finest. • Original 30-acre site commemorated the Beecher Bible and Rifle Colony and contained h...
Jun 18, 2025•15 min
Manhattan Area Technical College has transformed from a vocational technical school into an enterprise center for workforce training, offering both traditional college pathways and flexible skills-based education through their Tech Plus program. The college boasts an impressive 98-99% job placement rate with graduates earning $50-70K+ right out of school, demonstrating the critical need for technical education in today's workforce landscape. • Tech Plus program offers individual-facing, skills-b...
Jun 10, 2025•15 min
Kitty Pursley joins us to discuss the third annual Little Apple Splash, the world's premier canine aquatics competition coming to Blue Earth Plaza this weekend, featuring dogs jumping from a dock into a pool competing in three disciplines. • Manhattan hosts the national competition as a qualifier for the world championship in Dubuque, Iowa • Competition includes big air (long jump), extreme vertical (high jump), and speed retrieve • 295 entries will transform Blue Earth Plaza into "Dog Town" wit...
Jun 10, 2025•17 min
The Flint Hills Summer Fun Camp offers inclusive summer camp experiences for all children regardless of their abilities. Founded in 2010 by mothers of children with autism, the camp has grown to serve approximately 40 children from three school districts with professional staff and community support. • Started in 2010 by mothers who wanted camp experiences for their children with autism • Serves children ages 5 through high school with and without special needs • Accommodates visible and invisib...
Jun 03, 2025•15 min
Thrive, a relatively new nonprofit organization, works to break cycles of poverty by building community support systems, increasing financial stability, and teaching essential parenting skills to families who would otherwise feel isolated and overwhelmed. • Founded by Jamie Morris Hardeman in response to patterns observed at CASA, where families in the foster care system often lacked financial stability, support networks, and parenting skills • Meets weekly on Thursday nights with approximately ...
Jun 03, 2025•13 min
Matt reflects on his journey with the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, sharing insights from his time as Board Chair and the innovative initiatives that have positioned the foundation for future success. • Joined GMCF after moving to Manhattan in 2005, serving first on the grants committee before joining the Executive Board • Spearheaded an innovative childcare solution that functions as a business incubator for childcare entrepreneurs • Led the foundation through a strategic planning pro...
May 22, 2025•24 min
Tara Clausen, CEO of Kansa United Way, discusses their upcoming Community Investment Day where volunteers help decide how donor funds are allocated to programs supporting ALICE families (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). • Community Investment Day on July 23rd is a full-day event where volunteers review grant applications and hear from nonprofit partners • Dollars raised through United Way campaigns are invested directly back into community programs in four key areas: healthy communi...
May 20, 2025•14 min
The Manhattan Optimist Club is launching an instrument drive to collect gently used band and orchestra instruments for students whose families can't afford them. This initiative brings together the Optimist Club, K-State's instrument repair specialist, and local school music directors to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in music education regardless of financial circumstances. • Instrument collection runs June 2-7 at K-State Credit Union and Landmark Bank locations • Clyde S...
May 20, 2025•15 min
The Symphony in the Flint Hills prepares for its final concert on June 14th after 20 remarkable years of bringing music to the Kansas prairie. This signature event has faced growing challenges, including weather disruptions and rising costs, but remains committed to celebrating and raising awareness about one of the last tallgrass prairies in the world. • Started when Jane Coger hosted the Kansas City Symphony on her property for a birthday celebration • Final event will be held at the Evans pro...
May 13, 2025•15 min
The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce's HYPE program creates a community for young professionals through social events, professional development, and nonprofit engagement. Rebranded five years ago, HYPE (Helping Young Professionals Emerge) focuses on building connections and making Manhattan a place where 18-40 year olds want to live, work, and play. • Program operates through five pillars: play, engage, develop, connect, and Love MHK • Monthly "HYPE Happy Hour" on the last Thursday and "Lattes...
May 13, 2025•15 min
Manhattan Area Technical College receives prestigious Carnegie Foundation classifications, positioning it among an elite 8% of institutions nationwide with outstanding student outcomes including 97% job placement rates and 86% of graduates remaining in Kansas. • Carnegie Foundation classifications include Applied and Career Studies (top 8% of institutions) and Opportunity College and University (top 16%) • New campus building attracts students and enables partnerships with employers like PTMW • ...
May 06, 2025•16 min
ECM at K-State creates an inclusive campus community through student-driven programming and a mission of "all humans welcome, no strings attached." The organization fosters belonging while addressing important topics like sustainability, community building, and inclusive dining. • Friday Real Food Lunches provide vegan, gluten-free meals for 20-30 students weekly • Student-driven programming allows participants to create the community events they want to see • Retreats focus on practical sustain...
May 06, 2025•14 min
No Stone Unturned Foundation has moved into their new facility on Tuttle Creek Boulevard in Manhattan, allowing them to start pulling children off waiting lists and expand their pediatric therapy services. Their holistic care model has gained such recognition that therapy organizations from across Kansas are visiting to learn about their approach. • Topped the Grow Green Match Day leaderboard with over $133,000 from 122 gifts, averaging more than $1,000 per donation • Preparing for the 17th annu...
Apr 29, 2025•15 min
