Valorie Carson, Community Planning Director and lead UCS staff person for Johnson County's Continuum of Care on Homelessness, has recently been selected to serve on two homelessness councils.  For the state of Kansas, Carson has been asked to serve on the Kansas Interagency Council on Homelessness, a state-wide initiative to help guide efforts to assist individuals currently or at risk of experiencing homelessness.  This council was originally created in 2005 by then Governor Kathleen Sebelius under Executive Order 05-05.  Additionally, Carson was nominated and selected to serve on the Kansas City Bi-State Council on Youth Homelessness.  This new collaborative effort will be led by Scott Wagner, City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem of Kansas City, MO, Sarah Parsons of the Missouri Housing Development Commission and Nancy Thoma, Region 7 Administrator of the Department of Health and Human Services .

UCS acts as Johnson County's Continuum of Care on Homelessness' (CoC) lead agency and writes the collaborative application annually on behalf of local members.  For FY 2016, more than $677,000 was awarded to members of Johnson County's CoC to support 10 programs. 

UCS annually tracks data regarding key safety net supports that impact work and income, basic needs, health, wellness and safety for Johnson County residents of all ages.

The Human Service Safety Net benefits everyone and is an important part of a healthy, thriving community. It helps ensure that individuals and families in Johnson County can contribute to society, regardless of their challenges or circumstances. These programs and services provide a pathway out of poverty and create opportunity for our community's most vulnerable residents.  Please find UCS' latest overview here. 

United Community Services of Johnson County is committed to building a community where all people have the opportunity to achieve their individual potential.  We believe in the importance of supporting programs and services that are invested in the success of our community's human resources.  The 2016 Annual Report highlights the year's accomplishments.  Our accomplishments are only possible through the cooperation and collaboration of many individuals, organizations, and local government entities that recognize the value of working together for the common good.  On behalf of UCS, thank you for connecting with, and supporting UCS.

Make A Donation:  Giving to honor our past and prepare for our future is a great way to help us celebrate 50 years and those who have served our community through UCS.  We are happy to offer this easy online giving option.

Sub. for Sub. for SB 95 passed both houses last month by large margins and was signed into law by the Governor this week.  The bill is a result of efforts by Sen. Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka) and Sen. Laura Kelly (D-Topeka) and bi-partisan support to enact commonsense, fiscally responsible reforms to increase access for low-income Kansas families who qualify for public  assistance programs administered by the Secretary for Children and Families such as TANF, SNAP and child care assistance.  UCS participated in a grassroots advocacy effort coordinated by Kansas Appleseed with agencies across the state regarding this legislation. 

Olathe Public Housing Authority will open its waiting list for Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly Section 8) and Public Housing Units on May 5th, 2017.  Applications will be taken in the office ( 200 W Santa Fe St., Olathe KS) and online at www.olatheks.org from 8:00 am May 5th through 4:30 pm May 15th.   More info...