In October 2022, the Community Assistance Council (CAC) received a grant from the Kauffman Foundation to conduct community needs assessments and strategic planning to inform and guide CAC’s expansion of programs, services and physical space.
Last year, CAC provided a record $2,351,654 value of services including emergency rent and utilities assistance, food and hygiene items, case management and other services to low-income south Kansas City residents.
Everyone is welcome to go to CAC’s public survey to provide input at www.cackc.org. Project consultant Greg Baker is seeking input from any interested parties who would like to share thoughts. Anyone who would like to be contacted may email info@cackc.org.
CAC’s future reach may soon include health services. In early 2022, St. Luke’s Health System and Children’s Mercy Hospital asked CAC to be their south Kansas City agency for referrals when their patients indicate Social Determinants of Health Needs such as food insecurity, housing instability and more.
“CAC is thrilled with these collaborations that help residents with specific needs that are already part of our work, but allow us to make a direct and immediate impact toward individual and community health,” Casey added. “Even though it hasn’t been called that, addressing Social Determinants of Health is what CAC has been doing in south Kansas City since 1976. I expect our growth in programs, services, collaborations and physical space to all support individual, family and community health and economic stability.”